T he Bodysnatchers describes an invasion of Earth by extraterrestrial creatures who resemble oversized vegetable pods. Able to mold themselves into the exact physical replica of any human being, they replace a passionate individual with an emotionless automaton.

Although Finney claims that he evolved the frightening plot for The Bodysnatchers simply as an entertainment, he clearly found his fictional conflicts in the anxieties of his contemporaries. For the more speculativeminded, the rash of UFO sightings in the early 1950s had raised the question of extraterrestrial visitors to earth.

Another source of anxiety was the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. Having just defeated fascism in the Second World War, Americans were troubled by the specter of battling communism. Subversion from within seemed more likely than open attack. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover labeled Soviet agents "masters of deceit" who would trick, cajole...