The Martian Child

"The Martian Child" is a novella by American writer David Gerrold, originally published in Fantasy & Science Fiction. It won the 1995 Hugo Award for Best Novelette, Locus Award and HOMer Award and the 1994 Nebula Award for Best Novelette, and was nominated for the Theodore Sturgeon award for best short fiction. The novelette was expanded into a novel and made into an eponymous film.

This article is about the 1994 short story and 2002 novel by David Gerrold. For the film based on the novelette, see Martian Child. For children of Mars, see Martian.
The Martian Child
AuthorDavid Gerrold
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreScience fiction
Published
  • Short: 1994
  • Novel: 2002

Plot

A single man who writes science fiction books and screenplays for a living, adopts a son who claims he is from Mars. The adoptive father comes to be intrigued by the possibility his son might really be a Martian. Ultimately, the father realizes that he loves his son whether or not he is a Martian. The son uses a magical "Martian wish" to be a human so he can remain with his father.

Background

The story is based on the author's own experiences as a single adoptive parent, with most of the key moments drawn from actual events.

The main difference between the story and Gerrold's own experience is that Gerrold's son, Sean Friedman, never actually believed he was a Martian; the Martian identity was simply a game that the two of them played. The initial idea for the story actually came from the author overhearing another adoptive parent remark that her daughter had told her teacher that she [the adoptive daughter] was really a Martian. Although nothing specifically science fictional occurs in the story, Gerrold makes suggestive hints.

David Gerrold was out about his homosexuality when he adopted his son. In the novelette, the sexuality of the protagonist is not disclosed although the novel identifies him as gay. In the feature film, the protagonist was a straight widower (with a female love interest), causing criticism from the LGBT community.[1][2][3]

References
  1. Tolins, Jonathan (8 May 2007). "Why the Martian Child's Daddy isn't Gay". blog entry by a writer and co-producer of the feature film Martian Child. Archived from the original on 2012-06-29.
  2. Brian Juergens. "The Martian Child: Where'd the gay go?". Afterelton.com. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
  3. "Martian Child". Scifi.com. Movie and TV reviews. Archived from the original on 2008-06-13. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
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