Andrew Martin, obsessive mathematical boffin and professor at Cambridge University, has cracked the Riemann Hypothesis which will dramatically advance the human race. On a very distant planet named Vonnadoria, a place of calm, rational, dystopian immortality, the aliens become very nervous. Scared that Professor Martin’s discovery will be mishandled and threaten their own existence, they remove Andrew Martin and send a reluctant alien to earth in the guise of the professor’s body. The alien’s mission is to destroy any evidence or anyone who knows about the professor’s breakthrough. The trouble is, the alien knows very little about humans, their society or their technology which, quite frankly, he finds lacking. Also, walking around Cambridge naked probably isn’t the best start to his introduction to earth.
The alien has been told by his own kind just how bad humans can be. How backwards, how arrogant, how destructive, how greedy, how psychologically immature, how corrupted by fame and money they are. Can the alien find anything on earth that will prove these judgments wrong?
Written from the perspective of an alien to fellow aliens, The Humans is the story of alien Andrew’s experience on planet earth.
In fact, this is a really inspired way of looking at humanity as a whole. The majority of the time, humans, their lives, their relationships and their problems, within any genre of literature, are generally examined from the viewpoint of a human themselves (obviously); human narrators who have absorbed all of the best and worst bits of humanity. The prejudices, the cynicism, the possibility, the limitations placed by society, the capability to forgive, the importance of valuable relationships, the desire to drag people down, evil, goodness. Human narrators are tethered to the ideas of what it is to be human and what is recognisable. What Matt Haig does here is really clever. He uses an alien as a device of detachment, to give an “outsider” perspective on the depressingly bad and the wonderfully good aspects of life on earth.
The book is beautifully light and beautifully dark. We get humour in spades as the alien version of Andrew Martin has to navigate social norms which aren't spoken but are inherently followed, such as wearing clothes, facial expressions and waving - not spitting - as a greeting. He passes comments on aspects of society and etiquette which don’t make a lot of sense to his logical mind and he despises the human body and the structure of the face (who would want a protruding nose?). Furthermore, the alien has to navigate Andrew Martin’s life and family, specifically a wife named Isobel and a teenage son named Gulliver.
Alongside this, undeniably, the book is dark at points. We mustn't forget that we are essentially dealing with an alien assassin who is here to do a job. Similarly, many of the humans that the alien meets have problems and issues. Unhappiness often prevails and the topic of suicide is even touched upon, which incidentally is handled sensitively and skilfully. The Humans draws attention to our technology driven lives and our distant, often inhumane actions towards fellow human beings. It’s an illuminating allegory.
The part of the book which affected me the most was when alien Andrew wrote a list of advice for his “son” Gulliver: now that made me appreciate the bizarre, improbable and wonderful things that life on this spinning lump of rock has to offer.
In short, The Humans strips back modern life to what is truly important: relationships and connections. The greatest human achievement is not inventions or technological advancements; it is the ability to feel often illogical and irrational emotions such as love.
The book is thought-provoking, has well-drawn characters, has a simple yet well executed story, accessible writing style and witty observations.
I’m cynical. I’m a doubter. I’ve had problems with depression and intensely dark thoughts. I often question whether life is really worth it. If you’re feeling a little jaded, disaffected or lost, all I can say is: give The Humans a read. It could begin to change your mind.