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| Author | David Gerrold |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Published |
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| Publication place | United States |
"The Martian Child" is anovelette by American writerDavid Gerrold, originally published inFantasy & Science Fiction. It won the 1995Hugo Award for Best Novelette,Locus Award and HOMer Award and the 1994Nebula Award for Best Novelette and was nominated for theTheodore Sturgeon award for best short fiction. The novelette was expanded into a novel and made intoan eponymous film.
A single man who writesscience fiction books and screenplays for a living, adopts a son who claims he is fromMars. The adoptive father comes to be intrigued by the possibility his son might really be aMartian. 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.
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 aMartian; 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 hishomosexuality when he adopted his son. In the novelette, the sexuality of the protagonist is not disclosed although the novel identifies him asgay. In the feature film, the protagonist was a straight widower (with a female love interest), causing criticism from the LGBT community.[1][2][3]
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