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A friend of mine's dad was in a car accident that affected his memory, and therefore he can't remember if the story I've been asked to track down is real or not. I'm having trouble finding it, so I've decided to ask for help in my search.

The story, from what I gather, is about an average joe who has to cross a bridge to get to work. Each day when he crosses that bridge, he gets a strange feeling in his stomach -- a tingle of sorts -- that something is... off. Eventually the story builds up and we learn that the town has effectively been taken over by aliens, and the sensation he gets on the bridge is caused by hyperspace travel or something of that nature. This story would likely be something that's popped up in school literature books, as he remembers reading it in his high school years, around 32 years ago. It might not be a book at all; instead it could be an episode of the Twilight Zone or something -- I don't have much more to go on than what I've said, unfortunately.

If anyone can give me a nudge in the right direction, I'd be very appreciative. I wanna set his mind at ease. And it sounds like a pretty neat story either way.

Thanks for your time!

1 Answer 1

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I suggest you check the book "Alien Prey" by John Peel. It is not a perfect match, but there are some strong similarities. There is a small town, it has been taken over by aliens. The aliens are hiding as regular people, workers and there was an access to the aliens' ship through the local factory (where there is strong imagery of the normal looking people, living normal lives, and vanishing down the access). The book does emphasize the ordinariness of everyone else, the picture of average Joes living average lives, quite a bit (so the imagery is there, but it's not the protagonist).

What does not fit - the protagonists are not the average Joe, but a few local kids, misfits and punks. The bad feeling is linked to the ship, but not necessarily to 'hyperspace travel'. The transport that looks normal but crosses to the alien ship is not a bridge, but there is a disguised elevator from the exceedingly normal looking factory. And, perhaps the biggest problem, the timing is off, as the book is somewhat newer than your timeline suggests (1997 - so nearly 20 years ago instead of over 30).

When I read your question I could see a lot of similarities in mood, tone, and imagery, that prompted me to suggest this book. There may be better matches, but perhaps this will help. I hope you find what you're looking for.

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