The Humans by Matt Haig begins with an extraterrestrial being arriving on Earth, his mission clear: to eliminate all traces of a groundbreaking mathematical discovery made by Professor Andrew Martin, a brilliant mathematician at Cambridge University. This discovery, the Riemann Hypothesis, is deemed too dangerous for humanity by the alien’s advanced civilization, the Vonnadorians, who see humans as a primitive and destructive species. The alien takes over Professor Martin’s body, and his initial observations of Earth and its inhabitants are filled with disdain and confusion. He finds humans to be illogical, messy, and obsessed with bizarre customs like clothing, food, and emotions.

As he meticulously goes about his task of erasing the professor’s work and silencing anyone who knows about it, something unexpected begins to happen. The alien, who has known only a life of pure logic and absence of emotion on his home planet, starts to experience the complexities of human existence. Through his interactions with Andrew Martin’s wife, Isobel, and their teenage son, Gulliver, he slowly begins to feel things he never thought possible: love, empathy, frustration, and even joy. He finds himself unexpectedly drawn to the very things he initially despised, like poetry, music, and even peanut butter.

This transformation leads to a profound internal conflict. The alien’s mission dictates one path, but his burgeoning humanity pulls him in another direction. He starts to question the Vonnadorians’ assessment of humans and wonders if their flaws are not merely weaknesses, but also the source of their unique beauty and capacity for connection. “The Humans” is a humorous and deeply thoughtful exploration of the human condition, seen through the fresh, bewildered, and ultimately appreciative eyes of an outsider. It’s a journey that challenges us to consider our own lives, our joys, our sorrows, and what truly makes us human.