Symbiosis Supermen named Oscars

[JackAfter6]

Back in the 80s I read a book that I've been looking for since the 90's. It was a really neat book about a colony on another planet where the people are occasionally afflicted by an alien life-form, that covers them in a gold film and they're put through the most unspeakable agony imaginable. The people so afflicted are routinely put out of their misery—euthanasia—but one man for whatever reason—I don't remember why—is not killed. Instead he suffers through an interminable period of time and after a while he's sort of this symbiotic mutation of human/alien. He—the symbiote—gains superhuman powers and becomes nearly indestructible. He becomes an "Oscar," a gold-plated superhero who—along with the other humans that take now endure this painful cathartic symbiotic alien-life mutation—fights crime etc. It's basically the story of people who in trying to ease the suffering of others cheat them out of what would have otherwise been an incredible and rewarding post-human-life experience.

Have you ever read this book? I'd really love to read it again.

If you can tell me something that will help me find it I'd be truly grateful.

Thanks

Jack T.

 

[JackAfter6]

I could find this book quicker if I sat down and just started writing the thing.

 

[Tim]

Probably, haha. You're going to need to try using search strings in Google, maybe narrow it down and then use fantasticfiction.co.uk to examine authors collections.

If no one answers here, it'll be because they haven't got a clue and don't want to speculate.