History Literature / KPAX

* SunglassesAtNight: prot, and it's {{justified}} as [=K-PAX=]ians are used to much dimmer light, so that to him Earth's sun is blinding. He never indicates any trouble seeing in the normal daytime, and takes off his shades sometimes in dark rooms when the light is tolerable for him.

* LiteraryAgentHypothesis

* GeniusDitz: prot has shades of this in the book, where tests reveal that outside astrology and physics, along with some related fields, his knowledge of other areas of study is average to non-existent.

* HumanAliens: {{Subverted}}. See StarfishAliens entry below.

* ArtisticLicenseMedicine: Brewer could very likely lose his license to practice medicine with how he treats prot, for just one example of why, discussing his handling of a patient with others.

* LawOfAlienNames: Averted. The (uncapitalized) "prot" is a vowel ''shorter'' than its pronunciation would imply.

* HumanAliens: Subverted. See StarfishAliens entry below.

* SunglassesAtNight: prot, and it's jusitifed as [=K-PAX=]ians are used to much dimmer light, so to him Earth's sun is blinding. He never indicates any trouble seeing in his normal day, and takes off his shades sometimes in dark rooms when the light is tolerable for him.

A series of ScienceFiction novels written by Gene Brewer, who also narrates the books in the first person as the protagonist, HGWells-style. The books follow the so-called "Dr. Brewer's" experiences with prot,[[note]] sic; rhymes with "oat"[[/note]] a supposedly delusional yet extremely convincing mental patient who looks like an ordinary, affable man but claims to be an extraterrestrial from a planet called "K-PAX".

The first novel was fairly faithfully adapted into [[Film/{{KPAX}} a film of the same name in 2001]], starring JeffBridges as the psychiatrist (renamed Mark Powell) and Creator/KevinSpacey as prot.

!!This series contains examples of:

* SunglassesAtNight: prot, and it's jusitifed as [=K-PAX=]ians are use to much dimmer light, so to him earth's sun is blinding. He never indicates any trouble seeing in his normal day, and takes off his shades sometimes in dark rooms when the light is tolerable for him.

The first novel was fairly faithfully adapted into [[Film/{{KPAX}} a film of the same name in 2001]], starring JeffBridges as the psychiatrist (renamed Mark Powell) and Kevin Spacey as prot.

* DoctorDoctorDoctor: at the planetarium when Prot and Dr. Powell meet four astrophysicists. [[http://www.metacafe.com/watch/an-_PIsJmY2nhbmmY/k_pax_2001_planetarium/ See the clip here.]]
-->'''Prot:''' "Doctor — Doctor — Doctor — Doctor. How many doctors are there on this planet?"

A series of ScienceFiction novels written by Gene Brewer, who also narrates the books in the first person as the protagonist, HGWells-style. The books follow "Dr. Brewer"'s experiences with prot [''sic'', rhymes with "oat"], a supposedly delusional yet extremely convincing mental patient who looks like an ordinary, affable man but claims to be an extraterrestrial from a planet called "K-PAX".

The first novel was fairly faithfully adapted into [[Film/{{K-PAX}} a film of the same name in 2001]], starring JeffBridges as the psychiatrist (renamed Mark Powell) and Kevin Spacey as prot.

* AllThereInTheManual: Aside from the alternate perspective of prot's true identity between film and book, the book goes much more in depth on the backstories of the other patients and Brewer himself.
* ArtisticLicenseMedicine: In both the film and the book, Brewer/Powell could very likely lose his license to practice medicine with how he treats prot, for just one example of why, discussing his handling of a patient with others.
* BerserkButton: Though how much varies between film and book, the first time prot gets noticeable angry is when Brewer tries to ask in-depth questions about the nature of crime on K-PAX.

* DeadpanSnarker: Prot in the film, snarky but not so deadpan in the novel
-->'''Dr. Powell''' "What would you say if I were to tell you that I don't think you took any trip at all, to Greenland or Iceland or anywhere? That I don't believe you're from K-PAX? I believe you're as human as I am?" \\
'''prot''': "I would say you're in need of a thorazine drip, doctor."
* DemotedToExtra: The other patients in the film.

* HumansAreSpecial: prot subtly slips into this in the film as he prepares to leave, where he tells Brewer that no one ever misses him on [=K-PAX=] when he leaves, but he senses he will be missed when he leaves Earth, and realizes he'll miss them too.
** HumansAreBastards: In the book however he notes humans are ignorant of the damage they do to themselves, their planet and other animals, and writes in his journal that unless a radical society shift takes place he doubts the species will survive.

* PrecisionFStrike: In the film.
-->"He doesn't want to talk about it, are you ''fucking'' deaf?"

* TheStoic: prot in the film is universally calm and collected. Not so in the novel.
* ThroughTheEyesOfMadness: [[spoiler: When prot "leaves" in the end, the other patients comment that Robert Porter looks nothing like prot, implying they could see him for what he is]].

* DeadpanSnarker: prot in the film, snarky but not so deadpan in the novel

The first novel was adapted into a film of the same name in 2001, starring JeffBridges as the psychiatrist (renamed Mark Powell) and Kevin Spacey as prot.

-->"I said he doesn't want to talk about it, are you ''fucking'' deaf?"

** The sequels lean in either direction, with ''K-PAX II'' presenting more evidence that prot is porter, and ''K-PAX III'' making it fairly clear that he is an alien.

The first novel was adapted into a film of the same name in 2001, starring JeffBridges as the psychiatrist and Kevin Spacey as prot.