Creationism aside, turns out the Gods hate Kansas. Yes, that's a real book by Joseph Millard (1964, cover painting by Jack Thurston):
THE GODS HATE KANSAS by Joseph Millard
INVASION FROM THE STARSIt began with the landing of nine meteors in Kansas. Then, suddenly, it exploded into a massive catastrophe.
First, the meteorite investigating team were turned into automatons, ruled by an unknown, alien intelligence. They barricaded themselves
from the world and began building a rocket project, aimed at traversing the stars.Then the Crimson Plague struck, sweeping over Earth's population, destroying human capacities and defying scientific probing.
Only a few escaped the invasion from outer space, among them astrophysicist Curt Temple, whose girlfriend, Lee Mason, was enslaved, her personality changed.
Curt knew he had to pit his slim knowledge against the most perfect intelligence in the cosmos to save the world - and the woman he loved.
First, the meteorite investigating team were turned into automatons, ruled by an unknown, alien intelligence. They barricaded themselves
from the world and began building a rocket project, aimed at traversing the stars.
Wow. Sounds like the plot of The Inheritors, from The Outer Limits tv series in 1960.... starring one of my favorite actors, Steve Ihnat. (And some guy named Robert Duvall.)