Rating: 
Summary: Are you sure he is a friend?
Review: Robert A. Heinlein was one of my favorite authors when I was a teenager. Time had passed by, but still I love some of his books. "The Puppet Masters" is one of them.This book was published in 1951 with the Cold War raging and that cultural background influence the story. As I pointed out in other reviews, books and films of the period allude the frightful issue of: "They are LIKE us but they are NOT us. They are DANGEROUS to us", as in the films "The Thing from another World" (1951), "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1956) or "I Married a Monster from Outer Space" (1958). The story focuses on an alien invasion that expands all around the world with unimaginable speed. Sam and Mary are agents of an ultra secret Security Agency under the control of the Old Man who have a direct link to the President. Both agents go to investigate and after discovering what's up, a fast paced adventure starts.
Alien parasites take control of human beings by the expedient of attaching themselves to the back of the host. The first frightful issue to overcome is how to distinguish friend from foes. Then, the Government has to implement some defense against them, that include a "bare backs" politic. Finally our heroes try to find the source and origin of the invasion. At this time of his career, Heinlein was more centered in the action than in political or social speculation, as he develop in later books, with uneven achievement.
I recommend this book to all sci-fi lovers and those who enjoy adrenalin charged adventures.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.
Rating:
Summary: A major novel in the history of science fiction.
Review: Science fiction stories about aliens that form a symbiotic relationship with humans have been popular in the science fiction literature for a long time. One of the earliest short stories on this theme probably was Clark Ashton Smith's "The Vaults of Yok-Vombis" in 1932. The first full length novel based on this theme was Heinlein's "The Puppet Masters." It was also Heinlein's first full-length science fiction novel for adults. It first appeared as a serial in the Sept. 1951 issue of Galaxy magazine. A film based on this book was released in 1994. This story, written in a very "hard-boiled" style reminescent Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, begins with a landing of a flying saucer in Iowa. At first it is thought to be a hoax (as in Wells' "War of the Worlds"). However, it is soon apparent that it is not. The aliens, believed to be from Titan, form a parasitic attachment to humans and are able to completely control the thoughts and movements of the human host. The problems facing the non-infected humans includes how to defeat the aliens without killing the host (a similar problem facing the hero in Card's "Xenocide" (1991)). They also have a problem at convincing Washington politicians that there is a crisis. Others have suggested that the novel is an allegory of the times in the late-1940s and early-1950s of the paranoia caused by the Cold War. (However, care should be exercised here. Some of the earlier reviewers have compared this book with the paranoa associated with the McCarthy hearings. Although Senator McCarthy was much in the news in 1950 and 1951, the actual hearings didn't begin until long after Heinlein's book was published.) There is another interesting aspect. The novel is written in the first person. On two occasions, the narrator himself, the government agent Sam Cavanaugh, gets infected by the aliens and then the narration shifts to the alien's viewpoint. This was a major novel in the history of the development of science fiction literature and all serious students should read it.
Rating:
Summary: The best alien-invasion novel out there!
Review: The Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein has to be my favourite book on the planet, which is quite something, considering I read a lot and don't particularly like the other Robet Heinlein stuff that much (it's okay, better than most, but nothing compares to *this*!) TPM is a book that keeps you thinking, long after you've read it. The characters are well-developed and engaging, and stretch the gamut from black to white. There are no Satans in this book, and likewise, there are no saints. Everyone (or thing) has it's faults. I love the style of writing... descriptive and fluid. Overall, this book is extremely realistic. There are some creations that have yet to be created (such as the plane cars) but Heinlein doesn't so much write about them as possibilities... rather, he states that they exist, and weaves his words so well that you come away looking for the yellow pages in order to look up the nearest plane-car dealership. The aliens (both the Titans and their *masters*) are awesome, like the title of this review states. The Titans (those cruel, slimy little buggers that attach themselves to human backs and penetrate into the spinal cords with long whip-like tentacles) evoke a sense of dread in the reader that can't be compared to any other monster. Dracula, Werewolves and 'gray' aliens with probes fall miserably short of developing the same sense of thready-pulsed fear. The plot is basic... in a nutshell, an alien ship crashes in a forest in the states in the year 2007 and people begin to act 'odd'. Of course, no one knows what is happening, save for a small, motely group of survivalists bent on overcoming the invasion of this hostile ET organism. Because the creature is 60% brain mass, and doesn't have any eyes or ears, or any viable means of ambulating itself, it attaches itself to human 'hosts'... who it then disposes of when it's finished with. On a scarier note, these little buggers seem to share a 'collective' brain, and their understanding of our species increases in leaps and bounds, while the human understanding of this strange nemesis slows to a trickle. Canny and manipulative, what scared me most about the Titans was the way they almost seemed to take pleasure in 'destroying' the hosts... *shudder* The main character is Elihu Nivens (Sam Cavanaugh until well into the book), a young man who is struggling with keeping a bold face for his cagey, bitingly cruel father, and the new partner he's been set up with... Mary. Mary is a cool, collected, intelligent red head who keeps Sam's hormones pumping and may be the driving force that keeps him alive when the alien invasion heats up. But this isn't no 'knight in shining armor' tale. Sam and Mary have their moments... from funny, to downright... painful. *winces* In fact, their frequent interactions are SO realistic, one can't help but wonder if Heinlein had real-life models to work with. The closest example I can think of is the first or second season relationship between Mulder and Scully of "The X-Files". Towards the climax of this novel, my heart was *pounding* violently (I'm seriously not joking) and my eyes were, to use a cliche, glued to the pages. I took it to school, and got snapped at by more than a few teachers for not paying attention to the garbage they were 'teaching'. I haven't read this book since age 12 (five years ago) but I *still* love every single crafted page. I expect to find it under the tree this year, and I can't wait until Saturday morning, for that reason alone. I can't recommend this book enough. It's possibly the best thing to hit the sci fi genre since it's inception. It's gorgeous, inventive, scary, nostalgic (in a weird way the reader yearns for the fictional world Heinlein has created, even in the midst of such chaos and horror), original, chalk-full-of-ideas and one crucible of a tale. When it's all over, and the alien's are defeated, the tale boils down to showcase the surviving nature of the homo sapien species. In one word: AWESOME! A book so great, it almost reads itself.
Rating:
Summary: A Sci-Fi classic
Review: The Puppet Masters can be sumed up in one word, it ROCKED!! My first Henlein book was Farnham's Freehold, which don't get me wrong wasn't a bad book but I just couldn't get into it. The Puppet Masters was, I think far better. Filled with suspense, paranoia, action and even a little terror. A basic outlining of the plot is, Earth is under attack by aliens that can control people's minds. They can attach themselves where ever they please on your body. An Intelligence officer, known as Sam Cavanaugh must stop these aliens with the help of a beautiful agent named Mary and the Intelligence's commander the Old Man. This book starts right out with tons of suspense. Even to the ending, the last five pages still had my hands sweating! If you are a Heinlein fan or just plain love Sceince Fiction read this book. I couldn't put it down!
Rating:
Summary: Arguably, Heinlein's most enjoyable novel
Review: The Puppet Masters is one of Heinlein's most entertaining novels. A fairly quick read, it provides a wealth of enjoyment for both young and old alike. The earth is being invaded by hostile alien forces, but few people recognize this fact or choose to believe it for this is no typical invasion. These extraterrestrials are slugs who attach themselves to human hosts, thereby controlling them and giving the appearance of normalcy to those around them (and, more importantly, to typically slow-witted politicians). Our protagonists, mysterious agents of some murky, top-secret government agency in the early 21st century, enter the fray when a flying saucer supposedly lands in Iowa and is quickly proclaimed a hoax. They are soon able to figure out what is actually going on, though, and they manage to convince a reluctant President of the seriousness of the matter. Soon Schedule Bare Back is in force, requiring all citizens to wear nothing (or next to nothing in the case of women) above their waists--slug-invaded hosts bear a discernible hump on their backs where the aliens imbed themselves. These aliens are smart, though, and the government is typically naïve and slow to respond, so eventually the fate of the nation depends on the work of our three heroes. The protagonists are typically peculiar Heinlein characters. The hard to read Old Man runs the show, while "Sam" and "Mary" conduct much of the field and security work, Mary is a beautiful, mysterious female agent, and naturally Sam immediately falls head over heels in love with her. Together, they identify the means by which the slugs propagate, eventually developing first-hand knowledge of the slugs despite their best intentions and precautions. As compelling as the slug crisis is, the interrelationships between the Old Man, Sam, and Mary are even more interesting. One never truly knows a Heinlein character, and there are some surprising twists and turns in the evolution and past histories of the important ones here. The tidbits we are given about life in the 21st century and the recent past history of America are slipped in rather slyly; America did win World War III, we learn, but did not escape a limited nuclear attack; the defeated yet unbowed Soviets remain Communists (drawing a perfectly legitimate question in the mind of Sam as to how much difference it would make for the Soviets to fall victim to slug control), and marriage has become a business contract available for periods of six months up to the old-fashioned yet rarely selected lifetime commitment. This is basically an action-packed alien invasion story of an unusual sort, driven along unflaggingly by Heinlein. The science of this science fiction is present but by no means takes away from or slows down the story whatsoever. Even as incredible wartime events unfold rapidly, we are continually treated to a character study of sorts of our heroes. This is not sociological science fiction, yet there is much in that vein to draw one's eye. Certainly, a Cold War influence can be felt in these pages, especially early on when it seems all but impossible to tell who is an enemy and who is not. The issue of civil liberties is brought up when the government basically demands all citizens to live and work essentially nude (because that is the only way to tell whether Joe Schmo is walking around with a slug or not) The novel is not politicized however, with the exception of allusions to government's predictable weaknesses and failures. The bare-bones skeleton of the tale is rather common fare, despite the unusual nature of the aliens here, but Heinlein's incredible characterization, subtle references to psychological and sociological issues, and unique manner of telling a story make this a thoroughly enjoyable novel.
Rating:
Summary: Arguably, Heinlein's most enjoyable novel
Review: The Puppet Masters is one of Heinlein's most entertaining novels. A fairly quick read, it provides a wealth of enjoyment for both young and old alike. The earth is being invaded by hostile alien forces, but few people recognize this fact or choose to believe it for this is no typical invasion. These extraterrestrials are slugs who attach themselves to human hosts, thereby controlling them and giving the appearance of normalcy to those around them (and, more importantly, to typically slow-witted politicians). Our protagonists, mysterious agents of some murky, top-secret government agency in the early 21st century, enter the fray when a flying saucer supposedly lands in Iowa and is quickly proclaimed a hoax. They are soon able to figure out what is actually going on, though, and they manage to convince a reluctant President of the seriousness of the matter. Soon Schedule Bare Back is in force, requiring all citizens to wear nothing (or next to nothing in the case of women) above their waists--slug-invaded hosts bear a discernible hump on their backs where the aliens imbed themselves. These aliens are smart, though, and the government is typically naïve and slow to respond, so eventually the fate of the nation depends on the work of our three heroes. The protagonists are typically peculiar Heinlein characters. The hard to read Old Man runs the show, while "Sam" and "Mary" conduct much of the field and security work, Mary is a beautiful, mysterious female agent, and naturally Sam immediately falls head over heels in love with her. Together, they identify the means by which the slugs propagate, eventually developing first-hand knowledge of the slugs despite their best intentions and precautions. As compelling as the slug crisis is, the interrelationships between the Old Man, Sam, and Mary are even more interesting. One never truly knows a Heinlein character, and there are some surprising twists and turns in the evolution and past histories of the important ones here. The tidbits we are given about life in the 21st century and the recent past history of America are slipped in rather slyly; America did win World War III, we learn, but did not escape a limited nuclear attack; the defeated yet unbowed Soviets remain Communists (drawing a perfectly legitimate question in the mind of Sam as to how much difference it would make for the Soviets to fall victim to slug control), and marriage has become a business contract available for periods of six months up to the old-fashioned yet rarely selected lifetime commitment. This is basically an action-packed alien invasion story of an unusual sort, driven along unflaggingly by Heinlein. The science of this science fiction is present but by no means takes away from or slows down the story whatsoever. Even as incredible wartime events unfold rapidly, we are continually treated to a character study of sorts of our heroes. This is not sociological science fiction, yet there is much in that vein to draw one's eye. Certainly, a Cold War influence can be felt in these pages, especially early on when it seems all but impossible to tell who is an enemy and who is not. The issue of civil liberties is brought up when the government basically demands all citizens to live and work essentially nude (because that is the only way to tell whether Joe Schmo is walking around with a slug or not) The novel is not politicized however, with the exception of allusions to government's predictable weaknesses and failures. The bare-bones skeleton of the tale is rather common fare, despite the unusual nature of the aliens here, but Heinlein's incredible characterization, subtle references to psychological and sociological issues, and unique manner of telling a story make this a thoroughly enjoyable novel.
Rating:
Summary: One of Heinlein's best
Review: There have been many alien invasion novels, but this one retains a sense of uniqueness. The aliens are not powerful, superintelligent, or warlike. I won't describe them, as that gives away an integral piece of the story. Review-wise, this book is very well-written, coherent, fast-paced but not action-laden, loaded with tension, and creative. And, it is downright chilling. It leaves the reader wondering how, and if, we could handle an invasion like this.
Rating: 
Summary: Not for Sci-fi lovers
Review: These extraterrestrial slugs have made a mess of a good and intense action. I waited something to happen after the first half of the story, but easy-going action was smoothly running until the end. Although there are some excellent suspense scenes, in the end whole story becomes boring. Two stars for the action, zero for the sci-fi.
Rating:
Summary: Men in Black...only better
Review: They must have taken that idea from this book...or at least they reminded me of each other. This is a great book...and isn't all that far fetched if you don't read it too literally.
Rating:
Summary: Men in Black...only better
Review: They must have taken that idea from this book...or at least they reminded me of each other. This is a great book...and isn't all that far fetched if you don't read it too literally.
|
