Rating: 
Summary: Not vintage Heinlein but good enough
Review: This book has sort of dated badly with its depiction of a cold war and an attitude on Communism that is many years out of date but other than that the plot itself is typical Heinlein, which means that it's darn good. Simply put he went for the simple this time out and the premise is that alien invaders who can steal our minds are trying to take over the Earth. The aliens aren't given much personality and if you're looking for ET sort of interactions this isn't going to happen, the aliens never really talk and most of the time they only show up so the humans can kill them. In fact this is mostly a celebration of why we should be so glad the military is around and that in the end the best way to get rid of something is to just annihilate it. Yeah, whatever you say, Rob. Fortunately he tends to tone down the radical stuff this time out (for an example of when he doesn't go read Starship Troopers, otherwise very good as well) and what we're left with is great fun, Heinlein throws in everything, suspense, terror and heck even a little romance for those interested in that sort of stuff. What we're left with is a depiction of paranoia that is very interesting and those ideas that are weird that he uses are fairly harmless (i.e. why do we wear clothes and if you're wondering what I'm talking about just go read the book). In other words it's not essential Heinlein but is just a small step below. Hey good enough for me.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best alien invasion stories
Review: This book has stood up amazingly well over time. It is still probably the very best alien invasion story of all time with the possible exception of the The Body Snatchers. The story is relatively well crafted and it shows much of the breeziness typical of Heinlein's most popular books. I would not place this at the top of the list of Heinlein's very best novels however.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best alien invasion stories
Review: This book has stood up amazingly well over time. It is still probably the very best alien invasion story of all time with the possible exception of the The Body Snatchers. The story is relatively well crafted and it shows much of the breeziness typical of Heinlein's most popular books. I would not place this at the top of the list of Heinlein's very best novels however.
Rating:
Summary: An eclusive success!!!
Review: This book is genius. Heinlein knows fear and he knows how to make the reader fearful, weaving his words so that the dread is almost a tangible thing, like a spider weaving it's web. An ECLUSIVE SUCCESS!!
Rating: 
Summary: Typical Heinlein
Review: This book is typical middle-period Heinlein: good, fast action; threatening premise (slugs from outer space threaten to take over Earth and destroy humanity); and the usual Heinlein '50s sexism (That Bob! Always putting women on a pedestal so he can look at their legs! I've no doubt he was a remarkable man, but he ALWAYS judges women by their appearance, even while he shows us female doctors and military officers, slipping the female pronouns in when we're not looking). As the action builds, the protagonist reveals more of Heinlein's macho, pro-military stance (military and police action are our only hope). While I admire the portrayal of the organization and quick action that would be needed, and I agree that Earth ought to be defended from invaders, I think Heinlein, uh, *enjoys* his holy war a little too much. All I'm saying is, in the age of militias and pro-gun types, it's a little creepy. (Wonder what Bob would have to say to today's "patriots," though.) And the action stops dead at least twice, once for a romantic interlude and once for a power struggle back at headquarters. And the futuristic flying cars are always fun. Overall, a pretty good book.
Rating:
Summary: AN EXCELLENT READ WHEN JUDGED AGAINST THE TIME OF PUBLICATIO
Review: THIS BOOK SHOULD BE JUDGED AGAINST THE TIME IN WHICH IT WAS WRITTEN. THE IDEA THAT OUR ENEMIES COULD BE AMONG US, LOOK LIKE US, ETC. AS OPPOSED TO THE SEN. MCCARTHY HEARINGS CAN GIVE US A KEEN INSIGHT INTO THE TIMES THAT ACTUALLY EXISTED AND HOW PEOPLE ACTUALLY FELT AT THE TIME THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNIST CONSPIRACY WAS A REAL THREAT TO OUR WAY OF LIFE
Rating:
Summary: Heinlein's Alien Invasion Features Action, Adventure, No Sex
Review: This fast-paced action-packed adventure is a sparkling example of Heinlein's early post-juvenile output. As such, there's virtually none of the sexual obsession, social commentary and philosophical maundering that some find so offensive, although fans of his later work may find this book low on substance. The characters are pretty good (for sci-fi, anyway), and their relationship goes through some development before they fall for each other, plus their bantering conversation is a substantial improvement over the dialogue in most genre fiction. Of course the plot is straight out of H.G. Wells, as an alien race invades the earth and only a secret organization of government agents can act against them. The real strength of this novel is the breezy reality Heinlein brings to his story, and the clever (and all too believable) means the slugs use to control the country without the general populace ever knowing the difference. Surely this is Heinlein's interpretation of the Communist witch hunts of the twenties and fifties, when even someone you thought you knew well could prove to be a deadly enemy. The horror element should probably not be overemphasized, although this book was surely much scarier forty years ago. The whole concept of having an inhuman thing hanging on your back and controlling your every action is perhaps more creepy than grisly, and may not impress too many modern readers, but this particular reader found it quite disturbing enough, thank you. Demonstrating a command of technique largely absent from his later novels, Heinlein's tightly controlled point of view puts the action right in your face, and keeps the reader in sympathy with the hero throughout. This is an excellent book for younger readers, even though it's not aimed at them specifically, and it's also a top choice for fans of sci-fi escapism; just don't expect it to change your life.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Heinlein
Review: This is a fabulous science fiction tale with all the classic Heinlein elements: a quick-witted, lusty, smart-alecky protagonist; a luscious babe love interest; a wildly fantastic plot that that is well crafted enough to almost seem possible; and plenty of action. Parasites capable of inhabiting humans' minds and bodies threaten to take over the world unless a father, son, and wife team can stop them. In turn, all are inhabited by the "slugs." In addition to being a first-rate science fiction work, this is a coming of age story of sorts, since the hero works for a secret service agency run by his cranky old man. It is also a realistic love story between "Sam" and his wife "Mary" that has its share of turmoil, especially as the two attempt to delve into Mary's forgotten past. Readers will have trouble believing this story was written more than fifty years ago- the technology and science described are that good, and the plot is that well-paced and tight. The Puppet Masters holds up to any contemporary science fiction, and may even exceed today's offerings because of its originality. Furthermore, this tale's paranoid theme of "trust no one" (i.e., because he or she could be inhabited by a parasite), while written originally under the specter of the cold war, is as timely as ever in view of the recent terrorist attacks. This country ought to mobilize to detect the villains among us as effectively as the future USA of The Puppet Masters.
Rating:
Summary: The original, not a rip-off
Review: This is one of Heilein's best stories. So good,in fact, that Hollywood wanted to make a movie of it. But rather than pay the author the reasonable fee requested they stole the story. Anyone who reads it and has seen Invasion of the Body-Snatchers will see the similarity. The book however, is better than any of the three movies. The final irony is that in the same year that Hollywood finally releasd a movie called the "Pupper Masters", the third version of "The Body Snatchers" was realeased several weeks prior, effectively killing "Puppet Masters" at the box office.
Rating:
Summary: ALIEN MIND CONTROL
Review: This is the first Heinlein novel I have read and I was pleased with my choice. This book is neither scary nor quick moving but it does make you stop and think about some of the things we have that are taken for granted. The idea of being controlled by a foreign body and losing all freedom can be a frightening thing. The idea that you would like the loss of control is even worse. In this book Sam Cavanaugh is a secret agent who with Mary and "The Boss" has to confront alien slug like creatures who hop on spinal cords to take control over that entities mind and body. In order for humankind to be saved, Sam has to have a coming of age and become the leader he is meant to be. This is a good book and you will enjoy being taken over for a while.
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