The Puppet Masters, by Robert A. Heinlein, 1951, New American Library
I've read quite a lot of Heinlein's early work but this is one I've missed. Until now. I really enjoyed it. But then I like all of Heinlein's early
work, especially those considered to be his juveniles. This one isn't quite a juvenile but it still has the same flavor of adventure and excitement.
Most of you know that this is an alien invasion story, of
course. A ship lands containing what come to be called "slugs," which
attach themselves to the backs of people , through the spinal cord, and then
take control over them. At first no one knows who is controlled and who isn't.
But the human race soon comes up with countermeasures, such as having everyone
strip to the waist. The war is on but there are many more twists and turns
before the end, which I won't give away.
One thing a little different about this tale is that it
takes place at an undefined future time after some great earthly war and after
humans have begun to settle on both Mars and Venus. They have blasters and
flying cars as well as space ships.
In 1994, there was a movie made from this book starring Donald
Sutherland, but as I remember it was set in the modern day, without the
futuristic elements. They don't necessarily have to be there to make the story
a good one.
The slugs essentially appear to be single cells that
function almost like a composite brain and I'm pretty sure this was a big
influence on the Star Trek original series episode called "Operation Annihilate!" That first season episode featured single 'brain cell' looking parasites
that rode the backs of people that they had taken over. The similarity is too close to imagine that it was accidental. The episode aired in 1967.
Read this 50 years ago and loved it. Glad it holds up.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a great story and enjoyed the movie as well. Heinlein was a big influence on my own work.
ReplyDeleteGreat little review and baited hook. Update the metaphor: Slugs = computer worms. S/F writers were often so much like prophets!
ReplyDeleteRead this one in the early 80s and reread it this past summer. Definitely worth the reread.
ReplyDeleteRead this one in the early 80s and reread it this past summer. Definitely worth the reread.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea Heinlien was the originator of the brain slug. I'll have to read this.
ReplyDeleteBill, I really had fun with it.
ReplyDeleteAlex, I was telling Lana that we needed to watch the movie again. It's been a long time.
R.T., absolutely.
Keith West, I'm not sure how I overlooked it back in the day.
eric1313, it's a fun book.
Charles, I spotted a few Robert A. Heinlein paperbacks at the Books by Weight exhibition I visited earlier this month but left them alone. Next time I won't.
ReplyDeletePrashant, very good writer.
ReplyDeleteI read a couple of Heinlein's back in the 50's or 60's, but don't remember this. Not much interested in scifi at the moment.
ReplyDeletei read a lot of Heinlein many moons ago; i remember starting this one and quit because of being creeped out; still haven't read it and probably won't; i find myself reading mostly feel good books now, age kicking me into my second childhood...
ReplyDeleteOscar, I pretty much always enjoy him.
ReplyDeleteMudpuddle, Definitely creepy. I found it a good Halloween type read.
I read it and really liked it when I was a teen. Isn't this the first novel mentioning alien takeovers of humans by attaching to some part of their body?
ReplyDeleteBernard, I don't know. Might well be. I just read a very similar story in Planet Stories. Will have to look at the dates.
ReplyDeleteI read your first paragraph about slugs attaching themselves to the backs of people and I immediately thought Trek. That was also the episode where Kirk's brother died, right?
ReplyDeleteDavid, it was indeed.
ReplyDeleteIt came to me the other day when I saw your blog again on my dashboard. I remember the first Heinlein novel I read had political and societal overtones I was immediately drawn to - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Starship Troopers was my next one. The Puppet Masters was the third. :)
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