The Puppet Masters

Like many people of a certain age, my first experience with The Puppet Masters was not the 1951 novel by Robert Heinlein, but was the 1994 movie starring Donald Sutherland. So I had expectations when I started reading the novel. I have written in the past about how difficult I find it to read novels I have seen the movie of. I really hate it. It colors my perception of what to expect from the book and I don't like someone else's vision of characters to disrupt my own vision of them. Fortunately (or unfortunately) the movie was different enough from the movie that I did not feel that about this novel. I did visualize "The Old Man" as Donald Sutherland, even though Heinlein described him completely different. I am only human.

I truly had mixed feelings about this novel. The novel was written in 1951, and is set in some future time after World War III (Fought with a Communist Russia/China). The references to the "red menace" made this novel feel very dated, as did the very outdated sense of modesty shown by the society. I feel that the slugs would have had a very hard time hiding with the fashions worn by today's average US citizen. Although judging by my Niece's posture, if rounded shoulders and bad posture was all it took to be accused of being ridden by a slug the entire Millennial Generation and most of Generation X would be goners!

I did love the story. An alien species that was completely non-human is a pleasure to read. I grow tired of aliens with 2 eyes, legs, arms, humanoid shapes. Stories with truly alien beings are rare when it comes right down to it, and The Puppet Masters does it with flair.

What I had real problems with is how women were treated in this novel. Mary is introduced as a member of the secret government agency who discovers the alien plot, and how is she able to help discover the alien plot, why by using sex. Sex seems to be her only advancement in the plot. Once she marries Sam, she becomes the most passive, weak, not there character I have ever had the displeasure to have to read. I want my woman characters to have some back bone, and if they are using sex, I want it to be with power and full knowledge of the ability. Mary seemed to have this when she was introduced but it was a sham obviously. This aspect of the novel left me very disappointed by the book by the end.

I also have to say I found the ending to be very disappointing. The idea the Mary and Sam would so callously leave their first born child on Earth to take a 24 year trip to space and his only reaction to this was "It was hard but we'll have another right away" was both callous and cruel. At that point I feel humanity lost humanity is search of vengeance. I did not like it at all.

2.5 out of 5 stars