The Puppet Masters by Robert A. Heinlein
"The Puppet Masters" is a science fiction novel centered around an alien invasion, notable for its exploration of predatory aliens that exert control over the human nervous system through a parasitic relationship. The story is narrated by Elihu Nivens, who is primarily known by his code name, Sam Cavanaugh. He is part of a secret service organization tasked with uncovering the aliens' intentions after they land in Des Moines, Iowa. Alongside his colleague, Allucquere, who poses as his sister Mary, Sam discovers that the aliens can manipulate human hosts, effectively censoring information about themselves.
As the narrative unfolds, Sam becomes a victim of the alien control, leading to complex emotional dynamics, particularly between him, Mary, and his mentor, known as "The Old Man." The novel delves into themes of trust, manipulation, and the struggle for autonomy, especially as the characters navigate the dual threat of alien invasion and their personal relationships. Ultimately, the U.S. government acknowledges the alien threat, leading to a state of emergency and a war against the creatures occupying various parts of the country. The story concludes with hope for humanity's victory, underscored by the personal sacrifices and revelations experienced by the characters.
The Puppet Masters
First published: 1951 (serial form, Galaxy Science Fiction, September-November, 1951; text restored, 1989)
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Science fiction—invasion story
Time of work: The early twenty-first century
Locale: Earth, primarily the midwestern United States
The Plot
The Puppet Masters is the story of an alien invasion, one of the first invasion stories to utilize the motif of predatory aliens effecting a parasitic or symbiotic control over the human nervous system. The obvious and frightening result is that there is virtually no human defense against such a creature: Through their human hosts, the aliens know everything humans know; no secret can be kept from the aliens, and any human might be controlled by an alien.
The novel is narrated by Elihu Nivens, though initially the reader knows only his code name, Sam Cavanaugh. Elihu/Sam (he is most often called Sam in the novel) is an agent in a secret service organization serving the U.S. government. The head of the organization, posing as Sam’s uncle, Charlie Cavanaugh, is later revealed to be Elihu’s real father, Andrew Nivens. When a spaceship carrying many aliens lands in Des Moines, Iowa, Sam and “The Old Man,” Charlie, investigate, along with the organization’s top female agent, Allucquere, posing as Sam’s sister Mary. They discover that one of the sluglike aliens has attached itself to the back of a Des Moines television executive, enabling the aliens to censor any news about themselves.
Unable to convince the president of the United States to act on their findings, Sam and Mary continue to investigate until one of the slugs seizes control of Sam. The Old Man is able to capture Sam and remove the slug, ending a hellish nightmare of captivity. Placing the need for information before the feelings of his own son and best agent, the Old Man forces Sam to take the slug back to learn more about the alien’s plans. After the ordeal, convinced that Mary and the Old Man used Sam’s protective and romantic feelings for Mary to prod him into doing something against his will, Sam angrily cuts all ties with Mary, with whom he had fallen in love.
By this time, the president and Congress are convinced of the alien threat, and America enters a state of emergency. Areas of the country occupied by the slugs are designated Red Zones, with which “Free” America is essentially at war. Sam reconciles with Mary, whom he quickly marries. Sam and his new wife dedicate themselves to destroying the slugs. Mary’s tortured memories prove instrumental in defeating the slugs: It is discovered that Mary had been attacked by them as a child on Venus, where a mysterious bacterial plaque that destroyed her colony also destroyed the slugs. The novel ends with the slugs not yet defeated but their defeat imminent.
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