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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
Meh. Heinlein is a great writer and there are lots of good ideas here (if you remember that it was written in 1951) but it's still mostly pretty goofy. I wouldn't have bothered if I had realized that it was this outdated and the central premise was so silly.
Even though this one didn't prominently feature a pedophilic lead like _Door into Summer_, I think I still like the other book more. This just didn't quite work for me, and I think it's because the narrator was just too bland. Not angry enough, I guess, and sort of hard to accept certain elements of his personality, like his cabin in the woods and his alter ego as a cat loving writer, when he goes to great lengths at the start to tell us he's a lunkhead.
Still, I think this is the solution, for anyone who tells you that books aren't freighted with ideology-- just give them some dated pulp and ask them to repeat that to your face. Maybe that's a new characteristic of literature, something that separates it from genre writing: it makes the attempt to appear without ideology.
Still, I think this is the solution, for anyone who tells you that books aren't freighted with ideology-- just give them some dated pulp and ask them to repeat that to your face. Maybe that's a new characteristic of literature, something that separates it from genre writing: it makes the attempt to appear without ideology.
Not remotely one of his best. And obnoxiously sexist throughout.
To start off I am a HUGE Heinlein fan. I've read almost everything he has written (most of them multiple times) yet somehow this flew under my radar. I felt this one was bogged down in unneeded details and tangents that didn't move the plot which is very un-heinlein like. I pushed through and finished it and it was okay, but I don't see myself ever re-reading this.
This book didn't age well. Written in 1951 probably for a teen to 20-something male audience, it maybe reflects how genders behaved towards one another but not very appealing 73 years later. And I thought the 70s were gross. I understand books are often a product of when they were written but the sexism in this is over the top compared to other Golden Age science fiction I've read.
Heinlein presents a really neat concept: some extraterrestrial slugs (nicknamed the Masters) first land in Iowa and begin taking over humans by crawling up their backs and taking over their brain functions, and also have access to that person's knowledge. Tricksy! Our three main characters show up to investigate the spacecraft and the plot proceeds with our heroes spearheading a full on battle against the Masters. The group is lead by the Old Man, a super-smart former military guy who always seems to be one step ahead of the other two. Next is his prized agent Sam, a dashing tough guy who also narrates the book and never misses and opportunity to describe the physical attributes of the women he meets. Lastly is Mary, also a top secret agent, who is always packing several weapons and who we are initially lead to believe is physically and mentally tough.
About two-thirds of the way through the plot started getting weirder. For instance, in the US it is determined that everyone must walk around naked so it can be determined whether or not they are wearing a slug. And then Mary finally succumbs to Sam's advances and becomes his puppet as well. She goes from a kick-ass secret agent to a quivering subservient sex object. And look out if Sam gets mad
So to sum it up - cool idea, pretty well told tale, but some of what went on took me out of the story at times.
This was a freebie on Audible and the narration by Bronson Pinchot was pretty good except Mary's voice became a bit too breathy and meek by the end.
Heinlein presents a really neat concept: some extraterrestrial slugs (nicknamed the Masters) first land in Iowa and begin taking over humans by crawling up their backs and taking over their brain functions, and also have access to that person's knowledge. Tricksy! Our three main characters show up to investigate the spacecraft and the plot proceeds with our heroes spearheading a full on battle against the Masters. The group is lead by the Old Man, a super-smart former military guy who always seems to be one step ahead of the other two. Next is his prized agent Sam, a dashing tough guy who also narrates the book and never misses and opportunity to describe the physical attributes of the women he meets. Lastly is Mary, also a top secret agent, who is always packing several weapons and who we are initially lead to believe is physically and mentally tough.
About two-thirds of the way through the plot started getting weirder. For instance, in the US it is determined that everyone must walk around naked so it can be determined whether or not they are wearing a slug. And then Mary finally succumbs to Sam's advances and becomes his puppet as well. She goes from a kick-ass secret agent to a quivering subservient sex object. And look out if Sam gets mad
So to sum it up - cool idea, pretty well told tale, but some of what went on took me out of the story at times.
This was a freebie on Audible and the narration by Bronson Pinchot was pretty good except Mary's voice became a bit too breathy and meek by the end.
DNF. Couldn't get past the awful 1950s gender role bull shit.
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No