The Puppetmasters- Robert Heinlein
I don't think this worked too well. Nothing to do with the unoriginality of invading creatures with mind control powers, all that paranoia and suspicion, are cool dark themes. Heinlein walks a fine line between Bodysnatchers and Zombies, which sounds a fine mix. I thought this would push him into more action, but those scenes with more fights and flights, aren't that great, just OK. The politics and espionage, actually seem as if they are in development here, and Heinlein feels like he is noodling around the sort of themes that really firm up in later stories. The hilarious bit of true Heinlein, was his fascination with a plot device, that leaves everybody having to wear less and less. He thinks the English would be in denial even in the face of extinction, refusing to take off the "waistcoat old boy". He really is a hippy before hippiedom; probably too much time on campus, but his main character sees public nudity as a step forward, cool man!
The book dragged under the weight of sitting around talking about the problem. That this mind control storyline most reminded me of the EE Doc Smith "Lensman' stories hurts it. The Lensman stories are golden age space hero books, and are stuffed full of lightning speed action set-pieces. Despite their old fashioned scientific ideas, they are wonderfully kinetic, written seemingly before anyone had invented cynicism. The Puppetmasters is an example of Heinlein being a bridge between early century sci-fi and the hard and political types of sci-fi, that he is rightly acknowledged as a father of. This is one where he falls between the banks and into the water; ending up a bit wet.
Starship Troopers next!