the expert (of what I don't know).. -- X-Philes World-X-Files Movie 2

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Date Posted: 05:43:49 03/26/02 Tue
Author: the badly dressed man
Subject: the expert (of what I don't know)..
In reply to: detoured 's message, "Puppet Masters" on 21:05:58 03/25/02 Mon

The Puppet Masters was an early Heinlein first printed in 1951. Don't know if it went out of print, I read it years ago but I found an old copy in a used book store. If you read it now, it seems old hat since its one of those SF plots thats been used and reused. Its similar to Invasion of the Body Snatchers in that the Earth is invaded by aliens who take control of humans. Instead of killing and replacing them, the Puppet Masters are slug-like creatures who attach themselves to a person's back. You are then under their control. This was another 50s Communist paranoia story.

A CIA type organization fights these invaders, the 90s film version updated the story but it was just so-so. The book had a weird element in which the main agent works with a female agent who call each other "brother" and "sister" and their old man boss "father". Brother/sister eventually get romantic and one wonders whats up with the codeword incest.

Now I see this story and Body Snatchers as influencing so many paranoid stories that came later. The 60s TV series The Invaders was similar as a man fights aliens who look like humans and have infiltrated much of American life although no one knows it but him. This series was also called an XF influence especially as its star Roy Thinnes guest stared as Jeremiah Smith.

The black oil/bounty hunter type guys on TXF are descendants of Heinlein's story. Don't know if CC looked to that specifically or just to all the other people-under-control/people-replaced-by-aliens stories.

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Replies:

thanks for the info, you two! (vague season 8/9 spoilers) -- Islandgirl, 08:13:22 03/26/02 Tue
- 50s Sci-fi -- the badly dressed man, 05:34:31 03/27/02 Wed
  - I enjoy -- CW, 18:39:37 03/30/02 Sat