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Originally Posted by TTBRAHWTMG  The first one that comes to mind is how on a couple of occasions they have people come back to life, already having a tough time remembering (already read a few books since Puppet Masters), but I was thinking of early on when Sam recognizes one of the soldiers in the viewscreen as a guy he killed on his little rampage...but through the whole book this isn't possible...I'm thinking of Heinlein's depiction of "sport" in the redzone, when the Titan's slip off the carcasses as spent flesh. |
I agree - this 'hole' jumped out right away and it wasn't a soldier but the TV station manager that Sam had shot (burned his legs off but it killed him all the same). However the very next - there is the same guy sitting there in full view of the viewscreen. I just chalked it up to Heinlein needed a reason for Sam & the other Section men to go back to Iowa.
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Originally Posted by TTBRAHWTMG Another one that bugged me was how traumatizing being controlled is for Sam, and yet the congressman is standing up the day after being controlled making a big speech about how he was under control just the day before, apparently none the worse for wear. |
Actually; this didn't bug me because I figured that Sam's issue was more mental that physical.
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Originally Posted by TTBRAHWTMG Yet another, why when Sam was possessed, all the new Titans came from shipped crates, while they seem to be able to replicate themselves quite handily later in the book (although Heinlein atleast made a weak attempt to handle this one). |
I agree that it was kind of odd but I disagree that Heinlein made a weak attempt to handle it. I think he made a good attempt by having Sam puzzle over it several times. He kept thinking about the crates and warming cells and such and finally he came to the conclusion that he saw only what he was meant to see and that he was never fully aware of what was going on. Besides...as he was the only 'infected' person in Washington; maybe the Master was unable to reproduce itself quickly enough to infect a large number of people in a short amount of time?
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Originally Posted by TTBRAHWTMG And ofcourse, a big one, these Titans are presented as adaptable...new leathery spiky shells, different versions for Humans versus Venusians, etc...and yet they were killed off by 9 day fever on Venus years ago and haven't adapted to it over a decade later. |
This didn't occur to me either and all I really thought was that since the fever was contracted on Venus; perhaps the Titans didn't feel it was necessary to adapt? Maybe all the 'master' that were infected on Venus died?
I have to admit that I puzzled over the Aliens sudden discovery of sex and the fact that they threw themselves in to it with wild abandon. That seemed out of left field in a way. I chalked it up to Heinlein, being who he is, wanting to throw that in but I kept thinking... "what happens if a host gets pregnant?" LOL!!