This is a Robert A. Heinlein book published in 1951, originally as a
serial. This is my first time reading a Heinlein book. Dean Meservy
mentioned him and Facebook.
Sam and Mary are called in by the “Old Man.” The Old Man is the head of
a spy agency, outside of the CIA and traditional agencies. He makes it
clear that Mary is much more important than Sam on the mission. They
are headed to Iowa to investigate a UFO sighting, which has some
suspicious things around it in that after a few hours local authorities
said it was just a prank, but several agents have disappeared, who had
gone to investigate.
They find the cover-up, but more importantly
they find a group of people whose minds are being controlled by
parasitical alien slugs on their backs. They get out of there, and
report to the president.
At first no one believes the story told to
them. However, the spy agency is very wary. The Old Man is very wary,
and orders everyone to strip down so they can make sure there are no
slugs among them. The Old Man’s secretary is last to undress, and she
is carrying a slug. Sam pursues her to not let her get away, capture
her if he can, but get the slug at all costs. However, the slug
attaches itself to Sam, who instantly becomes an agent for the aliens.
He
gets away, and joins a group in converting a country club, with many
prominent people to the slug way of thinking. He is recaptured by the
"Old Man." The agency tries to get information from him. Finally, they
attach a living slug to him, so they can interview the slug. This
experience is terrifying, but they get enough information to determine
origin, a moon of Saturn.
Sam and Mary take a break a break from the
agency. They have fallen for each other. They marry and head to
Sam’s cabin. However the world goes to pot in the mean time. More and
more areas are infected. Finally there is an attack on Mary. Sam
pushes her into the fire to get the slug off. They both get burned, but
are free of the slug. They hurry back to head quarters, and are
invited to a battle surrounding an alien spaceship which has been
captured. The Old Man leads Mary into the ship. Sam goes as
protector. They see people suspended in fluid. They hope that this
will trigger memories for Mary as she had previously been a captive, and
suspended for over ten years. She had escaped when the slugs died of a
disease. She did not die. They need this information to know what to
use against the slugs. What will kill the slugs but not kill the human
host.
This leads to a last big battle to kill the slugs.
This book
though written in 1951, and taking place in the early part of this
century, captures some aspects very well. In some things we are more
advanced, (cell phones and satellite t.v.) while others we are less
advanced (flying cars lazer guns). An interesting side light is steps
taken to curb the spread of the infection—going around naked or with
hardly any clothing. However they also spread through animals, which
changes the game. So even controlling the slugs, are you ever really
safe? For this reason an expedition is sent to Saturn.
This poem was quoted at the end. I sort of like it:
Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite 'em,
And little fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum.
