CN: Spiders, Rats, Snakes (Full on swarms and attacks), Moths, Bees

This is absolutely bonkers and not PKD's finest outing, what with their being a couple of weird racial terms, some unfortunate imagery, and a too much fixation on the body-parts of an ostensibly thirteen year old girl...

However, it is a truly fascinating and immensely readable story I devoured in one day.

Originally a short story publisjed on Satellite Science Fiction Magazine in 1956 and then released as a short novel in 1957, The Cosmic Puppets is a story about a guy going back to his hometown and realising that everything is different and feels wrong. You'll never guess why...

I genuinely don't want to spoil anything, but the sheer scale, biomass, and clay involved are staggering.

I really went back and forth on what to give this with its faults and phenomenally bizarre concepts, but I have settled on a very low four with an acknowledgement that the issues I had with it aren't OK ever, but I am taking in the context of this novel with all it's faults, ideas, and concepts being published in the 1950s.

Edit:

Coming back to know this down to a decent three because the misogyny and stuff stayed with me.

I also can't believe I forgot to mention that it literally ends with a joke that the Naked Gun movies used when Frank is talking about his divorce lmfao.