The Cosmic Puppets

An early novel from Dick, but a world away from the pulpy space operas prevalent in the 1950s. This initially reads like an episode of The Twilight Zone, with Ted Burton, our protagonist, returning to his small hometown for the first time in 18 years. Accompanied by his wife, he finds that nothing is familiar. Literally nothing. The street he grew up on doesn’t exist. His old house is gone. Even the shops, the people are all different.

Confused and scared, he resolves to investigate, depositing his wife in another town first. And from here on is it gets progressively stranger, until by the end we have a full on cosmic horror story involving tiny golems, animal mind control and warring gods.

Yes, even in the 50s Dick was way ahead of his contemporaries in many ways. The Cosmic Puppets is a quick read, hugely entertaining and although a minor work, still well worth your time.