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The Cosmic Puppets
Philip K. Dick Book Review

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Plot Summary of The Cosmic Puppets
"Ted Barton returns to his hometown only to find it very much changed. He then gets into battles with huge mountain-high beings who represent the forces of good and bad in the universe. Through his mind he can control some of the town and change it back the way it was when he lived there. His wife meanwhile thinks he's crazy and leaves him. Ted befriends some kids in the town who turn out to have magical powers. The book has themes that the author used in much of his other work. There are spiritual and religious overtones throughout and a titanic struggle for control at the end."
Michael Christian, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of The Cosmic Puppets
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 20%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 40%




Tone of book - sensitive (sigh....)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy story on current Earth
Mental/magical powers focus Yes
magical powers: - clash between evenly matched magical power(s) (fantasy)
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - blue collar worker
Age: - 20's-30's
Eccentric: Yes - obsessed
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - magical being
Age: - long-lived adults
Has magical powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - can change shapes - can talk to animals - fire/thunder/weather cntrl - telekinesis - super strength - can fly - teleportation - can cast all sorts of spells - Invisibility - is very quick
Eccentric: Yes - eccentric - obsessed - mentally ill - deluded - emotionally unstable - wild
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an above average amount
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Genius (really!)
Physique - average physique

Setting
Earth setting: - 20th century
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to The Cosmic Puppets
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu by Devin Grayson and Flint Dille
The Protector by Jenifer A. Ruth
Forge of the Titans by Steve White


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Philip K. Dick Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
David Loftus  

SCHOLARS:
Scott David Mclemore  Robert Hadley  Harriet Klausner  Sam Batterson  Jason Seward  M Gandy  Alexander Babiera  Jesi Bornemann  Future Boy  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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