Title: The Puppet Masters - Novel
Written: October-November 1949   Pages: 1119
 
Description:
Part 1, 218 pages, contains cover sheet referring to RESTRICTED file concerning the plagiarism suit regarding Puppet Masters against The Brain Eaters. Handwritten pages about money Puppet Masters has made. Correspondence and legal documents regarding the lawsuit and the settlement with Roger Corman.
Part 2, 260 pages, cover letter from Virginia Heinlein explaining that the manuscript that follows was kept by a magazine who later (unprofessionally) sold it at auction. Draft of “Puppet Masters” with extensive hand-edits throughout. 
Part 3, 152 pages, list of possible serial breaks in story. First part of manuscript labeled “original version”, first 13 chapters. 
Part 4, 214 pages, Second part of manuscript labeled “original version”, starting with chapter XIV. 
Part 5, 274 pages, partial proof copy of book. 252 page manuscript with few hand-edits.
 
Publication: 
Cut in February 1951 for Doubleday to 75,000 words; H.L. Gold cut an additional 15,000 words and substantially rewrote the prose for serial publication in Galaxy Science Fiction in September, October, November 1951; a restored version of 100,000 words was published in 1990 by del Rey (paperback); Gregg Press reissued The Puppet Masters with a new Introduction by James Gunn in 1979; Issued by SFBook Club as part of A Heinlein Trio.
 
Notes: In 1959 RAH sued Roger Corman for plagiarizing The Puppet Masters in the making of The Brain Eaters; the suit was settled in consideration of some options on other properties, but the file of correspondence relating to the suit is Restricted and not available to the public.