Although Galatea 2.2 juggles two major story lines — the Powers-LentzHelen story and the Powers-C. love story — and several interrelated subordinate story lines — those of PowersProfessor Taylor, Powers-unnamed father, Powers-A., C.-parents — its structure is less complex than that in his earlier novels.

Whereas the earlier works were often based structurally on intricate musical patterns suggested by the complex counterpoint of Johann Sebastian Bach's inventions, this novel contains overtly no such correspondences. Although the story lines in Galatea 2.2 overlap and at times intermix, the regularly occurring interchapters of Powers's earlier novels are not present in this later book.

Powers maintains this novel's high level of interest by employing one of the techniques of the Saturday matinee serials once shown in movie theaters, the cliff hanger device. Just when the love story reaches a crucial point, Powers turns his attention to the PowersLentz story and vice versa...