Book Review: Hellstrom’s Hive by Frank Herbert
Book: Hellstrom’s Hive
Author: Frank Herbert
Genre: Sci Fi
Julia Rating: 10
Comments: It was really hard to rate this one. Frank Herbert is a master of suspense, suspension of disbelief and generally a master of writing. He truly makes you care about the characters – and make you feel uneasy about them at the same time. This man is seriously a master.
The book is about a man named Nils Hellstrom – ostensibly a scientist who produces documentaries on insects. Hundreds of years ago his family decided to apply the laws by which insects live to humans in order to evolve humans into a better species. The “hive” they’ve built is chock full of humans all of which have specific tasks (workers, reproducers, etc) just like bees.
Cut to an intelligence organization simply known as “The Agency”. They have been alerted to Hellstrom by a reference to his mysterious “Project 40″. The organization has seen various sketches and plans of this project and it looks like it could be a tool to aid in tempering metals. They approach Hellstrom’s farm to spy, but out of the two missions sent out, no one returns.
These two forces try to outwit each other through the whole book, and through the book you find the current government crude and Hellstrom’s ideals beautiful, but frightening. In his “hive” he takes all the humanity out of life, but in it’s stead adds efficiency and the general satisfaction of a job well done to his people’s lives. On the other hand is humanity, with love and art, yet also with misery and hopelessness. Who will win? And, more importantly, who should win?
This book really put me in a conundrum on that point – who should win. You start out thinking that the general human race of “outsiders” (meaning outside the hive) are the good guys. You end in an unsure position. Are either of them good? Are either of them bad? It’s almost philosophical.
If any of you have read this book, let me know what you think. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend you do – then let me know what you think.
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August 4th, 2008 at 8:42 am