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spitzig's review against another edition
Good, but not great. disappointingly little plot. interesting characters. I'm usually a big fan of Herbert. I've read most of what he wrote.
mxmlln's review against another edition
3.0
Captivating concept, but poorly executed. Still ends up being a good book, but the secret agent characters and event order detract from the insightful evolution the Hive represents.
Finding this book in the library revealed to me that Herbert has a lot more books to read: I was under the mistaken impression that he only wrote the Dune series. Hopefully, the rest are better than this.
Finding this book in the library revealed to me that Herbert has a lot more books to read: I was under the mistaken impression that he only wrote the Dune series. Hopefully, the rest are better than this.
iamleeg's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book has the background lore you’d expect from Herbert, but revealed at a much faster pace than Dune. What’s great is that while there are two (at least) “sides”, and one sort of represents conservatism and the other progressivism, there’s no clear guidance that either is the good side, or the right side.
krep___'s review against another edition
2.25
Sci-fi as quasi-spy-thriller. A decent story idea but way too long in its execution. Several protagonists came and went. The first half of the book could have been omitted. With its alternative human society based on hive mentality and social-insect biology, H.G. Wells would have done a much better job. Can't hold a candle to Herbert's Dune. Audiobook narration was by Scott Brick whose over-dramatic style is not my favorite.
raxus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
gracklefan's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
bibliophilelinda's review against another edition
3.0
Very...interesting...didn't seem to conclude with a discernible ending, though. Not the best sci fi book I've ever read, but not the worst.
hwillustrator's review against another edition
3.0
Frank Herbert’s writing is neat and, appropriately for this novel, effortlessly efficient - it has that readable quality that allows you to quickly devour a whole book, regardless of content. So in that sense, I loved the process of reading this, especially as it feels like a while since I last read some good sci-fi.
There’s some interesting mirroring between the ‘hive’ society and the police-state that is investigating them, with both viewing individuals as essential to the whole, yet ultimately disposable. The hive also represents nature/ecology, desperately trying to survive against human annihilation. There is always as sense that the hive will fight back, and as horrific as their society in many ways, I felt myself rooting for it.
There are some really inventive, horrifying ideas in this novel (especially related to breeding) but these often felt like they weren’t fully explored. Personally I would’ve liked to have seen more from the other workers in the hive, and less of the human infiltrators. The ending felt abrupt and not all that satisfying, although it makes sense if you view the hive as an analogy for communism. 3.5 stars overall!
There’s some interesting mirroring between the ‘hive’ society and the police-state that is investigating them, with both viewing individuals as essential to the whole, yet ultimately disposable. The hive also represents nature/ecology, desperately trying to survive against human annihilation. There is always as sense that the hive will fight back, and as horrific as their society in many ways, I felt myself rooting for it.
There are some really inventive, horrifying ideas in this novel (especially related to breeding) but these often felt like they weren’t fully explored. Personally I would’ve liked to have seen more from the other workers in the hive, and less of the human infiltrators. The ending felt abrupt and not all that satisfying, although it makes sense if you view the hive as an analogy for communism. 3.5 stars overall!