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ericlklein's review against another edition
5.0
If all you know about Frank Herbet is his Dune series, you have missed some of his greatest works.
Unlike the other authors of his time, Herbert looked at biological systems more than technology for the scientific basis for his stories.
Dune was a desert planet and the life forms there
The Jesus Incident was a water planet and the life forms there
The White Plague was biological terror
Hellstrom's Hive is about life and insects.
All of these are worth reading (except the expanded sequels to Dune written with or by his son, those you can skip).
Unlike the other authors of his time, Herbert looked at biological systems more than technology for the scientific basis for his stories.
Dune was a desert planet and the life forms there
The Jesus Incident was a water planet and the life forms there
The White Plague was biological terror
Hellstrom's Hive is about life and insects.
All of these are worth reading (except the expanded sequels to Dune written with or by his son, those you can skip).
librarycowboy's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
It was apparent that this book was published during the cold war era. The idea of secret organizations living right under society's nose, congregate living with no sense of individuality, and the building of weapons/advancement of technology for collective gain, is much less scary today. I found myself rooting for Hellstrom and the Hive more than I did the agency. Overall, a good book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Murder
Moderate: Cannibalism, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, and Medical trauma
Minor: Pregnancy and Torture
bruc79's review against another edition
2.0
Este livro aborda um culto que vive como uma mega colmeia como insetos e de uma forma paranóica e psicótica vê os insetos como os únicos sobreviventes do planeta e os humanos como o elo mais fraco. Lamentavelmente torna-se longo, aborrecido e um arrastar interminável da história entre o líder o culto Hellstrom e os agentes que vão tentando de forma infrutífera expor o culto. Uma grande seca
bibliomaniac2021's review
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
athena21's review against another edition
2.0
I'm a massive fan of Herbert's Dune and thought I'd give this book a go. It's decidedly different to Dune; while one focuses on the great expanses of Arakis, the other is characterised by claustrophobia. And the differences don't stop there: while I enjoyed Dune, I really couldn't find it in myself to finish Hellstrom's Hive. I'll put part of that down to an enormous amount of work at the time I was reading it, which left me distracted, but I was just never that invested in the plot, and without any compelling characters (or really any main characters at all), it didn't have a saving grace. It's certainly a clever book, and the idea at the heart of the novel is fascinating and disturbing, a great mix. I enjoyed the aspect of the lack of clear morality in any situations; when it comes down to it there's no obvious antagonist or protagonist, but merely two clashing Government's. Had it been more interestingly written, maybe I would've enjoyed a book based on this premise;
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