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aoc's review against another edition
3.0
As the book itself points out in the opening song lyrics following events are set at some point in time before humanity was a thing, era when species of insects and lizards were vying for dominance of the stars. We follow the lizard race, so-called Tzen empire, as they embark on another phase of their seemingly long spanning war against the insect coalition comprised of wasps, leapers and ants. Compared to them Tzen are a monolithic and warlike race with their people bred for cast role and our protagonist Rahm is one of the warriors who puts together an unlikely team, because it's not all-warriors the way they're expected to be when headed by a warrior leader, and leads them out into various dangers as they get stranded, play a pivotal role in uncovering enemy intelligence and resolve their own tensions.
Short novel covers what he and his team were doing during multiple offensives made on the coalition, but I honestly think events themselves take a backseat compared to inner group dynamics we become witness to as we get a window into Tzen society. Because of the nature of the book and seeing that I consider this to be the main draw over story, characters and all else I really won't go into detail, but I'll just touch on some things like how warriors, technicians and scientists have mutual distaste for others' caste yet clearly need each other, how given that you can change your cast based on talents can lead to some interesting skillsets that come useful in the wilderness and how familial ties in Tzen can become a tremendous liability because they cannot stand in the way of doing your duty.
Sadly this also brings me to the main problem of the novel – it's incredibly dry in its writing style. What I mean by this is little effort is made for scenes to really flow into each other and god help you with the dialog because it's utilitarian to the extreme and Rahm in particular often resorts to simple “Explain” which is then followed by a paragraph long literal explanation from other characters that doubles up as in-character lecture and conveying the message to us, the readers. I wouldn't even pick up on this if it wasn't so pervasive and ever-present in the book. Events are also clearly disjointed in flow of time, but that could be well explained because Tzen soldiers go to stasis between operations and it's never established how much time has, in fact, passed between major events. One small touch I like is how we're talking generations here and old cast comments how these newfangled Tzen can actually tell colors apart and are brasher with more self-initiative, but also less stoic and not as zealously willing to throw their life away.
In the end it's a pretty good read hampered by Asprin's writing style. I went in expecting action, and you will get some of it alongside exploration of lizard technology and military tactics, but the main appeal is most definitely the social angle. Ending probably left a much larger impact on me than I expected as certain someone wonders what will become of Tzen society now that it has to change.
Short novel covers what he and his team were doing during multiple offensives made on the coalition, but I honestly think events themselves take a backseat compared to inner group dynamics we become witness to as we get a window into Tzen society. Because of the nature of the book and seeing that I consider this to be the main draw over story, characters and all else I really won't go into detail, but I'll just touch on some things like how warriors, technicians and scientists have mutual distaste for others' caste yet clearly need each other, how given that you can change your cast based on talents can lead to some interesting skillsets that come useful in the wilderness and how familial ties in Tzen can become a tremendous liability because they cannot stand in the way of doing your duty.
Sadly this also brings me to the main problem of the novel – it's incredibly dry in its writing style. What I mean by this is little effort is made for scenes to really flow into each other and god help you with the dialog because it's utilitarian to the extreme and Rahm in particular often resorts to simple “Explain” which is then followed by a paragraph long literal explanation from other characters that doubles up as in-character lecture and conveying the message to us, the readers. I wouldn't even pick up on this if it wasn't so pervasive and ever-present in the book. Events are also clearly disjointed in flow of time, but that could be well explained because Tzen soldiers go to stasis between operations and it's never established how much time has, in fact, passed between major events. One small touch I like is how we're talking generations here and old cast comments how these newfangled Tzen can actually tell colors apart and are brasher with more self-initiative, but also less stoic and not as zealously willing to throw their life away.
In the end it's a pretty good read hampered by Asprin's writing style. I went in expecting action, and you will get some of it alongside exploration of lizard technology and military tactics, but the main appeal is most definitely the social angle. Ending probably left a much larger impact on me than I expected as certain someone wonders what will become of Tzen society now that it has to change.
upbeatmetaphor's review against another edition
4.0
The Bug Wars follows Commander Rahm of the lizard Tzen across several campaigns against various insect enemies. Silly name, big premise, and evocative cover art… how could I not read it?
What I found in this little pulp science fiction novella (that retailed for just £1/$1.50 in 1979!) was a series of apparent failings that steadily revealed themselves as effective devices.
Predictably, the “galactic death struggle” comes with multiple surprises, defeats, and failed initiatives, and it is in these that the narrative voice shines. It isn't explaining Tzen culture to an imaginary reading audience, but justifying Rahm's actions to some imagined military debriefing drawing on Tzen culture for excuses.
Often I felt as though I was reading the second book in a series, initially a disappointment given that the book that explains so much else in so much detail. A past campaign against “The Aquatics” is revealed only when necessary for the plot, and there is a breadth of missing information regarding The Coalition of Insects, how they formed, and how long the Tzen have been fighting them.
However, since the narrative voice belongs solely to Commander Rahm, it makes sense that concepts and activities are only explained if he deems them important. Rahm doesn’t care how many colony ships his people have left, or how far their genocide has advanced, he only cares to follow orders.
When multiple members of Rahm’s squad die, he lists their passing with limited emotion or detail. While at first this might feel like laziness in storytelling, it has an element of realism. Not every death we face is a dramatic, drawn-out cinematic experience that happens in front of us. More often than not, people just die “off-page” and we hear of their passing through the reports of someone else.
As Rahm rises through the ranks with each campaign, the equipment and troops he takes with him increase exponentially. Each assault on the insect homeworld brings with it more complex and powerful weaponry, while stronger insect species only make their presence known after successful offensive against their allies. The Tzen push them, and they push back harder.
This escalation of events was mirrored by an escalation in my enjoyment. The Bug Wars is a silly looking book with a silly sounding concept, and it could easily have been ridiculous, camp, or badly written, but it is none of those things. It makes excellent points about accountability, mortality and the inconstant state of large scale conflict, and it does so in a way that is both smartly crafted and enjoyable.
Nick
xx
What I found in this little pulp science fiction novella (that retailed for just £1/$1.50 in 1979!) was a series of apparent failings that steadily revealed themselves as effective devices.
Predictably, the “galactic death struggle” comes with multiple surprises, defeats, and failed initiatives, and it is in these that the narrative voice shines. It isn't explaining Tzen culture to an imaginary reading audience, but justifying Rahm's actions to some imagined military debriefing drawing on Tzen culture for excuses.
Often I felt as though I was reading the second book in a series, initially a disappointment given that the book that explains so much else in so much detail. A past campaign against “The Aquatics” is revealed only when necessary for the plot, and there is a breadth of missing information regarding The Coalition of Insects, how they formed, and how long the Tzen have been fighting them.
However, since the narrative voice belongs solely to Commander Rahm, it makes sense that concepts and activities are only explained if he deems them important. Rahm doesn’t care how many colony ships his people have left, or how far their genocide has advanced, he only cares to follow orders.
When multiple members of Rahm’s squad die, he lists their passing with limited emotion or detail. While at first this might feel like laziness in storytelling, it has an element of realism. Not every death we face is a dramatic, drawn-out cinematic experience that happens in front of us. More often than not, people just die “off-page” and we hear of their passing through the reports of someone else.
As Rahm rises through the ranks with each campaign, the equipment and troops he takes with him increase exponentially. Each assault on the insect homeworld brings with it more complex and powerful weaponry, while stronger insect species only make their presence known after successful offensive against their allies. The Tzen push them, and they push back harder.
This escalation of events was mirrored by an escalation in my enjoyment. The Bug Wars is a silly looking book with a silly sounding concept, and it could easily have been ridiculous, camp, or badly written, but it is none of those things. It makes excellent points about accountability, mortality and the inconstant state of large scale conflict, and it does so in a way that is both smartly crafted and enjoyable.
Nick
xx
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