Wasp

Rating:
Summary: Anti-fascism made charming and fun!
Review: "Wasp" (1957) is the clever intergalactic story of espionage and terrorism. A human secret agent, in disguise, infiltrates the Sirian Empire, a fascist police state at war with earth. Like a tiny harmless insect flying around a full-sized motorcar, distracting the driver and causing a fatal accident, James Mowry tries to cause domestic chaos among the Sirians, hoping to distract the Sirians, faciliating a Terran attack. The story is witty and well-paced, Mowry almost anticipating television's MacGyver, except turned free-wheeling terrorist: resourceful, daring, intelligent, and above all effective.

Eric Frank Russell became a popular writer of science fiction after spending World War II in the RAF (he was from England, 1905-1978). His light-hearted stories aren't outright comedies, but typically celebrate the advantages of modern technology, and the victory of individuality over bureaucratic pompousity. His storytelling in "Wasp" is brisk, his writing sharp. This novel is intelligent, compelling, easy to read, and brief (175 pages), almost a cross between between science fiction and fine literature. SF fans will enjoy the action and the clever use of technology (surprisingly not too out-dated), and literary readers will enjoy the author's insightful dissection of fascist society, through his secret agent's resourceful and almost joyous use of that society's foolish rigidity against it. Mowry hops dexterously from episode to episode, leaving increased anarchy and chaos in his twisty trail. It's the satisfying and suspensful adventure of a charming provocateur.

Rating:
Summary: Underrated Masterpiece By Underrated Man
Review: "Wasp" is yet another of that enormous sf library which I first encountered round about age eleven - and find myself still going back to at 56. Hope that says something about the books rather than about me. Be that as it may, it is a list to which the late Eric Frank Russell has contributed more than his fair share.

When things military come into Russell's tales, they tend to draw upon his personal experience from WW2, and "Wasp" is no exception. Based on proposals from Russell's time with British Intelligence in the Pacific theatre, it is the story of one man against an Empire - a solitary agent sent into the heart of enemy territory to cause chaos and mayhem out of all proportion to his resources.

James Mowry is the typical Russell hero, a solitary type not over-fond of authority, but who would, in his own words "rather walk into something than be frogmarched into it" and will, if absolutely cornered, acknowledge that some kinds of authority are a good deal nastier than others. He finds himself cordially invited to take part in just such a conflict to "defend the bad against the worse", between Terra and the Sirian Combine, a futuristic version of the Japanese Empire of 1942, which it resembles right down to the name of its secret police. He is dropped in (surgically disguised to resemble a Sirian) entirely on his ownsome, his assignment being to create, single-handed, the appearance of a powerful resistance movement. This he does to spectacular effect, causing the enemy to tie up whole shiploads of troops and agents to suppress a movement that in fact is only one man.

There is room for a quibble or two. Considering that "Wasp" is supposed to be several centuries in the future, the technology, save for the existence of spaceships, is remarkably little advanced on 1957. About the only other innovations seem to be broadcast power and visual telephones. However, this does not impinge unduly on the story, which does not depend on technical marvels to any extent. Most of Mowry's weapons - crayons, window stickers, rumours spread verbally in parks, threatening letters, and the occasional mail bomb - seem pretty low-tech even for the time of writing. When he wants anyone killed, he hires local thugs to do it by the usual methods, rather than resorting to super-science. This indeed was perhaps the whole point of the story, that it was possible to cause major disruption without the need for super weapons and suchlike, rather as the wasp of the title was able to cause a car crash by frightening the driver without even needing to use its sting.

Less excusable is the total absence of any female characters. This sort of misogyny was common in early sf, and perhaps acceptable, given contemporary assumptions, where the characters were space pilots and the like. However, for what is essentially a "resistance fighter" novel it was anachronistic even for WW2, let alone a decade later.

I have less sympathy for the criticism I have run into in a number of places, which dislikes the novel because it somehow takes the wrong side in the "war on terror", making the terrorist the Good Guy. To my mind, anyone thinking like that suffers from myopia bordering on cataract. There have been plenty of instances in my lifetime, and even more in Russell's, where the Good Guys were defined by their enemies as "terrorists". Mowry's "victims" were typically secret policemen and other official types, surely fair game when there's a war on. Nor is it likely that his tactics would have been all that effective among a loyal population which still had confidence in its leaders. Basically, I think it's fair to say that any society which can be brought down, or even seriously undermined, by "Wasp" methods probably deserves to be. If anything in it makes us uneasy, perhaps we ought to be taking a hard look at ourselves rather than at the book.

In short, another "must read" for anyone already fond of Russell, and a good place to start for anyone who hasn't encountered him. Go out and get it.

Rating:
Summary: Gripped me in the late '50s; stunningly relevant today!
Review: As a teenaged devotee of Sci-Fi in the late 50's, this was one of the first of a select list of books of any genre that impacted my life. I didn't fully understand why this was so then; I only knew it was special, even tremendously relevant at some fundamental level. At the time, yes, it completely entertained me with its action and its sardonic and irreverent narrative. Beyond that, the precepts of this novel created an unease in my mind that remained with me over the years. Full comprehension followed with a little more life experience and a better understanding of humanity and our history. Now this book not only entertains and intrigues, but frightens as well

"Wasp" is a portrayal of how devastating a single, well-equipped terrorist can be to a society (especially a technology-based one). Though the society targeted in this novel is (humanoid) alien and the terrorist a human patriot (albeit not entirely willing) passing as an alien with the help of some surgical modifications, it is entirely believable that the author drew upon human social conditions, especially our foibles and weaknesses, as the basis for this alien society.

Using an insidious "monkey wrench" approach, one individual (suborning marginal elements of the enemy society for use as unwitting accomplices) spreads dissention and disinformation and fear, and so distracts the enemy police and military that the result is the creation of an environment in which the society can be more easily subdued with an overt military invasion. Hence, the precept of this novel as presented at the beginning of the narrative: A wasp buzzing around threateningly in the close, closed quarters of a car traveling a high-speed can cause the driver to lose control, resulting in the death and destruction of relative giants and their huge machine.

"Wasp" is frighteningly close to a workable blueprint for effective terrorism today in most any society on this planet -- especially if there are certain fundamental social conditions at work and certain enabling technologies, chiefly communications-related, in place that can be meaningfully exploited (in addition to being feared by the novel's protagonist).

About the only "criticism" I have relates to the novel's presentation of technology. The author mostly avoided technological traps by simply not going into "the details," and the story suffers nothing for that since the book is mostly about people and governments, and the exploitation of their foibles and fears.

The most technologically "off" element in this novel relates to electronics, particularly communications and, to a lesser degree, computers and "recognition" technology, or the lack thereof. The alien space-faring society's police and military seems pretty much stuck in a 1950's human communications environment where the kind of personal radio communication common with today's police and military is far advanced from that in the novel. I don't really find this deficiency distracting, just amusing. If you read the book and find its technological deficiencies truly distracting, then you have surely missed the essence and relevance of this great novel.

Rating:
Summary: Gripped me in the late '50s; stunningly relevant today!
Review: As a teenaged devotee of Sci-Fi in the late 50's, this was one of the first of a select list of books of any genre that impacted my life. I didn't fully understand why this was so then; I only knew it was special, even tremendously relevant at some fundamental level. At the time, yes, it completely entertained me with its action and its sardonic and irreverent narrative. Beyond that, the precepts of this novel created an unease in my mind that remained with me over the years. Full comprehension followed with a little more life experience and a better understanding of humanity and our history. Now this book not only entertains and intrigues, but frightens as well

"Wasp" is a portrayal of how devastating a single, well-equipped terrorist can be to a society (especially a technology-based one). Though the society targeted in this novel is (humanoid) alien and the terrorist a human patriot (albeit not entirely willing) passing as an alien with the help of some surgical modifications, it is entirely believable that the author drew upon human social conditions, especially our foibles and weaknesses, as the basis for this alien society.

Using an insidious "monkey wrench" approach, one individual (suborning marginal elements of the enemy society for use as unwitting accomplices) spreads dissention and disinformation and fear, and so distracts the enemy police and military that the result is the creation of an environment in which the society can be more easily subdued with an overt military invasion. Hence, the precept of this novel as presented at the beginning of the narrative: A wasp buzzing around threateningly in the close, closed quarters of a car traveling a high-speed can cause the driver to lose control, resulting in the death and destruction of relative giants and their huge machine.

"Wasp" is frighteningly close to a workable blueprint for effective terrorism today in most any society on this planet -- especially if there are certain fundamental social conditions at work and certain enabling technologies, chiefly communications-related, in place that can be meaningfully exploited (in addition to being feared by the novel's protagonist).

About the only "criticism" I have relates to the novel's presentation of technology. The author mostly avoided technological traps by simply not going into "the details," and the story suffers nothing for that since the book is mostly about people and governments, and the exploitation of their foibles and fears.

The most technologically "off" element in this novel relates to electronics, particularly communications and, to a lesser degree, computers and "recognition" technology, or the lack thereof. The alien space-faring society's police and military seems pretty much stuck in a 1950's human communications environment where the kind of personal radio communication common with today's police and military is far advanced from that in the novel. I don't really find this deficiency distracting, just amusing. If you read the book and find its technological deficiencies truly distracting, then you have surely missed the essence and relevance of this great novel.

Rating:
Summary: Stealth and Politics
Review: Basically he gave the idea, of 1 man making a difference, through non-violent means.

The concept of the Wasp, is to annoy the enemy to the point of distraction. Let them hurt themselves trying to swat the Wasp.

It's like the concept of Aikido, to use the enemies own energies against itself.

I find this to be the progenitor of where Harry Harrison got his idea for the Stainless Steel Rat. At least in my mind.

I only wish there was a sequel to this amazing book, of which i still have a mostly torn copy of. That i will always cherish.

GREAT BOOK! Must have for your own Sci-Fi Classics Collection.

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful book
Review: Eric Frank Russell is absolutely the master of showing the possibilities of humanity at its best. Using a metaphor whereby a wasp in a car causes the driver to have an accident, killing four grown men, a man is convinced to go in alone and take down the government of a hostile alien planet. It's truly inspring to see this man, using nothing more than his brain and some supplies sent with him, torment and annoy the government, thereby aiding Terran forces.

Rating:
Summary: " A great read, should never go out of print"
Review: I first read this book in early 60s and have reread it a few times since. It is a timeless story of how one man, with some essential supplies, can disrupt a whole world. More importantly to me was that soon after reading it for the first time, I read a review of it in Astoundin magazine. There the reviewer mentioned THE GOOD SOLDIER SCHWEIK and THE REVOLT OF GUNNER ASCH. I found Scweik heavy going but the Revolt of Gunner Asch introduced me to Hans helmuth Kirst. I have been reading Kirst ever since. Apparently, somebody in Germany has recently come out with a trilogy of videos "08/15 Trilogy" which comprises the first three (of four total) Gunner Asch novels: The Revolt of Gunner Asch Forward Gunner Asch The Return Of Gunner Asch. and all this became available to me because Eric Frank Russell wrote the WASP.

Rating:
Summary: " A great read, should never go out of print"
Review: I first read this book in early 60s and have reread it a few times since. It is a timeless story of how one man, with some essential supplies, can disrupt a whole world. More importantly to me was that soon after reading it for the first time, I read a review of it in Astoundin magazine. There the reviewer mentioned THE GOOD SOLDIER SCHWEIK and THE REVOLT OF GUNNER ASCH. I found Scweik heavy going but the Revolt of Gunner Asch introduced me to Hans helmuth Kirst. I have been reading Kirst ever since. Apparently, somebody in Germany has recently come out with a trilogy of videos "08/15 Trilogy" which comprises the first three (of four total) Gunner Asch novels: The Revolt of Gunner Asch Forward Gunner Asch The Return Of Gunner Asch. and all this became available to me because Eric Frank Russell wrote the WASP.

Rating:
Summary: The Most Entertaining SF Book I Have Read!
Review: I have read this book more times than any other. It is immensely entertaining and well-plotted. It stands alongside the works of few other writers (Jack Finney, for one) for the sheer enjoyment you get when reading it.

I have always thought this would make a great movie, if we can just find an actor willing to be dyed purple....

Rating:
Summary: terrorist fantasy
Review: I loved this book in its original (?) publication, back in the sixties. Mac Reynolds(?) published some stories in Astounding/Analog that appealed to me for many of the same reasons. In retrospect, I wonder if the "Unibomber" was reading any of these "one against the evil empire" stories.