Science fiction fans who love Frank Herbert's DUNE series will also enjoy HELLSTROM'S HIVE; the classic tale of a dystopian America threatened by a chilling enemy - insects. It's a story of genetic manipulation that's just as spellbinding today as it was in 1973 when it was first published and it's even more relevant in the light of current debates on cloning and stem cell research.

Herbert based his novel on the 1971 film "The Hellstrom Chronicle" which won the 1971 Academy Award for Best Documentary. The narrator was Dr. Nils Hellstrom, a fictional scientist, who filmed the documentary to warn mankind that insects may one day be the dominant species on Earth. The film is out of print, but I understand it was beautifully photographed with stunning sequences of insect wars and mating practices.
 
In 2007 TOR Books published a new edition of HELLSTROM'S HIVE that's well worth adding to your collection. The setting is Oregon in a dystopian America, where Dr. Nils Hellstrom is making ecological films on his farm. The Agency, an espionage branch of the government, believes Hellstrom is using his films as a cover while he builds an experimental new weapon. His farm is placed under surveillance, with the hope of stealing his metallurgical technology. The agency "watchers" are easily discovered and they soon disappear. The Agency then sends in their "A" team to find out what happened to their missing agents. 
 
Hellstrom has secretly established an underground society, designed on insect - hive principles. The captured agents are sent to the "vats," where Hive members go at the end of their own lives to become food for the rest of the Hive. And his society is on the verge of a discovery that is more horrific than anything the government could imagine.
 
Herbert is adept at conveying all the senses and readers will experience every emotion along with the characters. His Hive members are also quite convincing with their insect's survival instincts, lack of individuality and emotion. The scene is set so perfectly it becomes another character in the story. The suspense is riveting as events unfold. Written in a chillingly real style, interspersed with notes and diary excerpts, this gripping adventure is a story that will make your blood run cold. The tension escalates and the ending will keep you thinking long after you turn the last page.
 
Publisher: Tor Books (April 2007)
ISBN: 978-0-7653-1772-8
Pages: 336
Price: $14.95