One of the all time fun books to read. A lone Earthman is dyed purple and dropped onto an out-planet of an empire Earth is at war with, where he proceeds to wreak havoc all by himself - just like a small wasp can cause a heavy automobile to crash and kill all its occupants. As in Sinister Barrier, the enemies here are thinly disguised stand-ins for the WW2 Japanese. As for the atmosphere, although this is classified as a science fiction book, it has no science fiction elements other than the fact it takes place on another world and the hero arrives by spaceship. Once there, it is a very 1940s noir setting that Russell describes exceedingly well. Our hero, James Mowry, manages to enlist a few helpers, who don't even know they're part of the super-secret organization that is giving the government fits. Despite the violence, this is one of the funniest books I've ever read.

Why has this never been made into a movie? It would be perfect. Somebody dye Keanu Reeves purple - immediately! ( )

Under the right circumstances, totally innocent happenings can have effects far in excess of the original event. For instance, consider a prisoner escaping from jail. He will singlehandedly tie up hundreds of police and prison personnel, plus police cars, helicopters and who knows what else, for hours or days. Consider a wasp or bee. It flies into a car and, buzzing around, can cause the driver to lose control and crash. Taking things one step further, it is possible for one person to bring down a government.

Human James Mowry is recruited to be such a person. Foe the previous 10 months, Earth has been at war with the Sirian Combine. It's pretty much of a stalemate; the war has yet to reach Earth. The Earth authorities know that such a state of affairs will not last forever, since the Combine outnumbers Earth in several vital areas. Mowry is one of a number of "wasps" placed on planets in the Combine, one per planet, to disrupt the Sirian war effort from the inside.

The planet Jaimec is full of humanoids with purple skin. It helps that Mowry was actually born there, so he has the accent all set. It's also a police state, a place of informants, patrols and sudden police searches in public. Mowry must change identities, and locations, every few days, in order to keep away from the kaitempi, the interrogators. The only way to not give information to the kaitempi is to be dead. Mowry spends his time putting stickers all over the town in which he is staying, talking about the Sirian Freedom Party (which, of course, doesn't exist). There is the occasional political assassination; boxes are sent to various leading officials, containing inexpensive clocks and wires. The recipients are left with the unmistakable impression that it could very easily have been a bomb.

As time goes on, Mowry begins to have an effect on the population. At first, he is ignored, then notices reach the official press about members and leaders of the Party being arrested and executed. Blurbs also reach the Jaimec press about this planet or that planet being abandoned for "strategic" reasons. Also, the enemy (Human) fleet is either severly damaged, decimated, or wiped out, seemingly every week (according to the official press). Then, Mowry gets the word that the official attack from Earth is coming, to end the war, once and for all.

This book is pretty good. It has a very interesting central premise, it has plenty of action, and it will keep the reader entertained. It's worth reading. ( )

un'idea interessante...il finale non e' ,a parer mio,all'altezza del resto della trama. paranoide la trama,ma non all'eccesso. ( )

Wasp by Eric Frank Russell is the first in what I’m calling a Retro Review. These are books that I’ve read in the past instead of recently and are most likely older books that aren’t currently in popular circulation. I’m also using the cover art for the edition I have on my bookshelf. Thank you to the Denver Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Club from which I sourced this image.

The artwork was a big reason why I picked this out ages ago when I was in my teens. My dad had - still has - a large collection of science-fiction paperbacks in the basement. So, when I wanted something to read I’d go down and leaf through the musty books looking for something interesting. I’d often look for some of the names I’d come to rely upon: Heinlein, Laumer, Aldiss. But I could also be persuaded by a cool looking cover. Wasp was appealing (particularly the finger print font) and the quick teaser got me to open up the book and trudge up the stairs to start reading.

Wasp is about “intergalactic guerrilla warfare” and is based on the idea that small things can have big effects. The analogy is about how a wasp, “under half an ounce … killed four big men and converted a large, powerful car into a heap of scrap.” Furrowing your brow on that one? The scenario is that the driver is stung by a wasp and loses control of the car and crashes.

Read my full review at the Used Books Blog:
http://usedbooksblog.com/blog/wasp-by... ( )

A classic tale of spy and counter spy set against the backdrop of a galatic war. The protagonist is sent to work under cover on an alien planet. Using all techniques of psychological terrorism, he strikes at the heart of the enemy ( )