The Wasp Factory

| 3.87 | 74,288 ratings and reviews

Recommended by Michael Arrington, Simon Smith, and 2 others. See all reviews

Ranked #40 in Weird, Ranked #90 in Serial Killer

Frank, no ordinary sixteen-year-old, lives with his father outside a remote Scottish village. Their life is, to say the least, unconventional. Frank's mother abandoned them years ago: his elder brother Eric is confined to a psychiatric hospital; and his father measures out his eccentricities on an imperial scale. Frank has turned to strange acts of violence to vent his frustrations. In the bizarre daily rituals there is some solace. But when news comes of Eric's escape from the hospital Frank has to prepare the ground for his brother's inevitable return - an event that explodes the mysteries... more
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Reviews and Recommendations

We've comprehensively compiled reviews of The Wasp Factory from the world's leading experts.

Michael Arrington Founder/TechCrunchA creepy book narrated by the 16-year old protagonist Frank Cauldhame. It’s not really science fiction but it was Banks’ first novel and well worth the read, and he has become a giant of science fiction since. Make sure to read all of his Culture novels that may very well lay out the future of humanity. Humans and computers live together harmoniously in a vast galactic empire. Computers are vastly more intelligent than people and treat them with a sort of paternalistic compassion. Whole planets are created to allow larger populations, and people are genetically modified to look however they... (Source)

Simon Smith @grahamandre @simonkidwell @aly_sea @8bitteacher @kateowbridge @Happytoteach1 @HYWEL_ROBERTS @ColletteR @Misterbodd @MrGPrimary @3edmigos @darynsimon Yes it’s an amazing book. (Source)

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