Customer Reviews

GREEN BRAIN

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Some time in the future, people are trying to make the Earth more habitable by destroying all of the world's insects and replacing them with genetically engineered ones that are more favorable to human populations. As the insects are faced with extinction, mutations appear that are better able to combat the new threat. Things get pretty strange, but this is by no means a bad thing.

Oh no! A *CHIGGER* has appeared inside of the insect-free zone! By the way, the chigger is half a meter long and spits acid. Yes, I realize that that is technically impossible. Don't worry: technicalities like that are taken care of.

Anyway, it gets better. The insects have also managed to copy the human idea of INTELLIGENCE--hence the title of the book.

The introduction and exploration of these ideas are done admirably during the first half of the novel. Then, around the half-way point, the whole tone and direction of the story changes. And this is when it gets REALLY good. The final chapters are composed of pages and pages of description. Sound boring, does it? Not in the least. This is the best description I have ever read in my life. The mood is perhaps described best as "Poe-esque"--subtle psychological descriptions that pull you right into the story, make you really understand how the characters feel. It takes you right along with the characters, providing real empathy, fear, love, anger and understanding all the way. Of course, it's more than JUST description. The Master brings so much into the writing in ways that only he can do. There's just no way to describe it--like everything Frank Herbert, you need to read it for yourself to know what it's like. I didn't really like the very last chapter, but I suppose nine out of ten ain't too bad.

The philosophical theme of the story is basically deep ecology or something similar to it. Herbert really shows his conservationist side in this one. Also, a lot of it kind of reminds me of Nietzche.

This is a very short novel (208 pages), but every page Frank Herbert writes is worth ten pages written by a lesser author. If you are a Frank Herbert fan--or a fan of intelligent fiction in general--you should definitely check out this book.

Dune was one of the most amazing books I have ever read. It was a feast for the mind. This book on the other hand was a light snack. Wich I think Mr. Herbert intended. I have nothing bad to say about this novel. It is an interesting story with a cool ending. The guy who did the first reveiw took it too seriously. Lighten up!

Here the concept of consciousness is grappled with. The insects are part of a greater collective mind that manifests itself and communicates with human adversaries. Very interesting interface, makes your own brain start to cook in its very juices just to think about it all. Reminds me of the Death World series by "Harry Harrison" I wonder if it's ok to plug both in this one space.

This is a science fiction novella first published in 1966, one year after the classic Dune. One of the big themes of Dune is, of course, ecology. In The Green Brain, Herbert explores ecology in another setting - the jungles of a future Brazil, on Earth. In this future Brazil, the humans are trying to eliminate all insects in an effort to decrease disease and increase food production (they will keep some bees around to pollinate the crops). Needless to say, this is an ecological disaster in the making. And the bugs find a rather unique way to fight back - they develop a group brain that is every bit as bright (or brighter) than the humans. But the Green Brain does not want to fight a war with humans - it wants to find a way to communicate with them, and get them to stop the destruction of the ecosystem that all life depends upon.

Herbert has some really interesting ideas here, but the short length of the work prevents him from fully developing them. He also does not fully develop the three main characters (a Brazilian who fights the bugs on the front line, a beautiful Irish entomologist who also acts as a seductive spy, and a Chinese scientist who helped eliminate insects in China with very bad results). I was particularly puzzled on what the Chinese man's motivations were, as he knew what happened in China was a disaster, yet still pushing for the destruction of insects in Brazil.

Great ideas, but simply not fully developed...

A story of pending ecological apocalypse that takes place
in the rain forests of Brazil sometime later in this century.

In the best B-movie tradition, the first part of Herbert's
sophisticated nature/monster revenge tale sustains plot
and character development along a trail of action scenes that
are admirably realized. Unfortunately this pace stalls at the
halfway point (and this is actually a novella rather than a
novel, so the disappointment hits home quite soon!),
and the remainder of the story quite literally floats,
and floats... and floats away to a memorable
but ultimately unsatisfying and abrupt ending.

The Green Brian suffers from its sketchy conception and rushed,
slap-dash execution. This is a shame because the basic idea,
setting, characters and themes had so much potential.
Frank could also have availed us a small glossary
for all those Spanish/South American titles and terms he constantly used here.
Obviously his pot had boiled over in the middle 60's,
with so many projects cooking - not to mention the
incomparable Dune and its still nascent sequel.

Nonetheless,in the hands of a decent film script writer
(or is that an oxymoron?)
an updated and more fully developed version of this story's plot and characters would make a very interesting, intelligent and exciting science fiction movie...
Something rarely ever accomplished. So I suppose we should just
let that idea just...drift away too.

I am a huge fan of Frank Herbert's work. Dune was one of the first science fiction books that I read. As I grew older I started collecting the rest of his work and reading it. This was a very interesting story. A bit odd at times. I would recommend it to a fan of Frank Herbert. None of his other work will ever top the Dune books but this is a quick enjoyable read.

While it is Dune that is Frank Herbert's greatest work, his other works should never be overlooked. I enjoyed this book rather much. Not quite as much ad Dune, but few things hold up to Dune. It was a unique and interesting tale about insects and evolution, and I would recommend it to anyone else.

An interesting book in the light it sheds on Dune. You can read the entire Dune series a number of times and get so caught up in the political/religious/sexual etc. themes that you can miss the larger point he begins to make as the story progresses, which is that ecology, when taken to its logical conclusion and extended beyond its customary limits of flora/fauna systems, is the ultimate science, uniting hard and soft disciplines from physics to economics to religion by studying their interactions.

Not a fantastic book by any stretch, but still really interesting, and essential if you want to really understand Herbert and Dune. Completely worth 7 bucks and an afternoon of your time. It will make the Dune series more meaningful.

Rob Darling

I have read most of Frank Herbert's works, and I can say that this was one of my favorites. As usual, he comments on social morays, this time arguing for the sake of the environmentalist. He makes the impossible seem possible with talking insects and dying countries. I highly recommend reading his "Destination Void" series to read a little more social commentary.

The "Green Brain" is one of F. Herberts fun little novels. It takes place in the future where humans are pitted against nature. It's fun and well worth the reading.