Deathlands: Hive Invasion

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Hive Invasion by James Axler
(Deathlands, Book 120)

Released: January 6, 2015 | Genre: Science Fiction, Post Apocalyptic

• SYNOPSIS

  DUST DWELLERS

  Seeking refuge in a post-Armageddon America, Ryan Cawdor and his crew of misfits travel together for survival and sanity. Known as Deathlands, this lawless hellscape is defined by destruction, death and despair. Only those who persevere with the belief in a better future stand a chance in this world where each day brings a new, and potentially lethal, struggle.

  HARNESSED MINDS

  Desperate to find water and shelter on the barren plains of former Oklahoma, Ryan and his team come upon a community that appears, at first, to be peaceful. Then the ville is attacked by a group of its own inhabitants...people infected with a parasite that has turned them into slave warriors for an unknown overlord. The companions try to help fend off the enemy and protect the remaining population, but when Ryan is captured during a second ambush, all hope seems lost. Especially when he launches an assault against his own crew.

• FUN FACT

  James Axler is what’s called a “House Name.” The Deathlands series has been written by a whole roster of authors, but is always published under a same pseudonym.

REVIEW

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Modern pulp fiction at its best.

(This is really more of a review of theDeathlands series as a whole. I’ve read several entries, but since this was the one I started with, it gets the honor. And yes, I know some hardcore fans, or classic literature purists, might bristle at calling Deathlands “pulp.” But let’s be honest… it is.)

Thanks to the movie Pulp Fiction, the original meaning of “pulp fiction” doesn’t get used much anymore in its literal sense.

Pulp is pure escapism. It doesn’t pretend to be deep literature. It’s light, straightforward, and designed for fun. Think of it as the book equivalent of a summer blockbuster: you’re not supposed to wrestle with moral philosophy; you’re supposed to enjoy the ride. Or you can go by the Goodreads definition (which is basically the same thing).

And that’s exactly what Deathlands delivers. It doesn’t try to be more than what it is, and in doing so, it nails the formula.

There’s just enough character work sprinkled in so you can tell the cast apart, and just enough worldbuilding to establish the setting: a post-apocalyptic wasteland full of deranged survivors and monstrous creatures. (As a gamer, I basically pictured Fallout and it worked perfectly.)

So is it a 5 out of 5? Absolutely. (In the same way Sharknado is a 5/5 movie.) Deathlands succeeds because it achieves exactly what it sets out to do: entertain. It’s not here to burden you with heavy ethical dilemmas or profound reflections on society. It’s here to give you a break from your crappy day and let you blow off steam in a radioactive wasteland full of over-the-top mayhem.

Need an escape? Here you go. You’re welcome.