THE GREEN BRAIN

By: Chris Wyatt
Review Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2002

If you're looking for the complex machinations of DUNE, then THE GREEN BRAIN will be something of a disappointment. GREEN is a significantly smaller book than DUNE both in terms of page count and in terms of intellectual scope. But then few things do match DUNE in that regard.

Written in 1966, but out of print in recent years, GREEN was among the first ecologically minded SF novels. Now a new mass market paperback has put the book back on shelves.

Does the book deliver for current readers? In many ways, yes. Admittedly, when the book was written ecologically themed science fiction was a much fresher, newer idea than it is now. So for Herbert's contemporaries the book probably seemed pretty revolutionary, and very timely. Now some of that luminosity is gone simply because of the familiarity of the ideas. But that certainly doesn't leave the novel without merit. Apart from the world building for which Herbert is so rightly praised, he was also a master of character development, especially in terms of inner-monologue, and he also knew how to write a damn fine action scene. These strengths are evident in THE GREEN BRAIN.

Set more or less at the extreme end of the 21st century, companies have been absorbing the jungle, and thus exterminating the local fauna, with alarming pieces of technology, including special vibration weapons. (Between the thumpers that summoned the sandworms in DUNE, and the weapons in GREEN, a lesser reviewer might be tempted to make a comment on Herbert's obsession with repetitive, rhythmic vibrations...but I digress).


Insects living in the Mato Grosso jungle, are forced into a high degree of specialized evolution because of the mass slaughter. Survival of the fittest, coupled with non-natural stressors, soon yield an intelligent breed of insect creature. Herbert enters the hive mind of the insects by use of skilled writing that no doubt placed the groundwork for later well-written hive mind populations (see Vinge's A FIRE UPON THE DEEP and Haldeman's FOREVER FREE).

The company's workers soon hear rumors of giant mutant insects, more man than bug, conducting organized attacks on humans. They soon realize they have a revolution on their hands.

THE GREEN BRAIN is a good, breezy read. The message of the book is unlikely to blow anyone's mind, but ecological reminders are never a bad thing.

Truth be told, Herbert couldn't have predicted the rate at which we're really plowing under the rainforests. It's a horrible thing, but the single upside is that we're killing species so quickly that they'll probably never get the chance to evolve enough to kill us back.

Questions? Comments? Let us know what you think at feedback@cinescape.com.