Follow sixteen year-old Frank as he travels the around the tiny island (not really... more like a small peninsula that high tide cuts off from the mainland) performing his daily ritual of checking his Sacrifice Poles, scouting for unwanted intruders, building sand dams and villages, hunting for carcasses, and playing war games. All the while Frank ruminates on life, on his stoic Father who also lives on the island, on his deranged brother Eric, and on the three murders he has committed, which in his own words was "just a stage I was going through".

    Welcome to, Wasp Factory, a novel so far out on the fringe of literature that a quick glance at the reviews in the first few pages illuminates the uproar that it caused when it was first published in England, in 1984.

    Frank lives an "ideal" childhood. He is home-schooled and free to roam over his father's property—the island—to do whatever he pleases. But, beneath this idyllic life lies some sinister secrets, some of which belong to Frank himself. By age 10, Frank had been through many ordeals. He suffered a mysterious injury at the hands of the family dog, murdered 3 children, and developed his own form of "witchcraft". The culmination of this is his masterpiece, the Wasp Factory, a fascinating divination tool. The subtle horror of this novel is the intricacy of Frank. The reader is, by turns, repelled and attracted, to him. He's an intelligent boy, surprisingly knowledgeable of the world around him even though he has never been further than the local town. Yet for all his maturity, he casually recounts the circumstances surrounding some of his gross atrocities, exhibiting little or no remorse.

    The pull of Wasp Factory is the curious compulsion, like driving by a car accident, to learn what happened to Frank, to make him the way he is. And like a car accident, we want a glimpse of the wreckage, and the victims. The revulsion/curiosity dilemma guides you through Frank's daily routines and his strangely astute observations about life and human nature.

    Frank's "ordinary" life is thrown out of balance when his father receives word that Eric has escaped from the mental institution where he has been confined for terrorizing children and burning dogs. At this piece of news Frank goes into "war mode", setting up charms, performing rituals, and consulting the Wasp Factory; preparing for the arrival of his demented brother and the possible destructive outcome.

    Wasp Factory, as a debut novel is brilliant on many levels. Firstly, the amazing dissonance it created in the British literary community indicated a work of advanced vision-- against the grain of the community's expectations. Secondly, one can understand the uproar, as misguided as it was, because this novel is guaranteed to repulse everyone. It challenges all preconceived notions of morality, love, society, religion, madness, intelligence, and especially family ties. Lastly, Iain Banks' writing is lucid and precise, lending the twisted story a chilling, eerie texture. Don't let this article deter you from reading Wasp Factory. I feel that it is good to be 'shaken out of our tree' and made to view our lives through a distorted prism like Frank.

    I don't know about my co-workers, but I'm here for the sole purpose of corrupting your minds. Did I say that? Oh… Hmmm. I guess I did. Hmmm. Hee. Hee. –Vladimir Verano, 1998