Deathlands: Hive Invasion
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Hive Invasion (Deathlands, Book 120) by James Axler
Modern pulp fiction at its best. 👍
(This is really more of a review of the Deathlands 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.
