Killer cockroaches. What could be better? ( )

The science and the way Douglas writes insects are (or should be) the primary reason for picking this book up. It's got a lot of fantastically interesting info about bugs, incredibly creepy scenes, and the sort of extended passages of gore that make one understand why it was picked out for the republished "Paperbacks of Hell" series. That said...the book has quite a few issues, not least of all the way women are written. Despite being published in the late 70s, the book reads as if it takes place in the 40s or 50s, and I can only imagine that the author wanted to use science from later decades or would have been better off placing it earlier. If anyone wants an example of how to NOT write women and romance, this is a good one.

That said, if you like gore with your horror and can handle some comically cringe-worthy moments involving the writing of women/romance, you might enjoy this one. I had a hard time with it, admittedly, though I'm not sure I've ever been more creeped out or impressed with the writing of insects, and I may come back to this for inspiration the next time I need to write a gory, extended death scene. ( )