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The Hephaestus Plague
A destructive force is among us!
They are large, blind, carbon-eating insects, each one capable of emitting a tiny flame, each one mysteriously incapable of reproducing. Their swarm is relentless and unstoppable, leaving a wake of death and charred ruin. Scientists struggle to destroy them before they destroy the earth. All but one man. He has discovered the creatures' remarkable intelligence and a way to breed them.
They are large, blind, carbon-eating insects, each one capable of emitting a tiny flame, each one mysteriously incapable of reproducing. Their swarm is relentless and unstoppable, leaving a wake of death and charred ruin. Scientists struggle to destroy them before they destroy the earth. All but one man. He has discovered the creatures' remarkable intelligence and a way to breed them.
218 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1973
13 people are currently reading
271 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Page
5 books12 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
July 27, 2016
The earth opens up. Cockroaches. Fire flares from their bums. Cockroaches. They find carbon moreish. Cockroaches. So burn everything to hell. Cockroaches. They travel in cars to spread metaphorical doom. Cockroaches. A scientist loses his mind trying to pin them down. Cockroaches. They exhibit hive like behaviour and sinister intelligence. Cockroaches. One of them gets named Clarence. Cockroaches. Soon they begin to spell out words in formation on a wall. Cockroaches. SPOILER Things do not end well. Cockroaches.
October 20, 2023
Not a bad story although I can imagine it reads much better. Short audio leads me to believe the book must be about the size of a novella. the idea of an insect that can set fire to things was for me a novel idea, there is much in the science the audio (book?) doesn't cover. Making for an unbelievable story, readable none the less.
May 16, 2010
This was THE first Sci-Fi book I ever read. I admit I chose the book by its cover. That having been said, I was enthralled with the story in a way that I had never been before. I was seriously engaged in this book. The science wasn't too far over the top for my younger mind to understand, and I enjoyed it immensely. You can imagine my utter delight when I discovered that the Bombardier Beetle does something VERY similar to the bug on the front cover. ...Good Times...
My tastes have matured over the years and I have not had a chance to revisit this old friend, but I can't imagine that much has changed.
My tastes have matured over the years and I have not had a chance to revisit this old friend, but I can't imagine that much has changed.
October 7, 2021
I do not like bugs. Never did. Never will.
So I have no idea why I randomly decided to jump into The Hephaestus Plague. I mean.. yeah, I do have a reason for why I did it, a challenge, but I didn't have to dive into it. Plus I had time to waste while at an appointment yesterday.
After diving into it, I almost stepped on a spider with my bare foot. Yes, I screamed bloody freaking Mary and then my sister screamed because I screamed. We both don't like spiders. Not sure if this book randomly brought a giant one into my house or not.. but it was defeated by the handy dandy vacuum.
Back to the book though. I honestly didn't know that this was turned into a movie until I read other reviews. For some reason, these bugs reminded me of that giant spider movie. Couldn't tell you which one it's called but I know that one exists. Have I seen it? Yes, that is WHY I hate spiders.
I'm also not sure if this was supposed to be funny but it did make me laugh at times. Just when things would get a little ridiculous. Or maybe that's just my tired brain helping me cope with a book of bugs taking over the world.
In the end, if this ever actually happens I will probably die from a heart attack. Or from the bugs doing a ninja sneak attack on my dumb ass.
So I have no idea why I randomly decided to jump into The Hephaestus Plague. I mean.. yeah, I do have a reason for why I did it, a challenge, but I didn't have to dive into it. Plus I had time to waste while at an appointment yesterday.
After diving into it, I almost stepped on a spider with my bare foot. Yes, I screamed bloody freaking Mary and then my sister screamed because I screamed. We both don't like spiders. Not sure if this book randomly brought a giant one into my house or not.. but it was defeated by the handy dandy vacuum.
Back to the book though. I honestly didn't know that this was turned into a movie until I read other reviews. For some reason, these bugs reminded me of that giant spider movie. Couldn't tell you which one it's called but I know that one exists. Have I seen it? Yes, that is WHY I hate spiders.
I'm also not sure if this was supposed to be funny but it did make me laugh at times. Just when things would get a little ridiculous. Or maybe that's just my tired brain helping me cope with a book of bugs taking over the world.
In the end, if this ever actually happens I will probably die from a heart attack. Or from the bugs doing a ninja sneak attack on my dumb ass.
January 28, 2016
Wonderful novel. Out of all the books I've read about cockroaches from the center of the earth who can shoot fire out of their butts, this is by far the best. Source novel for the classic sci-fi film BUG.
July 7, 2022
B-book se mai ce n’è stato uno, come Urania ne pubblicava parecchi negli anni 70; ovvero l’equivalente di un B-movie; oltre tutto ne fu tratto proprio uno pochi anni dopo, “Bug – Insetto di fuoco”. In anni di catastrofismo spicciolo questo rimanzo di Page ebbe un certo successo, a giudicare dalle numerose edizioni. In effetti il ritratto di New York afflitta da questi insetti perniciosi è particolarmente ben documentato sul mondo di insetti e artropodi vari, passione dell’autore; il che compensa la trama a strappi e in generale poco fluida, i personaggi difficili non si dice da amare ma anche solo da capire, un finale ai limiti del comprensibile.
(SPOILER: il professore che amava gli insetti più degli umani sparisce nel momento in cui gli insetti, con cui era riuscito a stabilire una comunicazione, ritornano al centro della Terra, da cui provengono.. peccato: l’incontro tra l’umanità e un’altra specie senziente è rinviato. Ma il prof li ha seguiti spontaneamente?).
Se il romanzo scorre un po’ a fatica non è colpa della edizione, che appare integrale e con una buona traduzione di Beata della Frattina; considerazioni editoriali avranno portato a tradurre così il titolo “The Hephaistus Plague” (dove “Plague” è un’epidemia, mentre una “piaga” colpisce un individuo; tranne in espressioni antiche come “le sette piaghe d’Egitto”), mentre nel testo è più comprensibilmente “il flagello Efesto”. Unica vera svista la frase “gli scarafaggi sono evoltivamente vicini ai pesci”: un po’ difficile da mandar giù, se non si tratti dei simpatici “pesciolini d’argento”.
(SPOILER: il professore che amava gli insetti più degli umani sparisce nel momento in cui gli insetti, con cui era riuscito a stabilire una comunicazione, ritornano al centro della Terra, da cui provengono.. peccato: l’incontro tra l’umanità e un’altra specie senziente è rinviato. Ma il prof li ha seguiti spontaneamente?).
Se il romanzo scorre un po’ a fatica non è colpa della edizione, che appare integrale e con una buona traduzione di Beata della Frattina; considerazioni editoriali avranno portato a tradurre così il titolo “The Hephaistus Plague” (dove “Plague” è un’epidemia, mentre una “piaga” colpisce un individuo; tranne in espressioni antiche come “le sette piaghe d’Egitto”), mentre nel testo è più comprensibilmente “il flagello Efesto”. Unica vera svista la frase “gli scarafaggi sono evoltivamente vicini ai pesci”: un po’ difficile da mandar giù, se non si tratti dei simpatici “pesciolini d’argento”.
February 13, 2017
We're going back a few years here now, and this time we're going to talk film first, then book. The film is "Bug", and it was made in the 70s, certainly not to be confused with the Ashley Judd vehicle of the mid 2000s. No, this was a William Castle production, and sadly his last, as he passed away not long after. Yes, THAT William Castle, of "House on Haunted Hill" and "The Tingler" fame. To which we can add "Rosemary's Baby", because he saw the huge value of Ira Levin's book and bought it. I know, Roman Polanski directed it, and probably it was better off for it, but Castle did in fact own the property and produced. Can you imagine the Castle gimmick that might've happened had HE directed it? Maybe glasses with "his father's eyes"? Wowsa!
Anyway. Back to "Bug". If you are old enough, you might remember that one…beetle-looking things that can start fires with their tuckus. Seriously.
BUT WAIT! Turns out it was a pretty decent film. And why not? William Castle, after all. And Jeannot Szwarc directed. A pretty good bloodline! And it all came from the book we're discussing today, "The Hephaestus Plague". Thomas Page wrote it, and also penned the screenplay. Better, I think, that the guy who wrote the book also do the screenplay. So that it would do well was almost to be expected, at least so far as a cheesy horror flick about pyromaniacal roaches. Because that's what they are, not beetles but roaches, and we learn this in almost nauseating detail in the book. Page clearly knows a thing or two about the subject.
Or not. I have read a few notes here and there on that great Fount of All Wisdom, the Interwebz, about how many factual entomological errors the book supposedly contains. Well, it seems to me I bought the book for entertainment, not to learn about roaches, so I will can Page a pass on that. But anyway, here's the skinny: an earthquake happens in North Carolina. A yawning crevice opens on a fellow's farm, from which the Parmiteras emerge...named for the way-mad scientist who classifies them. Of course like all roaches, they're hungry. And they eat…carbon.
That's right. Carbon. From things that burn.
Okay. I get it. And it almost makes sense. What a concept! Carbon-eating bugs that create their own food by burning everything in sight! Even cars aren't safe…the bugs crawl up exhaust pipes and…KERBLAMMO! as the great David Hobbs might say. They also travel well this way, it seems, and before you know it, New York is burning and hundreds of people are dead.
But the story is really about the scientist, Parmiter, who, as mentioned, isn't exactly possessed of all the proper psychiatric hardware. In the course of trying to find out how best to dispose of the six-legged threat, he BREEDS the damned things, and, well, you can guess what happens next. Or maybe you can't.
It's wild and more than a little wacky, and perhaps a little dated, but it's still fun. I'm going to take off a star for the way-too-indepth examination of the roach—I now know, supposed inaccuracies aside, WAY more than I ever wanted to know about them—but it's still one really entertaining read. That I went through it in a couple of days says a lot…it really is engrossing. And I do mean gross.
Back to the film for just a second, which I admit I never saw, but I mean to, and as I often do, while I was reading I wondered who would play who in the movie. The only one I really managed to pin down was Parmiter…Anthony Perkins, I thought, he'd be perfect. Studious-looking but with that gleam of madness. Of course I was wrong but the actual choice turned out to be Bradford Dillman (best remembered by me from the Dirty Harry flicks as Callahan's Captain) who is an outstanding actor…and who, I might add, bears more than a passing resemblance to…Tony Perkins! Who knew?
Now I must see the movie and find out if it really is—for once—better than the book. If it is, it promises to be most memorable indeed...the grossout factor aside.
Recommended.
Anyway. Back to "Bug". If you are old enough, you might remember that one…beetle-looking things that can start fires with their tuckus. Seriously.
BUT WAIT! Turns out it was a pretty decent film. And why not? William Castle, after all. And Jeannot Szwarc directed. A pretty good bloodline! And it all came from the book we're discussing today, "The Hephaestus Plague". Thomas Page wrote it, and also penned the screenplay. Better, I think, that the guy who wrote the book also do the screenplay. So that it would do well was almost to be expected, at least so far as a cheesy horror flick about pyromaniacal roaches. Because that's what they are, not beetles but roaches, and we learn this in almost nauseating detail in the book. Page clearly knows a thing or two about the subject.
Or not. I have read a few notes here and there on that great Fount of All Wisdom, the Interwebz, about how many factual entomological errors the book supposedly contains. Well, it seems to me I bought the book for entertainment, not to learn about roaches, so I will can Page a pass on that. But anyway, here's the skinny: an earthquake happens in North Carolina. A yawning crevice opens on a fellow's farm, from which the Parmiteras emerge...named for the way-mad scientist who classifies them. Of course like all roaches, they're hungry. And they eat…carbon.
That's right. Carbon. From things that burn.
Okay. I get it. And it almost makes sense. What a concept! Carbon-eating bugs that create their own food by burning everything in sight! Even cars aren't safe…the bugs crawl up exhaust pipes and…KERBLAMMO! as the great David Hobbs might say. They also travel well this way, it seems, and before you know it, New York is burning and hundreds of people are dead.
But the story is really about the scientist, Parmiter, who, as mentioned, isn't exactly possessed of all the proper psychiatric hardware. In the course of trying to find out how best to dispose of the six-legged threat, he BREEDS the damned things, and, well, you can guess what happens next. Or maybe you can't.
It's wild and more than a little wacky, and perhaps a little dated, but it's still fun. I'm going to take off a star for the way-too-indepth examination of the roach—I now know, supposed inaccuracies aside, WAY more than I ever wanted to know about them—but it's still one really entertaining read. That I went through it in a couple of days says a lot…it really is engrossing. And I do mean gross.
Back to the film for just a second, which I admit I never saw, but I mean to, and as I often do, while I was reading I wondered who would play who in the movie. The only one I really managed to pin down was Parmiter…Anthony Perkins, I thought, he'd be perfect. Studious-looking but with that gleam of madness. Of course I was wrong but the actual choice turned out to be Bradford Dillman (best remembered by me from the Dirty Harry flicks as Callahan's Captain) who is an outstanding actor…and who, I might add, bears more than a passing resemblance to…Tony Perkins! Who knew?
Now I must see the movie and find out if it really is—for once—better than the book. If it is, it promises to be most memorable indeed...the grossout factor aside.
Recommended.
September 5, 2009
Read it so long ago I can't recall much except that I did like it a lot and I have always remembered the title.
August 25, 2021
This is a pretty mixed bag, and a person's enjoyment of it will most likely depend on how rabid a sci-fi/killer insect fan they truly are.
This is one of those novels released for the sole purpose of advertising the movie, and indeed, it says so right on the cover. You have to love a book with an unpronouncable mouthful of a title like The Hephaestus Plague, when it features the blurb above the title begging you not to miss the theatrical release of the film version called "BUG".
The intellectual contradiction on the cover pretty much continues through the book as well, as this slim novel contains great sci-fi premises and situations, yet some of the worst characters, dialogue, and pointless transitions you'll ever stumble across in print. This is probably the only instance where I would strongly recommend readers just skip the first chapter entirely to avoid losing hope and abandoning the book right there.
But despite the rocky prose, it is interesting, and the truly painful parts are easy enough to glide over for the good stuff, of which there is plenty. So, if you like sci-fi, killer bugs, or just a quick read to pass the time, and don't mind a bit of the "I could have written this better" blues, then this is the book for you.
This is one of those novels released for the sole purpose of advertising the movie, and indeed, it says so right on the cover. You have to love a book with an unpronouncable mouthful of a title like The Hephaestus Plague, when it features the blurb above the title begging you not to miss the theatrical release of the film version called "BUG".
The intellectual contradiction on the cover pretty much continues through the book as well, as this slim novel contains great sci-fi premises and situations, yet some of the worst characters, dialogue, and pointless transitions you'll ever stumble across in print. This is probably the only instance where I would strongly recommend readers just skip the first chapter entirely to avoid losing hope and abandoning the book right there.
But despite the rocky prose, it is interesting, and the truly painful parts are easy enough to glide over for the good stuff, of which there is plenty. So, if you like sci-fi, killer bugs, or just a quick read to pass the time, and don't mind a bit of the "I could have written this better" blues, then this is the book for you.
April 8, 2008
Written in 1974 by my friend and colleague Thomas Page and just reissued by alternative press Trashface, The Hephaestus Plague is an incredibly ingenious, complex, and technically rich sci-fi thriller. That's because Tom has always been fascinated by entymology--he's a bug freak. If it crawls or slithers or hisses or stings or bites, he wants to study it. So, right off, it's a guy thing. The stereotypical female won't be in the same room with a spider, much less be delighted if one scampered over her body. Tom, on the other hand, has been seen at book signings posing with a friendly tarantula on his arm
Read my full review at Boychik Lit
Read my full review at Boychik Lit
July 12, 2024
In a phrase: “pretty entertaining B movie” level.
I dunno if I wanna drag this one out… or not. Hmm, probably not.
Ok. Author leaves out transitions. Like one sentence follows characters A and B in city 1. Very next sentence (without a line break), goes to character C in city 2; just without the “goes to” part.
Thankfully, the author remembers to include proper transitions midway through the book, and it ends up even being written fairly well.
If you’re an entomologist, or just love bugs, this will probably grab you right off the bat. It goes off into ‘far fetched’ land around page 157, and my suspension of disbelief was significantly challenged at that point.
But hey, not terrible. Biology/science was actually pretty solid overall. Characters were mostly consistent, and it ended… in a… way. Haha.. yeah, it ended. And it was, an ending.
And yeah, I’m dragging this out again, aren’t I? Forgot to include a few swear words per usual, too.
Shit.
I dunno if I wanna drag this one out… or not. Hmm, probably not.
Ok. Author leaves out transitions. Like one sentence follows characters A and B in city 1. Very next sentence (without a line break), goes to character C in city 2; just without the “goes to” part.
Thankfully, the author remembers to include proper transitions midway through the book, and it ends up even being written fairly well.
If you’re an entomologist, or just love bugs, this will probably grab you right off the bat. It goes off into ‘far fetched’ land around page 157, and my suspension of disbelief was significantly challenged at that point.
But hey, not terrible. Biology/science was actually pretty solid overall. Characters were mostly consistent, and it ended… in a… way. Haha.. yeah, it ended. And it was, an ending.
And yeah, I’m dragging this out again, aren’t I? Forgot to include a few swear words per usual, too.
Shit.
October 3, 2024
Like all cataclysmic events, the Hephaestus Plague was perceived by millions only in bits and by a very few in its awesome breadth.
Oh that was bloody brilliant! Seriously, how is it that I had never heard about Thomas Page's 1973-release "The Hephaestus Plague" before now? OK, so admittedly I was only 9 years old when it came out. And I would have definitely missed the accompanying 1975 film "Bug" directed by Jeannot Szwarc and written by both Page and William Castle (noting at very least the trailer looks to have taken a LOT of liberties in terms of the novel itself) because of my mother's strict "NO HORROR" rules (which were occasionally stretched but my friends and I had to pick our chances carefully)! But I would put this offer alongside many of the current classic horror reads, not only because of the execution but how it must have resonated in so many places during that time! You gotta remember, New York City was a mess back then, I'm sure many folks thought flooding it with "fire beetles" would have been a good thing! I mean all that trash AND disco? Sheesh…
They remind us we don’t own the earth.
And speaking of places, again, I am shocked not to have been made aware of this exceedingly accurate look at the North Carolina sandhills. If you've ever driving due east from somewhere like Greensboro on your way to the beautiful coastline, you know just how quickly the landscape and flora changes… and that's even without the regular forest fires. I am still amazed how life has somehow managed to hang on despite that area having become over the eons a dry and humid near-desert, suitable for only the hardiest strains of tobacco and cotton! Which is even more of a surprise knowing that all of that area was once part of the deep blue sea. Heck, I've even gone digging for Megalodon teeth and other fossils almost as far inland as Raleigh! So seeing a bizarre new species of insect suddenly show up? Not all that surprising truth be told…
The roaches had the greatest potential for mutation of any insect in existence.
"Plague" is also a treat in that it is almost two books in one, with the first accounting for the discovery and initial country-wide destruction caused by Hephaestus parmitera. I thought it was sheer genius to have an insect feeding off of pure carbon, especially knowing this was all conceived well before the concept of Climate Change became a daily topic to be discussed, denied, and/or debated. And like the author points out: "The most ready source of carbon on earth was the American highway." How that then plays into how these critters not only spread but ultimately wreck their havoc was fantastic! Sitting back and getting to witness then how not only the 'man of the street' (or 'them thar' folks in the fields') dealt with the catastrophe but how our experts ultimately solved the mystery was a ton of fun! Knowing also how the upper (or lower even) echelons of the world of Academia work (or don't) together was also a very real and poignant aspect of this part.
The lush living things on this earth are, overwhelmingly, vermin.
The second half then could be compared more readily I think to Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" if only because of the discoveries and rising (in)sanity of our main protagonist, James Parmiter. Some might find this entomologist - a scholar and self-proclaimed lover of insects and all things relating to them - somewhat of a strange egg, but I found some kind of odd kinship with this extreme introvert. I have often questioned my own studies and wondered why in the hell I would pick a degree that had me spending so much of my career serving such utter idiots (read: customers) when I could have gone into horticulture and spent my days only surrounded by plants. That's life I guess. But any way you slice it (ooh, good labwork reference there!), it is through his thoughts and ever-growing realization of what is happening around him that makes the 2nd half of this story so divinely and deliciously spooky!
That settles that. Roaches don’t lie.
Combined then, I really enjoyed this short but intense story, perhaps even moreso after 'DNF'ing' another scientific-slash-adventure story about similar critters only yesterday that couldn't even hold a roach-lit candle to this one. The difference though is that Page made this work, not only in different locales but in different small spaces, with a cast of varied but believable players, and then on to the explosive conclusion that solved most problems but still left us with a lingering merry sense of mystery. There wasn't a scene involved that I could not imagine actually being there or doing that, even if I wouldn't know a giant flame-farting beetle from a combustible cockroach. Still, as long as they both promise to eat any spiders hanging around, I'm willing to live and let live if they latched onto me and cause all kinds of groovy hallucinations! And if that isn't convincing enough, consider that what with all the God-given advantages insects have over man (see "Survivors of Global Nuclear War" for more), well: "Maybe the next Jesus is a roach." Stay groovy and peace out!
Oh that was bloody brilliant! Seriously, how is it that I had never heard about Thomas Page's 1973-release "The Hephaestus Plague" before now? OK, so admittedly I was only 9 years old when it came out. And I would have definitely missed the accompanying 1975 film "Bug" directed by Jeannot Szwarc and written by both Page and William Castle (noting at very least the trailer looks to have taken a LOT of liberties in terms of the novel itself) because of my mother's strict "NO HORROR" rules (which were occasionally stretched but my friends and I had to pick our chances carefully)! But I would put this offer alongside many of the current classic horror reads, not only because of the execution but how it must have resonated in so many places during that time! You gotta remember, New York City was a mess back then, I'm sure many folks thought flooding it with "fire beetles" would have been a good thing! I mean all that trash AND disco? Sheesh…
They remind us we don’t own the earth.
And speaking of places, again, I am shocked not to have been made aware of this exceedingly accurate look at the North Carolina sandhills. If you've ever driving due east from somewhere like Greensboro on your way to the beautiful coastline, you know just how quickly the landscape and flora changes… and that's even without the regular forest fires. I am still amazed how life has somehow managed to hang on despite that area having become over the eons a dry and humid near-desert, suitable for only the hardiest strains of tobacco and cotton! Which is even more of a surprise knowing that all of that area was once part of the deep blue sea. Heck, I've even gone digging for Megalodon teeth and other fossils almost as far inland as Raleigh! So seeing a bizarre new species of insect suddenly show up? Not all that surprising truth be told…
The roaches had the greatest potential for mutation of any insect in existence.
"Plague" is also a treat in that it is almost two books in one, with the first accounting for the discovery and initial country-wide destruction caused by Hephaestus parmitera. I thought it was sheer genius to have an insect feeding off of pure carbon, especially knowing this was all conceived well before the concept of Climate Change became a daily topic to be discussed, denied, and/or debated. And like the author points out: "The most ready source of carbon on earth was the American highway." How that then plays into how these critters not only spread but ultimately wreck their havoc was fantastic! Sitting back and getting to witness then how not only the 'man of the street' (or 'them thar' folks in the fields') dealt with the catastrophe but how our experts ultimately solved the mystery was a ton of fun! Knowing also how the upper (or lower even) echelons of the world of Academia work (or don't) together was also a very real and poignant aspect of this part.
The lush living things on this earth are, overwhelmingly, vermin.
The second half then could be compared more readily I think to Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" if only because of the discoveries and rising (in)sanity of our main protagonist, James Parmiter. Some might find this entomologist - a scholar and self-proclaimed lover of insects and all things relating to them - somewhat of a strange egg, but I found some kind of odd kinship with this extreme introvert. I have often questioned my own studies and wondered why in the hell I would pick a degree that had me spending so much of my career serving such utter idiots (read: customers) when I could have gone into horticulture and spent my days only surrounded by plants. That's life I guess. But any way you slice it (ooh, good labwork reference there!), it is through his thoughts and ever-growing realization of what is happening around him that makes the 2nd half of this story so divinely and deliciously spooky!
That settles that. Roaches don’t lie.
Combined then, I really enjoyed this short but intense story, perhaps even moreso after 'DNF'ing' another scientific-slash-adventure story about similar critters only yesterday that couldn't even hold a roach-lit candle to this one. The difference though is that Page made this work, not only in different locales but in different small spaces, with a cast of varied but believable players, and then on to the explosive conclusion that solved most problems but still left us with a lingering merry sense of mystery. There wasn't a scene involved that I could not imagine actually being there or doing that, even if I wouldn't know a giant flame-farting beetle from a combustible cockroach. Still, as long as they both promise to eat any spiders hanging around, I'm willing to live and let live if they latched onto me and cause all kinds of groovy hallucinations! And if that isn't convincing enough, consider that what with all the God-given advantages insects have over man (see "Survivors of Global Nuclear War" for more), well: "Maybe the next Jesus is a roach." Stay groovy and peace out!
October 8, 2017
Janice recommended this book to me after we saw some movie that reminded her of the plot of this book. It was written in 1973 but is not dated at all and the events in the book are just as plausible today.
The premise that an earthquake would open a rift deep enough for these insects with unique qualities to emerge and wreak havoc is is interesting and so are the main plot lines - the progression of the damage to people and buildings, the search for how to stop them and the results of those attempts. But the most interesting part of the book is the evolution of the relationship between the insects and the professor who became obsessed with them. That is the core of the book and the unique story within the main story.
The writing is well-paced and it is obvious Page did a lot of entomological research before writing the book but he never bores with overly long passages about the subject. The characters are developed to different levels but that works well since the locus is the professor. The only issue I had was the very ending which was a little off the mark for me but it certainly did not ruin the book.
If you like a scientific mystery with some action and good detail and a few twists, read this book. Even though it is an older title I did see it was available on Amazon and some libraries may have a copy.
The premise that an earthquake would open a rift deep enough for these insects with unique qualities to emerge and wreak havoc is is interesting and so are the main plot lines - the progression of the damage to people and buildings, the search for how to stop them and the results of those attempts. But the most interesting part of the book is the evolution of the relationship between the insects and the professor who became obsessed with them. That is the core of the book and the unique story within the main story.
The writing is well-paced and it is obvious Page did a lot of entomological research before writing the book but he never bores with overly long passages about the subject. The characters are developed to different levels but that works well since the locus is the professor. The only issue I had was the very ending which was a little off the mark for me but it certainly did not ruin the book.
If you like a scientific mystery with some action and good detail and a few twists, read this book. Even though it is an older title I did see it was available on Amazon and some libraries may have a copy.
December 30, 2019
I read this book while in eighth grade (I’m 59 now) and absolutely loved it then. I even shared it with a few classmates who loved it as well. The premise of fire starting cockroaches is pretty cool and as a kid the “science” in the novel was pretty convincing. Fast forward several decades and (well) the book is decent but not the slam dunk that I remembered. A bit sloppily written, not much characterization, and the science background regarding entomology (that so impressed me in the mid 1970’s) is kinda laughable now (I grew up to become a biologist). I still recommend but it’s not a read that lives up to my fond memories. And one last nitpick-the Kindle cover is a closeup photo of a ladybug. For no apparent reason. lol.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2017
loved it. admittedly a little slow in places but it was a true taste of the 70s, a world without mobile phones etc. i got the book because I enjoyed the film - the ending is different (I preferred the book). the book is especially creepy if you dislike insects and has that good old 70s revenge of nature theme. I've just ordered another Thomas Page novel called Spirit, based on the enjoyment I got out of Plague.
November 15, 2018
A creepy, creature book from the early '70s, The Hephaestus Plague is about a swarm of new insects that have the ability to start fires. While scientists and the government attempt to find ways to kill the bugs, the insects start showing signs of high intelligence. It's a good story, but the parts that should really creep us out are rushed and not as effective as they could have been.
March 4, 2019
I remember reading this novel decades ago. For some reason it recently surfaced from my memories and I had to read it again. This book really creeped me out. The author has a good sense of pacing and a novel (pun intended) plot line. One or two characters could have been fleshed out a bit more. I recommend this book.
February 12, 2018
This is one of those books that somehow you think is good as you read it as a kid and it becomes imprinted in your brain. It is super fun and perhaps the canonical pulpy sci-fi for me. It too me years to remember the title and I tracked down a copy and reading it was like going back in time!
January 27, 2019
7/10 A compact horror story of unusual bugs and a scientist who is slowly seduced by his research and the discoveries he makes.
June 20, 2020
Read in 1974. Story escapes me, a plague maybe?
September 3, 2020
Terrible. No imagination and dull characters
February 16, 2021
One of the few sci-fi books that I didn't like about cockroaches that set things on fire. Dumb
December 27, 2022
It felt a bit slow at the beginning but I found the second half to be better. Probably not one for people that are scared of insects.
June 22, 2023
Goddamned farthead intellectuals
March 27, 2025
A little too goofy and dated for me.
Some interesting and (probably unintentionally) humorous moments.
I did like the idea of the bugs themselves.
Some interesting and (probably unintentionally) humorous moments.
I did like the idea of the bugs themselves.
May 8, 2025
Compelling throughout.
December 28, 2013
I enjoyed this book for everything except the science fiction: the entymology lab-work, the interplay between the doctor and his assistant, the hilarious farmers, the bold little kid, the sermons, etc. The talking cockroach-bacteria symbiotic is a thought-provoking idea in the abstract, but silly. Maybe that was Page's intent. "NO NO NO".
November 30, 2016
After watching the 1975 movie Bug (again) recently, I decided to read the book the movie was based on. I enjoyed it. There's a lot of technical jargon about bugs, but reading through that stuff is worth it to watch Professor Parmiter's descent into madness.
January 20, 2021
Bad bugs that can start fires with extra abdominal appendages swarm and threaten world. Entomologists scramble to fight fire with scientific acumen to no avail. Serviceable ecological thriller about incendiary creepy crawlies. Eeewww!!!
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