#133. HALF PAST HUMAN By T J Bass

Published : 1971
Pages : 260
Overall Mark : 7/10

Tinker was a good citizen of the Hive – a model worker, But when he was allowed sexual activation he found Mu Ren who, like him, harboured forbidden genes. And so began the cataclysm.

But in a world where half-wild humans are hunted for sport – and food – can anyone overthrow the Hive? Greater by far than its stunted, pink-blooded citizens, the Hive is more than prepared to rise and crush anyone who challenges its supremacy...

T.J. BASS (1932-2011)
Thomas Joseph Bassler was an American science fiction writer and doctor, principally known for his ‘Hive’ stories. The first of these, published in Galaxy Science Fiction and If, were combined into the novel Half Past Human, which was nominated for the Nebula Award in 1972. Loose sequel, The Godwhale, was also nominated three years later. His work explored the theme of overpopulation and was notable for its strong command of biological extrapolation. He died in 2011.

VERDICT
I can see the appeal of this sci-fi novel, describing the conflict between two factions of humanity, but I didn’t really feel connected to the characters involved. The views on women seem a little outdated, but perhaps this is the view of Bass that women would once again become a repressed minority worthy of only breeding and home-making. Reading like a poor man’s Arthur C Clarke, this novel has its merits, but is on the whole a little to wordy to be anything more than interesting.