Andy Zipok

“The Wasp Factory” is a very controversial but brilliant novel by Iain Banks. This book is not something one sees in a book store regularly. It involves grotesquely described murders and a very extraordinary private world of Frank, who is a psychopathic teenager, living on a small island in rural Scottland. He is into profound self-discovery, shamanistic rituals, and self-made weapons, which all comes down to the Wasp Factory. The controversy of the book lies in a skillful combination of disgust and interest in the motives and actions of the main character, and his nature, of course. Note: due to its gruesome depiction of violence, this book is not suitable for the faint-hearted individuals. If you’re looking for something less disturbing, see also: “Walking on Glass,” “Dead Air,” or “A Song of Stone” by Iain Banks. Genre: Fiction, Postmodern.