Eric Frank Russell (1905-1978) was the first British writer to contribute regularly to ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, his first story, 'The Saga of Pelican West', appearing in that magazine in 1937. His novels include SINISTER BARRIER, WASP and THE GREAT EXPLOSION, and his short fiction has appeared in a number of collections.
The war had been going on for nearly a year and the Sirian Empire had a huge advantage in personnel and equipment. Earth needed an edge. Which was where James Mowry came in.
If a small insect buzzing around in a car could so distract the driver as to cause that vehicle to crash, think what havoc one properly trained operative could wreak on an unsuspecting enemy. Intensively trained, his appearance surgically altered, James Mowry is landed on Jaimec, the 94th planet of the Sirian Empire. His mission is simple: sap morale, cause mayhem, tie up resources, wage a one-man war on a planet of eighty million.
In short, be a wasp.
First published in 1957, WASP is generally regarded as Eric Frank Russell's finest novel, a witty and exciting account of a covert war in the heart of enemy territory.
The classic novel of urban terrorism.
