Victoria Silverwolf
Vegetarian Werewolf
War with the Newts by Karel Capek (1936)
(Originally published as Valka s mloky; translated from the Czech by M. and R. Weatherall)
Czech writer Karel Capek (1890 - 1938) is probably best known for creating the word "robot" for his 1921 play R.U.R.. His novel War with the Newts also deals with a new kind of "person," although in this case they are discovered rather than created.
The "newts" are actually amphibious humanoids discovered in small numbers in a remote part of tropical waters. They are quickly exploited as underwater laborers, and encouraged to multiply in vast numbers. Eventually the "newts" decide that they need a lot more ocean to live in, and start a war with the humans who employ them, as part of their plan to sink much of the Earth's landmass beneath the water.
That's about all there is to the basic plot of War with the Newts. The pleasure of reading the novel comes from Capek's wit and satire. The book is full of sly and clever jokes, and a wide variety of human foibles are satirized. From intellectuals to film stars, from bureaucrats to industrialists, and from communists to fascists; no target is left untouched by Capek's acid pen. And yet the book has a playfulness which saves it from the bitterness of 1984, and Capek's warm humanism contrasts with the aloofness of Brave New World.
Highly recommended.
(Originally published as Valka s mloky; translated from the Czech by M. and R. Weatherall)
Czech writer Karel Capek (1890 - 1938) is probably best known for creating the word "robot" for his 1921 play R.U.R.. His novel War with the Newts also deals with a new kind of "person," although in this case they are discovered rather than created.
The "newts" are actually amphibious humanoids discovered in small numbers in a remote part of tropical waters. They are quickly exploited as underwater laborers, and encouraged to multiply in vast numbers. Eventually the "newts" decide that they need a lot more ocean to live in, and start a war with the humans who employ them, as part of their plan to sink much of the Earth's landmass beneath the water.
That's about all there is to the basic plot of War with the Newts. The pleasure of reading the novel comes from Capek's wit and satire. The book is full of sly and clever jokes, and a wide variety of human foibles are satirized. From intellectuals to film stars, from bureaucrats to industrialists, and from communists to fascists; no target is left untouched by Capek's acid pen. And yet the book has a playfulness which saves it from the bitterness of 1984, and Capek's warm humanism contrasts with the aloofness of Brave New World.
Highly recommended.
