Insecticide: A Republican Romance
by Douglas Robinson
Genre: General Fiction / Political / Satire
ISBN: 9798891321960
Print Length: 398 pages
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Reviewed by Lisa Parker Hayreh
A hilarious political satire with a love story to boot
All is fair in politics, mockery, and love. The year is 1931. Prescott Bush has established the Republic of Texas as a separate nation from the US. His rise to power has been enabled by none other than a giant 10,000-year-old bug named W. Averell “Dogsbody” Harriman. Thanks to him, all insects are considered protected species and insecticide is outlawed. Here, Abraham Lincoln is an ancient beetle from Lemuria who emerges from the bottom of a pond in Texas to deliver a prophetic message. Trust me when I say: You are going to be laughing out loud with this outlandish political parody.
As nefarious forces duke it out for the soul of the nation, the Bush family sits at the center of it all. George H. W. Bush flounders as a dim-witted CIA operative with a salacious secret. Hysterical malapropisms pepper his narratives of political escapades. George W. Bush is a genetically engineered clone who self-medicates with multiple substances much of the time. He requires numerous adjustments to his programming to correct deficits in his functioning. Laura Bush is cultivated as the fated love interest for George W. Bush, despite her fish-loving, progressive origins.
Throughout the novel, increasingly mysterious circumstances occur. Beetles swarm and crawl over people who remain oblivious. Talking fish bubble up through the toilets. More and more people disappear. The suspense builds to a political showdown of epic proportions.
This alternate universe has alien insects, Atlantean fish, and Lemurian beetles who manipulate behind political figureheads. Real politicians and political events are served up in a sensationally irreverent smorgasbord. Chapters are presented as mock interviews, allowing each character’s voice to speak directly to the reader. The stream of consciousness narratives from George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush are especially comedic. These buffoons will leave you reeling with laughter thanks to their ineptitude, cluelessness, and bad decisions. Insecticide delivers a delightfully uproarious experience from cover to cover.
As you might have guessed, the humor contains language that can be intentionally shocking and offensive. Real political figures are laughed at throughout the novel, so you’ll want to leave your political preferences at the door.
At turns nonsensical, sarcastic, shocking, and gut-busting, this bold travesty will hook you. Fans of political satire will adore this gloriously funny caricature of modern politics. Those looking for a break from real-world politics will find this a delicious departure, and fiction buffs will enjoy the hilarity with an audacious and ironic romance at its heart.
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