Ming's Reviews> The Screwfly Solution

Story – 75 / 100

Language – 75 / 100

Ideas – 90 / 100

Characters – 60 / 100

Enjoyment – 80 / 100



Overall Score – 76 / 100



What’s interesting about this book is the message it conveys. This novel discusses the topics of human sexual desire and sexual violence but through questionably terrifying science fiction. “The Screwfly Solution” is an apocalyptic short story about an infection that makes men murder and commit heinous sexual acts upon the women of the world. The story is told primarily through letters between Alan and Anne, husband and wife. I think that at first it was quite difficult to understand the story through the minds or letters of the characters.

As the story progressed and was revealed through the letters, I found it to be kind of intense and intriguing but not to the point that I was on the edge of my chair. This story was interesting enough to keep me reading it, but what also kept me reading it was how dark and demented this short story was. I truly appreciate how the message was projected through its plot of an alien-instigated disease / infection. In the story, the aliens, who were considered “angels”, set in place some sort of disease that slowly takes over the world. This disease caused men throughout the world to commit femicide, this is where the desire for sex and violence comes in. Although it is dark, I find this theme entertaining, especially in the genre of science fiction. In “The Screwfly Solution”, the men use religious beliefs and philosophy to justify the atrocious attacks on women. Though, there were still some situations where some men did try to help women from being attacked.

One thing that I do not like about the story is its ending. I thought that The Screwfly Solution’s ending was rather dull and boring. I mean, sure, it revealed what really was happening, but I just thought that it could have been some grand introduction to aliens not just a description of what happened through the mind of character. Though I guess since the story is indeed primarily told through letters, it would be quite difficult if not impossible.