The Wasp Factory

The Wasp Factory is a 1984 novel by Iain Banks. It is equal parts family drama and horror story, focusing on the teenage narrator, Frank (Frances) Cauldhame. It explores topics of mental health, gender and sexism, revenge, and free will. The Wasp Factory is a controversial novel, given its graphic depictions of violence against animals, and the affectless manner with which Frank describes his crimes against family members and animals.

Content Warning: The novel contains graphic cruelty toward animals, exploitative depictions of mental illness, and forced gender reassignment.

Note on Pronoun Usage: Frank, the novel’s protagonist, learns that he was assigned female at birth. This guide uses masculine pronouns throughout to align with the character’s predominant gender identity throughout the novel, but does use feminine pronouns at points when the character identifies as Frances.

Plot Summary

Frank and his father, Angus, live on a small Scottish island. Frank sees himself as the guardian of the island. As the story begins, he is checking a grotesque security system he calls the Sacrifice Poles: a series of poles posted on the shoreline, each containing the head of an animal Frank has killed. After he anoints the Poles with various bodily fluids, he believes he can see through their eyes as if they were surveillance cameras.