Synopsis
A scientist discovers that termites have been organized behind a mysterious hive intelligence, bent on destrying mankind.
History
First publication: Science Wonder Stories, serialized September to November 1929
Review
Very typical of early science fiction, this story of giant insects on the rampage reminds me a lot of the sort of science fiction movies churned out quickly in the 1950s. The writing is at times very simple and stiff. The characters are okay but basic. But certain things redeem this story in my mind. First is the imagination behind the termite colonies. Their intelligence and science is far beyond anything in reality. Keller uses a great deal of imagination, especially about biology, and the termite world he creates is interesting. Second is a small philosophical observation comparing human society and the termite hive mind. He observes that even though we are not the mindless workers that make up most individuals in termite and ant colonies, we still do follow an overall leadership and do our small part going to work everyday to move our society toward whatever future our leaders are designing. Is there a bit of termite inside of us? Third, while the roles of women are mostly delegated to cooking and raising babies, the lead female protagonist is not just a housewife. She is a dead aim with a shotgun and does not scream or faint or run from danger. In her own words, she turns around and shoots. She is the one to go into a termite hive and learn about what they are doing and then she escapes to tell the rest of the expedition what is really going on. So I can only recommend this to those who really want to deep dive into the beginnings of science fiction and are willing to overlook its deficiencies. And I did enjoy this very short novel.
Videos
We have the story in these editions:
The Human Termites/The Ambassador from Mars, trade paperback, Armchair Fiction, 2017-00-00
