LET THE ANTS TRY

Episode #20 · Written by Frederik Pohl · Narrated by Scott Miller

A war-ravaged scientist buries eight mutant ant queens deep in prehistoric soil — hoping to give humanity a second chance. But when the ants return at full size in a future world, the price of survival turns horrifyingly real.

Let the Ants Try by Frederik Pohl is a grim, evocative journey into a future born of humanity’s darkest hour. After a world-shattering war obliterates civilization, Dr. Salva Gordy — once a physicist with dreams — finds himself alone in a ruined Detroit. Desperate and haunted by loss, he buries mutant ant queens deep in ancient prehistoric soil in a final, desperate act of hope: perhaps these creatures can inherit a world humanity destroyed. But when they return, not as tiny insects but as towering, alien beings with their own cold intelligence, what was meant as salvation becomes the ultimate betrayal. With unflinching prose and relentless tension, Pohl explores the cost of playing God, the fragility of human hubris, and what it means to rebuild — or to perish.

In this gripping tale, time travel, mutation, and moral reckoning collide. Gordy’s journey from grief-ridden survivor to inadvertent creator — and then to desperate fugitive — forces readers to ask: if humanity fails, what must live in its stead? And when the new rulers show no mercy, who deserves the Earth? Let the Ants Try remains a powerful and disturbing classic of vintage science fiction, its themes as relevant now as when first published.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Frederik Pohl (1919–2013) was a giant of 20th-century science fiction. For more than seven decades, he shaped—and reshaped—the genre, from his earliest pulp stories under pseudonyms to his later renowned novels and anthologies. Pohl’s writing blended scientific speculation with biting social commentary, often questioning humanity’s moral direction in times of extreme change. His stories examined greed, war, identity, and the consequences we leave for future generations.

Pohl was also a gifted editor and champion of new voices, advocating for social awareness and innovation in science fiction long before it became common. His legacy includes not only enduring classics but a generation of writers inspired by his incisive, compassionate, and visionary approach. Let the Ants Try stands as a testament to Pohl’s capacity to unsettle as well as inspire — and a perfect entry point for readers seeking classic sci-fi that still pulses with urgency.

LISTEN TO THE STORY

Listen to Let The Ants Try by Frederik Pohl — a dark classic sci-fi tale of mutated ants rising from war’s ashes to claim Earth.

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