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I am a research scientist and university professor that began writing fiction during the stay-at-home orders of Covid-19. I used my time efficiently and wrote a trilogy during the pandemic. The first two novels in my trilogy, The Antunite Chronicles, were the backstory of my wife’s children’s book Black Hole Radio-Bilaluna. They explained how Earth insects were transported to a planet in a far-off galaxy, how they transformed into cyborg insects, and how they destroyed their world and nearly destroyed their moon. The third novel of the trilogy is much more open-ended since it occurs long after the period described in the Children’s book. Yet the characters are still cyborg insects that have returned to their rejuvenated planet. So, although the plotline was less constrained, I again drew the world-building and character archetypes from my wife’s story. The premise for the plot, however, was heavily inspired by the dystopian novels Brave New World and 1984. As in book 2 of my trilogy, an authoritarian dictator seizes control of the planet, but this draconian leader takes it to an entirely different level. Rather than the environmental crisis of book 2, the leader thrusts the citizens of book 3 into a dystopian world where all aspects of his subjects’ lives are controlled. Unlike Brave New World and 1984, which have very depressing endings, in Antunites Unite, spies from the planet’s moon implement actions that result in a positive conclusion for the planet’s residents.
Reviewed by Vincent Dublado for Readers' Favorite
Antunites Unite by Terry Birdgenaw is an extraordinary sci-fi novel that takes you on an informative adventure. What can two tiny ants do against a despotic ant ruler and an army of cyborg insectoids that are far larger than Earth’s insects? That is what Rose and Jasper are about to find out, as they have been given the most important and dangerous task among the nanitics. Their queen, Beewish, has given them the mission of taking down the Antalone leaders. They will be the best and last chance of their kind. The two ants will engage in infiltration and espionage, as only tiny ants can do this. Rose and Jasper have trained hard and are ready to go, but can they remain pure and not let the Antalone society corrupt them?
Antunites Unite is fantastical to a degree not seen elsewhere in any sci-fi dystopian fiction. It is a brilliant allegory of humanity’s future, one that will make you ponder our relationship with technology and how the contemporary socio-political issues we are facing could lead to a new form of the dark ages. You read about anthropomorphic insects, but the plot examines serious themes such as espionage and military strategies, the hunger for freedom, and the distorted use of technology to advance malicious and tyrannical agendas. Terry Birdgenaw subtly reveals that Rose and Jasper are more than just mortal little ants. The treatment of slavery, oppression, and technology provides the storyline with intensely felt concerns in this battle of good versus evil. You are even treated to the fascinating heximal counting system that insects use - it gives you a stronger feel of how insects view the world and how they operate according to their own timetable. It’s a must-read for fans of sci-fi and dystopian fiction.
