Ant Apocalypse

by Will Swardstrom, Jason Gurley (Illustrator)

Rick and his wife, Jennifer have just moved to a house in Kentucky.The only problem is -- the previous occupants never left.

Ants.

Regular, everyday ants are one thing. But what do you do when they develop a taste for flesh? How do you kill ants that are already dead?

Ant Apocalypse is a short story about one man's struggle with the bane of the Midwest -- ants.

Genres: Apocalyptic

62 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 14, 2013

Reviews

[Nick Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun romp through Horror, Americana-Style

I really enjoyed this quick little roller coaster through one couple's idyllic life turned insect nightmare. Reminded me much of Stephen King's great short stories from collections like Night Shift and Skeleton Crew. If you hate ants then this story will justify all the war crimes you've committed against them. Told in journal form, the likable narrator, a loving husband and soon to be father, battles an apocalyptic infestation in the hinterlands of Kentucky. Humor, warmth and horror combine to deliver a well told tale with a twist that leaves you wondering. Great stuff. I will be reading more of this author.

[Stefan Bolz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great short story about "just some minor problems" the main character experiences with ants in his house ;-). I have asked myself a few times in the past, what if... what if the ants I see once in a while on my counter or in the straight line from the window to the cabinet in the kitchen that houses the sugar - what if they would not go away. What if they would come back. More of them. Many, many more. I loved the story. Quick, fun read, very entertaining, even a little heart felt in the end. The cat was a great touch. Outch!!! Read the labels for your ant killer powder carefully! Great job!

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only thing worse than ants overrunning your new doublewide, is undead ants overrunning your new doublewide. Fucking ants.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really 3.5 stars!

Fun little story. While I enjoyed it, I found it flat at times but kept reading to find out how it ended.

I give most of my favs 4 and very few 5s, so I settled for 3.5 for this one.

[Mark Tompkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good little story. Entertaining, original, and a fun short read. I look forward to reading more of this author.

[John R. Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great little story-really entertained me. Good little read for Hugh Howey fans-you'll know it when you see it...

[Patt Lisenbee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ant Apocalypse

While the idea of man-eating ants is fairly fresh, the book is bothersome because of lines of symbols representing swear words distracts from the reading. The author should go back and replace them with real words or eliminate it entirely.
Taborri Walker,author of Earth Maid series.

[LeviSamJuno · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty quick and fun read, but I felt the book could have used a good copy editor. I was also a bit distracted by the constant reference (from page one) to the narrator's impending demise. I guess there was good reason for a few references, but it seemed a bit forced by the fourth or fifth occasion.

I did have a local interest in reading this story as the fictional "Frankland County, Kentucky" setting is actually not too different from the part of Kentucky across the river from me. I had to laugh with familiarity when the narrator described the mobile home they moved into, including the description of what we call "underpinning"; whether that is the actual word for it I can never tell because our rural area tends to use words for things that people from a few counties away would find confusing.

The meat of the story—gratuitous numbers of ants invading a newlywed couple's new home in a new town—is very familiar to me, and invading insects is one of my nightmares. Several places in the narrative gave me those goosebumps of ickiness. The climax fed into the current craze of the living dead (referenced in the book's synopsis above), of which I am not a huge fan; but it was used just enough to freak me out.

I can recommend this for a quick scare. I would certainly like to read some of Swardstrom's other books now that I have been introduced to his work.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ant Apocolypse was my first read of anything Will Swardstorm has written, and I am happy I picked it up. Ant Apocolypse is a quirky little story about a husband and wife who buy their first "home" in Kentucky, only to find it infested with Ants. No, Not a spoiler, as the title of the book kind of gives the reader a heads up!

Beyond the build-up of Rick and Jennifer's new adventure, I found the story quite believable. I could imagine everything Swardstrom was describing as if I was there in the double wide. An unfortunate ending, but I could not imagine any other way to solve the problem as Rick did. Such a brave soul, and a hero to boot.

I did find it interesting though, that none other than Hugh Howey made his way into the story as well. Man, that guy is everywhere!

I look forward to more writing from Will, and you should too. He's got game!

[Lyndon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This bit of horror is a slow burn - fun and well-written, but long on anticipation, so hang in there. It's written in that memoir-ish style that catapults you along toward a finish you know is coming, but dread all the same. Clean and creepy. Nicely done. Read it over lunch for a 99 cent treat. Bargain!

[John Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I'm lousy at math. THE POINT IS, this is one amusing… and creepy… story. Well crafted and draws you in, its hard to put down. Except when you get the heebie jeebies. Segmented insects….crawling where they don't belong…. yikes!

[Stefano · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good short story. I simply could not stop reading it. I will never look in the same way at those little insects that sometimes appear in my bathroom.

[Melanie Catchpole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in two sittings... after the first I drove home and felt a bit itchy!
Liked that this story was a bit different, and the ending wasn't as expected. Easy to read and enjoyable.

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun little read.