Ascension: A Novella

by Mark Wheaton

Following a volcanic eruption on the South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha, a colony of vicious driver ants is transported to one of the most isolated locations in the world, tiny Ascension Island, home to a U.S. military listening post. As the ants devour everything in sight, a young South African cleaning lady, an American intelligence officer, and a young French-Muslim bank robber are thrown together to not only try and escape the hungry horde but also find a way off the island before it, too, is destroyed.

Mark Wheaton is a horror screenwriter (FRIDAY THE 13TH, THE MESSENGERS), graphic novelist (THE CLEANERS) and author of several bestselling straight-to-Kindle horror stories including SUNDAY BILLY SUNDAY, SPIDER, NIGHT OF THE SCORPIONS and the BONES series about a Police-trained cadaver dog who repeatedly runs afoul of Apocalyptic events. Print edition of these stories are available as FOUR NAILS IN THE COFFIN, UNNATURAL SELECTION, and BONES: THE COMPLETE APOCALYPSE SAGA.

Praise for FOUR NAILS IN THE COFFIN:

"Remarkably character-driven...Wheaton rather convincingly showcases his talents as a writer of horror prose, taking his time to craft characters who are thoroughly fleshed out and engaging without holding off too long on the suspense...proves here to be a quite gifted storyteller undeniably worthy of an interested reader's time and attention." - Michael Compton, FANGORIA

“These stories are all incredible. Easily worth your buck, especially SUNDAY BILLY SUNDAY, which is possibly the best slasher homage I’ve read.” – Alex Riviello, CHUD

"Genuinely twisted and engrossing...may just leave you shaken for days." - Jessa Sobczuk, RUE MORGUE [referring to SUNDAY BILLY SUNDAY]

“The writing is fabulous…I, quite literally, could not put it down. I had to know what happened and what was going on.” – Candace Beauchamp, CANDY’S RAVES [referring to LAST TUESDAY]

"This is muscular, original fiction that marks the debut of an exciting new voice in the speculative/dark fantasy genre." - Michael Rowe, editor of the QUEER FEAR anthology series and co-author of TRIPTYCH OF TERROR

"His tales are visceral, intellectual, and often grisly, but Wheaton never forgets that touch of humanity and wry humor which allow true horror to cut that much deeper to the bone." - Ken Plume, author, THERE'S A ZOMBIE IN MY TREEHOUSE

"Wheaton's writing is haunting. Days, weeks, even months later, you will find your mind returning to his worlds. Stephen King is no longer my only addiction." - Todd Farmer, screenwriter, DRIVE ANGRY

Genres: Horror

98 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 7, 2012

Reviews

[Char · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent novella. But if you have a problem with ants, this may not be the one for you. Also, it's not a good idea to read this one during your lunch hour.
It was a fast and fun read, but there wasn't a lot of "meat" to the story. The ants ate it all.
If that's what you're in the mood for, then this one is for you.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wheaton is a good writer, but this story is just rather weak. No character development. No over the top humor to make it campy and fun. We don't know why the ants act the way they do, how they are able to do such horrific damage in an instant, how they became so intelligent to be able to plan attacks and even attack the victims at their most vulnerable body parts, how they came to mutate in such a fashion or even WHY the heck they got so vicious in the first place. Really, the story is just one killing after another (some cringe inducing) as the protagonists just try to escape. Not much of a story here. Come to think of it---it IS like a Friday the 13th script....

[Todd Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ants, everywhere, ants! Take a volcanic island, a bunch of military types and ants galore feasting, and that's what this novella entails. It's not something you will want to take along to read on a picnic, unless you don't mind graphic depictions of ants eating human flesh, but if you have an ant phobia, it might bother you a bit. I loved the imagery and descriptions but didn't care at all for the thin characterization. Who can we root for in this story besides the volcano and the ants? This feels a bit too much like a screenplay for a campy horror film (minus the scantily clad females). 2.5 stars, rounded up because, well, I liked the carnage parts. Not recommended.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A true horror story, short quick read. Reminds me of the movies late fifies about extreme creatures. These are ANTS! They have taken over an island. Wheaten is the screenwritten for Friday 13th. This a straight to Kindle novella he has written. There are numerous others.

[Luana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent little killer ant short, with adequate characterization and a quick pace. The ending seems a bit neat, but otherwise a solid entry in the animal attack subgenre of horror fiction.