What do you think?
Rate this book
Alien Worlds: How Insects Conquered the Earth, and Why Their Fate Will Determine Our Future
A beautifully illustrated journey into the hidden realm of insects
Life on Earth depends on the busy activities of insects, but global populations of these teeming creatures are currently under threat, with grave consequences for us all. Alien Worlds presents insects and other arthropods as you have never seen them before, explaining how they conquered the planet and why there are so many of them, and shedding light on the evolutionary marvels that enabled them to thrive. Blending glorious imagery with entertaining and informative science writing, this book takes you inside the hidden realm of insects and reveals why their fate carries profound implications for our own.
Spectacular photos provide a rare, up-close look at the alien worlds of insectsSheds light on the origins and wondrous diversity of insectsDiscusses how insects first took to the air and colonised the far corners of our planetExplores the extraordinary sensory world of insectsExplains the remarkable success of social insects, from termites and ants to bees and wasps
Life on Earth depends on the busy activities of insects, but global populations of these teeming creatures are currently under threat, with grave consequences for us all. Alien Worlds presents insects and other arthropods as you have never seen them before, explaining how they conquered the planet and why there are so many of them, and shedding light on the evolutionary marvels that enabled them to thrive. Blending glorious imagery with entertaining and informative science writing, this book takes you inside the hidden realm of insects and reveals why their fate carries profound implications for our own.
Spectacular photos provide a rare, up-close look at the alien worlds of insectsSheds light on the origins and wondrous diversity of insectsDiscusses how insects first took to the air and colonised the far corners of our planetExplores the extraordinary sensory world of insectsExplains the remarkable success of social insects, from termites and ants to bees and wasps
496 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2023
31 people are currently reading
432 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 21, 2024
i’ve reached peak neurodivergence. i read most of this book while walking on the treadmill listening to 10 hour minecraft music with rain on loop
December 3, 2023
3.25/5
Lots of information, so much that I felt every time I finished a chapter, much of the previous chapter had been pushed out of my brain. Photo illustrations are amazing, but too often have nothing to do with the insects being discussed in text. The author would talk about how amazing looking something was, and then there would be twelve different pictures, none of which were the species in question. The subtitle also was a bit misleading, as it had really nothing to do with "why their fate will determine our future" and was largely just a collection of neat facts and anecdotes about a lot of different insects. Also, in a couple chapters it felt that the proofing had been rushed (errors in text, duplicated footnote, etc.). Not unhappy I read it, learned a lot, but pretty happy to be finished with it.
Lots of information, so much that I felt every time I finished a chapter, much of the previous chapter had been pushed out of my brain. Photo illustrations are amazing, but too often have nothing to do with the insects being discussed in text. The author would talk about how amazing looking something was, and then there would be twelve different pictures, none of which were the species in question. The subtitle also was a bit misleading, as it had really nothing to do with "why their fate will determine our future" and was largely just a collection of neat facts and anecdotes about a lot of different insects. Also, in a couple chapters it felt that the proofing had been rushed (errors in text, duplicated footnote, etc.). Not unhappy I read it, learned a lot, but pretty happy to be finished with it.
August 15, 2023
The world of insects is small in size but large in volume. I learnt so much reading this book and every bit of new information brought me joy. I now look at the world around me with new keen eyes, trying to spot any small creatures to investigate.
Read
January 12, 2026Steve Nicholls is an insect photographer. He may be a wildlife photographer in general, but he appears to specialize in insects. He has traveled the world carrying boxes of bugs back to his studio, or lying on his stomach in the dirt watching them do their thing. He did a documentary TV series called Alien Empire, which this book may or may not be a companion volume to.
The point of that is that Steve Nicholls writes about insects, but his specialty is taking their pictures, and the pictures in this book are absolutely incredible. As others have noted, the pictures don’t always line up with what is being discussed in the text (sometimes they do), but the pictures really get you up close and personal with creatures that are beautiful and strange.
We learn that there are many, many insects, both in sheer numbers, and in varieties. They inhabit every ecological niche from lava fields to glaciers, almost everywhere except under the sea, although there are a few who live on top of the water.
Insects perform amazing feats of jumping and flying. We have learned that monarch butterflies migrate halfway around the world, from North America to Mexico, but there are other insects that also migrate. There are insects that have special partnerships with plants, both for pollination, and for protection, and for providing homes.
Insect sex provides the challenge of finding each other in a big, big world, which the insects manage with special calls, pheromone scents, shining lights, and gathering in swarms. Some insects give birth to live young. Some lay eggs. Some abandon their young to their fate, and others care for their children, sometimes by sealing them up in a burrow with a live animal to eat.
The climax of the book, which the author builds up to with growing excitement, is the development of social insects: ants, bees, wasps, and termites. Some of the ants and termites build nests that are unbelievably huge. The whole colony acts as one, as a kind of superorganism. (He doesn’t say Borg, but of course I thought Borg.)
He hopes you will feel differently about insects, regarding them with wonder, not just as bugs or pests. And of course, the fact that insect numbers are declining is a cause for concern for whole ecosystems, ourselves included.
The point of that is that Steve Nicholls writes about insects, but his specialty is taking their pictures, and the pictures in this book are absolutely incredible. As others have noted, the pictures don’t always line up with what is being discussed in the text (sometimes they do), but the pictures really get you up close and personal with creatures that are beautiful and strange.
We learn that there are many, many insects, both in sheer numbers, and in varieties. They inhabit every ecological niche from lava fields to glaciers, almost everywhere except under the sea, although there are a few who live on top of the water.
Insects perform amazing feats of jumping and flying. We have learned that monarch butterflies migrate halfway around the world, from North America to Mexico, but there are other insects that also migrate. There are insects that have special partnerships with plants, both for pollination, and for protection, and for providing homes.
Insect sex provides the challenge of finding each other in a big, big world, which the insects manage with special calls, pheromone scents, shining lights, and gathering in swarms. Some insects give birth to live young. Some lay eggs. Some abandon their young to their fate, and others care for their children, sometimes by sealing them up in a burrow with a live animal to eat.
The climax of the book, which the author builds up to with growing excitement, is the development of social insects: ants, bees, wasps, and termites. Some of the ants and termites build nests that are unbelievably huge. The whole colony acts as one, as a kind of superorganism. (He doesn’t say Borg, but of course I thought Borg.)
He hopes you will feel differently about insects, regarding them with wonder, not just as bugs or pests. And of course, the fact that insect numbers are declining is a cause for concern for whole ecosystems, ourselves included.
November 12, 2024
finally finished! i really loved this book i feel like you learn a lot about insects in a pretty accessible way… bugs are so cool. i read most of this book like in may and june before i had to return it to the library but i liked this book so much that i picked it up Again to finish which should tell you something lol. i wish there was a little more about insect conservation etc etc but overall loved everything (i mean it was all bug facts what’s not to like). my only complaint was that the pictures were mostly unrelated to the text (a cool bug would be described but the pictures would not be of that cool bug just like some other bug we weren’t reading about :( ) but you can’t take a picture of every bug i guess. sad. anyways great book 10/10 though perhaps a bit of a commitment for someone who doesn’t know if they like bugs yet lol
March 6, 2024
An fascinating look at some of the most incredible, unusual, and in some cases downright bizarre, insects worldwide. Very enjoyable reading, as Steve Nicholls' deep affection for these often-overlooked creatures shines through .
May 16, 2024
Between a 6 and an 8, very interesting. Explains further the complexities and importance of insects in every area of the earth. I especially liked the research into their social behaviors, evolution, and super organism status.
June 16, 2024
If you have even a mild interest in insects, this book is a fantastic choice! There's admiration for insects and their world in every page, and it was able to stir in me a fascination even with those I far less appreciated.
July 11, 2025
This book is an excellent look at the insect universe. The author discusses family after family of insect and their behaviors and characteristics that make them unique. It is an excellent education for people interested in learning about these animals.
September 20, 2023
Wonderful books with fascinating information and absolutely amazing photos
Read
November 23, 2023I am not sure why, but I could not get into this one. Not bad, just not for me.
February 15, 2024
Wonderful, enthusiastic, passionate book that makes its detailed treatment seem lightweight and breezy.
June 29, 2024
Interesting.
April 15, 2025
Beautifully written with incredible photographs by the author. Read for a book club that had a zoom with the author - what a bonus!
February 7, 2026
Amazing book about insects, full of interesting information. Highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews