Anthill

"Anthill" is a Pulitzer Prize winning first novel by the scientist / naturalist, E.O. Wilson. Mr. Wilson wrote the influential "Sociobiology" back in 1975. In recent years, mathematical models have called into question some of the tenets of his theory. Wilson has embraced these revelations as progress in science. Imagine that, a scientist more interested in the truth than in protecting his legacy. Pretty heroic if you ask me.

So I have known him as a science writer and thinker for more than 30 years. The question is, can he write fiction well. The answer is: sort of. The story revolves around a young boy growing up in rural Alabama with a preternatural interest in the insects of the local woodlands. The story throws in a lot about the conflict between conservation and development. There is an interesting thread about a certain strain in Christian extremism that is against conservation on biblical grounds. I did enjoy the exploration of Southern mores and traditions. Wilson, like his protagonist, was reared in the rural South and attends university at an elite Eastern institution. So he knows what he writes about. He captures the cadence and the worldview of these characters perfectly. My major complaint has to do with his plotting. Without giving too much away, this story has "first novel" written all over it.

The best part of "Anthill" (and the reason I totally recommend this book) is the middle section where he describes, in page-turning detail, the daily lives of ants that live in various anthills throughout the local woods. He ascribes to the ants almost human characteristics when describing their activities, reactions and motivations. This section of the book is not to be missed.

On an unrelated note, in my slow but sure quest to read all of Arthur C. Clarke's stories, I read "The City and the Stars". The writing was not great, but the ideas were mind-blowing. Clarke's imagination was a gift to all of us.