Phase IV

by Barry N. Malzberg

Triumphant from a fifteen thousand year battle in space, a bolt of energy reached the third planet of a Class B star. A new life force spawned seven grey towers in the Arizona desert.

Now, from out of their dark mysteries marches a new breed of killer ants to herald the dawn of Phase IV.

In their path wait two men, a frightened girl and the resources of modern science. Mankind's first line of defence - and its last...

Genres: Science Fiction, Horror, Animals, Novels

127 pages, Paperback

First published October 12, 1973

About the author

Barry Nathaniel Malzberg was an American writer and editor, most often of science fiction and fantasy.

He had also published as:
Mike Barry (thriller/suspense)
K.M. O'Donnell (science fiction/fantasy)
Mel Johnson (adult)
Howard Lee (martial arts/TV tie-ins)
Lee W. Mason (adult)
Claudine Dumas (adult)
Francine di Natale (adult)
Gerrold Watkins (adult)
Eliot B. Reston

Reviews

[TK421 · Rating 4 out of 5]

O how I love me some B-movie schlock; it just gets me all warm and fuzzy inside. PHASE IV is a perfect example. Written as a novelization, PHASE IV is the story of how some cosmic entity, bent on destroying humanity, comes to earth to rectify that humans evolved and other creatures did not. Of all the creatures that this cosmic monster could have chosen: lions, tigers, bears (oh, my), komodo dragons, giant-mutant-crabs, birds (wink, wink), it chose: ants. Let me say that again. This super monster, in all of its infinite wisdom, chose as its avatar ants. But these ants aren't some radioactive variety that has grown in to giant flesh-eating creatures. No, these ants have learned to communicate through an elaborate system that relies on electrical impulses sent from the queen.

Let's explore, shall we?

It all starts in the desert. For some reason, landowners and land-speculators are being driven from the land because these ants are causing havoc. What type of havoc? Good question. It is never really discussed. All that is really known is that some housing complex is put on hold while a team of scientists come and investigate exactly why these ants are acting the way they are. Enter Lesko and Hubbs, the scientists. For the most part, Lesko and Hubbs fit the molds of the youngster trying to make a name for himself (Lesko), and the guywhosbeenaroundtheblockafewtimesandthinksheknowseverything )Hubbs). When they notice that one family still refuses to leave after the government has told every one to leave, they try to talk some sense to the people. To no avail, may I add.

So. Hubbs, in all of his scientific wisdom, decides to blow up the ants homes (large earthen towers) with a few grenades. Yeah, I said grenades. Needless to say, this pisses off the ants. Understandable. From here the ants set off on a murderous rampage. They kill the family, save one: Kendra. But don't worry. Hubbs planned for this. In retaliation, he gases the bugs with PX-2, a toxic yellow substance that coats everything it touches, including the air.

As far as the eye can see the ground is littered with piles of dead ants. But the ants are smart. They have the cosmic power. The queen sends out a signal...the ants become immune to this toxin. Hubbs and Lesko and Kendra, now trapped in their makeshift laboratory, are screwed. Hubbs continues to try to destory the ants through various communication signals. The ants retaliate. Hubbs begins to go crazy. Lesko and Kendra begin to have eyes for each other. (Good stuff, huh!?) Finally, Hubbs can take no more of this being trapped and sets off to kill the queen. He is overrun and eaten. Kendra, who decides friendship and civility might be a better approach, too tries to get an audience with the queen; she is overrun as well and the "colony fed" on her. Lesko, who knows that his time is drawing to an end, decides to make one last valiant effort at destroying the queen so that humanity may be saved. When he reaches the tower, the ground opens up and swallows him. As he falls like Alice down a rabbit-hole, he encounters Hubbs and Kendra. They are alive. Well, maybe they aren't exactly alive as they are say animated. Lesko kisses Kendra. Game over. The queen ant now has three humans she can use as a pawns to get what she wants from humanity. (Dontcha just love all this cheese!!?)

Okay, I'm not really sure what the ending was all about. Perhaps Hubbs and Kendra were filled with ants working harmoniously to create ambulation...whatever the scenario I know that when each of them was eaten there was a lot of blood and flesh-tearing. Go figure.

So, in good B-movie fashion, the story has a warning: Humans need to stop being so dang ignorant of what we are doing to the environment or else a cosmic force will come and make us all slaves to a powerful queen ant that wants to use us as puppets. Or, something like that.

RECOMMENDED (pure, uncut cotton candy for the brain)

See the movie if you have a chance; it stars some really great B-movie personalities in Micheal Murphy and Nigel Davenport and Lynne Frederick.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a somewhat obscure novelization by Malzberg of a somewhat obscure film that was written by Mayo Simon, who also wrote the scripts for Marooned, Futureworld, and The Man From Atlantis. The film was one of the popular victims of MST3K, I've read, and may be the inspiration for crop circles. Malzberg does a good job of translating the story to prose, though he may have gone a bit overboard in expanding it by describing the salacious thoughts the male characters have about the character played by Lynne Frederick. The story is about the speedy and possibly malevolent development of colonies of ants after a mysterious cosmic event... I hoped to clarify the ending by reading the book, but that didn't happen. It's a rather thoughtful read, but all in all I still preferred Them.

[Aric Cushing]

One of those stories that could only come out of the 70's. Subtle, and strange, alien ants mass to start controlling the human race. Everything here is practical effects (not CGI), and the implications are fantastically bizarre. Worth a watch and a read.

[Beauregard Shagnasty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird and cerebral sci fi about alien intelligence coming to earth and melding with ants in order to take over the world.

[Snood · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hadn’t actually heard of the movie this was based on when I found it at my local Half Price Books, but I couldn’t pass up killer super-ants for $1!

I imagine there wasn’t a lot for Malzberg to work with since books are typically longer than films. He does try to expand the characters by giving their thoughts and theories, as well as journal entries by Lesko. Unfortunately, they don’t really come to anything since the outcome was already written. We just get a lot of Lesko pondering the ants’ motives, thinking Hubbs is going crazy, lusting over Kendra, and occasionally determining he too is insane.

Despite the padding, it is still a lot of fun if you like 70s b-movies. The novelization is even based on an earlier draft of the script so you get an alternate ending that I won’t spoil here. Just know it’s not another “throw bomb, monster explodes” finale like most monster movies if the time.

[Hugo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite being a movie adaptation, this reads much like Malzberg, and his style suits the film; failing largely to overly expand on the screenplay - at some points, writing as if it was beneath him - but enjoyable '70s sci-fi, and wholly committing to the trippy ending.

[Beauregard Shagnasty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always held a fascination for this book & the film on which it is based. The idea of an alien intelligence melding with ants is compelling.

[Hex75 · Rating 4 out of 5]

la trama di questo "fase IV" in fondo è assai semplice: un'intelligenza aliena decide di influenzare la mente dalla prima specie utile che gli capita sotto mano allo scopo di conquistare la terra, e la specie in questione sono le formiche.
seguono problemi, grossi problemi: perchè le formiche si rivelano un'ottima scelta per gli alieni (e, a monmte, per l'autore) vista la loro natura di animali cooperare perfettamente per uno scopo e alla loro capacità di intrufolarsi ovunque.
l'atmosfera del romanzo, come si può capire, è assai catastrofica e lo scontro tra la nostra civiltà (rappresentata da due facce della medaglia: i contadini che decidono di restare nella loro terra sperando che le antiche tecniche -in pratica: brucia tutto col fuoco- e gli scienzati con i loro computer e i loro insetticidi chimici) e i fastidiosi insetti è reso in maniera interessante.
a rendere il tutto più interessante c'è un modo di narrare quasi ballardiano, tra studiosi votati alla vita da eremita e al sacrificio e monologhi interiori pieni di dubbi.
non male, davvero non male, e a questo punto proverò a cercare il film che ha ispirato il libro.

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the first Scifi books I read as a child...5th grade, I think. Have read it twice now. A vintage movie from the 70's to follow after reading. This is a hardcore science fiction story. Ants versus scientists. Of course, Mankind doesn't have a chance...or does he??? Lots of fun this one.

[Sylvester · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aliens invading earth by using ants as vessels, a group of scientist must work out how to kill the ants to prevent the invasion. It's an OK read but I hated the format and the fragmented writing. Only read it because of the movie adaptation.

[Beauregard Shagnasty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird and cerebral sci fi about alien intelligence coming to earth and melding with ants in order to take over the world.

[Matthew House · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite being a quick read and occasionally quite well written, the story has moments where it feels sluggish and lacks the visceral impact one might expect from a killer ant story. That’s not to say it’s without merit — there are some genuinely unsettling moments, and I appreciated the flashes of surrealism that drift through the pages, giving the book a slightly more layered, dreamlike quality than your typical animal-attack tale.

Rating: 3.5/5

[Stephen Rowland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can't believe I read a fucking novelization. Of a movie I've never seen, furthermore. But it's Malzberg. Not his best writing, but identifiable, and it's a valiant effort but I think his interest ran out about halfway through. This world is a terrible place when a brilliant writer like Malzberg must do a novelization in order to eat.

[Bob Box · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read in 1973. Something about ants. Was also a movie.

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really exciting at all. Story is S L O W.
And the ending, well, to be honest I didn't understand.

[Glen Thickett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another from the archives, the first Malzberg I got.
Written from a script, it's still good.

[Chuck McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable adaptation of the classic 70s sci-fi film, which breathes additional life into the characters and plot. Worth tracking down if you enjoy good movie novelisations.

[Jay Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah! Good! I think I prefer the film, but mostly because I think the nature of this story lends itself better to the art of the screen more than the word. Enjoyable though, with some big tellers of 70s written SF (Lesko and his MAN THOUGHTS) that the film didn't touch on at all. Think the ending of this book is interesting, I did enjoy the ambiguity of the film finish though.

[Noel Thingvall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pros: Some nice writing at times. Good core concept. A few great scenes.

Cons: Some really flat and clunky writing at times. Really shows how weak the script was that Maltzberg was working off of. Stupid twists. Bizarre characterizations as trained scientists act like morons right out of the gate. Poor science. Very misogynistic treatment of the female character, with all the men having constant thoughts of ravishing her as she longs to be ravished. Seems interested in exploring things from the ants' POV at first, then keeps forgetting to check in on them.

Overall, really shows just how much the visual style brings to the film, and that getting into a character's head isn't always a good thing.

[Charles Deane · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good read, but nothing too influential. My favourite thing was realizing why Bethesda named the character in Fallout 3 who deals with the ants, Lesko. Haha! Decifering easter eggs is very good!

[Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

Intelligent ants. I don't know. It wasn't horribly written or anything but just not that compelling. I thought the movie was worse, though.

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderful story of how aliens infiltrated the earth by contacting the ants and making them a leetle bit smarter. Calculated to take humans down a peg. Basis of the even more wonderful movie!

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to tell. One of the first science fiction book I ever read. But, I loved it then!