
A small research team sets up camp on a lush, isolated atoll, hoping for a peaceful field season of marine and insect study. The island’s tranquility is broken when a mysterious, disk‑shaped object splashes ashore, spilling a cloud of uncanny green flies that quickly begin to dominate the local ecosystem. As the scientists scramble to catalog the strange phenomenon, tension rises around the eccentric “ichthyologist” turned reluctant entomologist, whose obsession with the insects may hold the key to what’s happening.
The letters exchanged between the camp’s leader and a colleague back home reveal both the humor and the growing dread of an expedition gone off‑track. With a portable lab, screened tents, and a nervous crew watching the sea for further anomalies, the story balances scientific curiosity with the unsettling sense that something small can unleash forces far beyond anyone’s control. Listeners are drawn into a vivid, almost journal‑like narrative that teeters between exotic adventure and creeping unknown.
Language
en
Duration
~23 minutes (22K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2010-05-30
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1915–1979
A lively pulp-era science fiction writer, he built his reputation on clever short stories packed with odd inventions, sharp twists, and a playful sense of what the future might bring. His work appeared in magazines like Unknown, Astounding, and Galaxy, and it still feels brisk and inventive today.
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by Winston K. (Winston Kinney) Marks

by Winston K. (Winston Kinney) Marks

by Winston K. (Winston Kinney) Marks

by Winston K. (Winston Kinney) Marks

by Winston K. (Winston Kinney) Marks

by Winston K. (Winston Kinney) Marks

by Winston K. (Winston Kinney) Marks

by Winston K. (Winston Kinney) Marks