
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
May 30, 2010
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1915–1979
A Golden Age science-fiction storyteller with a talent for sharp plots, dry humor, and unsettling ideas, Winston K. Marks wrote memorable tales about aliens, technology, identity, and human nature. His work appeared in leading genre magazines and continues to attract readers of classic speculative fiction.
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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