The Monstrous Roles of Pests in Science Fiction

In the world of fiction, it is completely common to take an animal, idea, or setting from reality and alter it to become a fictional plot device. Case in point: pests. Insects and arachnids have been featured in stories of all genres for centuries. Some are more realistic and simply depict these creatures as we know them; since this is not very exciting, the pest is not usually the focal point of the story in this case. But the most fascinating uses of insects and arachnids in stories are when the creators take the typical qualities and abilities of these critters and kick them up about a thousand notches. The science fiction genre is known to do this most often, and it has produced some noteworthy trends in its stories over the past decade. Let’s take a closer look at four of these tropes and how they compare to the real (and already creepy) pests.

Pests From Space!

Examples: parasitoids in Alien and Aliens (1979 & 1986); huge cockroach in Men in Black (1997); knobby white ice spiders in The Mandalorian S2 E10 (2020)

In a science fiction story, the artists can create aliens that look like anything. Insects and spiders are already creepy-looking, so it’s not a stretch to make an intimidating alien with the same physical qualities. Design choices such as the ones listed above are intentional in order to connect with the audience. There is a familiarity because of the insect-like or spider-like appearance, but the other-world environments make it a new creation. Aliens are already a traditional enemy to have in these science fiction worlds, so making them look like huge bugs or spiders makes them even more impersonal as enemies. Another reason why pests make for great antagonistic aliens is because humans can’t relate to them like we can with mammals, like dogs and cats. Insects and arachnids have distinct anatomies, life cycles, and societal structures. This makes it easier to craft a narrative where they are aliens from a different planet.

As for the specific appearance and personality of each insect/spider alien, it differs from story to story. Some are sentient beings that can speak and think for themselves, and often use these abilities to explain why they despise the human race. Others are silent and are basically just giant versions of their real selves. To make them look more extra-terrestrial, the artists will often exaggerate or multiply the existing qualities of the insect or spider. Take the knobby white ice spiders from The Mandalorian for example. They just look like giant white spiders at first, but a closer look reveals alien characteristics that make them an imposing threat to Mando. It has two sets of teeth (outer and inner), and shoots impenetrable webbing from its mouth on the bottom of its abdomen. Aliens in science fiction don’t adhere to our rules and systems by definition, so a massive insect or arachnid with alien features definitely would not either.

Hive Mind

Examples: bug army in Starship Troopers (1997); Geonosian brain worms in Star Wars: The Clone Wars S2 E7 & E8 (2009)

This plot point could be taken in a couple different directions, depending on the sub-genre accompanying science fiction. The hive mind is when every being in a group or colony works for the same goals using the same knowledge under a main intelligence that leads them all. Some stories exaggerate the actual hive mind concept of eusocial insects, like ants and wasps, to heighten the stakes in the story. Others make it scarier by utilizing the hive mind as a form of mind control, where anyone in the area is hypnotized or infected into doing the villain’s evil bidding. This is when the narrative becomes tinged with psychological horror, as loss of autonomy is synonymous with loss of self and living to work for something like a collective intelligence. The insect in charge can either make verbal commands to their new army, or use their hive mind to make their subjects automatically defend the group without prompting. If the story is set in the future, it can be even more dystopian with the concept of humans losing their individuality.

The hive mind in science fiction is an exaggerated version of how eusocial insects actually work. Social insects of the same species will generally have the same motivations: gather enough food for the group and protect the nest. But this doesn’t mean that they are receiving specific commands from a leader every day. It is true that stinging insects, ants, and termites all come from one queen, but she does not give them orders that they live to carry out. This is another idea that is often featured in science fiction hive minds, where the sole leader gives commands to all of their loyal subjects. The whole is prioritized over the individuals that comprise the group every time. The main concept that is actually true-to-life is how intently the individuals will defend the hive or home base. Real eusocial insects will attack any creature that disturbs their nest, and will even release pheromones that alert the rest of the colony to enter “defense mode” and fight for their home.

Character vs. Nature

Examples: Creepy Crawlers (2000); The Hive (2008)

You may recall learning about a few character vs. character conflicts in your high school English classes: character vs. self, character vs. society, character vs. other character, and so on. One of the classic conflicts in this group is character vs. nature. The specific “nature” part of this conflict changes with each story; in this case, the “nature” that the characters fight are insects. Insects can represent larger themes in nature, like danger and fear of the unknown. But in reference to the actual insects themselves, they constantly have the advantage over humans in science fiction. Whether they arrive in unfathomable swarms or are the size of a jet airliner, insects can be even more menacing when creative liberties are taken. The threat of terrifying insects is often brought about because of two reasons: they are disturbed or awakened, or they have an unexplained vendetta against humanity.

While it is true that real insects can post valid threats against humans, like bee-sting allergies and food contamination, they are not nearly as devastatingly unified in real life as in science fiction. For one, actual swarms can survive without their queen, whereas fictional insect swarms often die with their leader. Ants and stinging insects will typically just choose a new queen from the young ones that are capable of reproducing and would eventually be queen anyway. Another difference is in how the insects behave before an attack. Actual insects are not nearly as stealthy as fictional bugs, which can almost comically sneak up on the characters. The insects in real life often make sounds when they are scurrying into “attack mode,” like buzzing or squeaking. The fact of the matter is that science fiction insects are much more threatening because the natural fear of bugs is capitalized on for the sake of a thrilling story. Arachnids and insects are scary enough to most people, so making them the main antagonist in a fictional world does not help to improve their image at all. 

Science Gone Wrong

Examples: Them (1954); The Fly (1986); Skeeter (1994)

This use of insects puts the “science” in science fiction. This category is all about the accidental altering of insects, which can be done in many different ways depending on the story and sub-genres. The general results of these scientific experiments or disasters are the creation of insectoids, an insect-transmitted infection, or simply monstrous insects. Insectoids are human-insect hybrids, and the insect’s qualities often overtake the human’s qualities (à la The Fly). This can cross over into the “nature horror” genre, particularly with the depiction of insect and human DNA entangling in some strange science experiment. It introduces some deeper psychological themes and ethical dilemmas for the characters, especially when the insectoid brings harm to other characters. This whole idea of interfering with nature and creating something new out of an existing creature can boil down to one simple question within the writer’s room: “What if?”

Thankfully, just about all of the experiments and accidents that lead to insect-based monsters would not be possible in real life. The common causes of these fictional creatures are radiation, machinery, or toxic goo. In reality, any of these would be more likely to kill the insects than to transform them. Another creative way that insectoids are created is through a direct sting from an already transformed being, like the scorpion-alien Barillian Bugs in Power Rangers in Space.  This connects back to the hive mind concept, as the villain can create their army through transforming preexisting humans or insects. If a human is stung by a bee, wasp, or even scorpion in real life, the only extreme effects would be pain and swelling for the next few days. There have been some interesting science experiments done with pests before, but none of them have led to a crime against nature that needs to be stopped by the seemingly only moral characters in the story. It’s fun to see all of the different depictions of insects in science fiction, but when it comes to everyday life, we would rather take our familiar, frustrating pests any day of the week.

Green Pest Services Solves the Return of the Pests

All of these science fiction creatures have exaggerated qualities that add an entertainment value to their stories, but real pests are no walk in the park either. It just takes one social insect, like an ant or cockroach, to find a house or building interesting enough to deploy pheromones that will lead the rest of their group to that same spot. In addition to the general creep factor of having pests around, this sector of critters chew holes in multiple materials and contaminate any food and drinks they touch. Our team of experienced technicians is thorough in inspecting each property at the beginning of each service in order to create a customized treatment plan that will solve every pest problem as efficiently as possible. Our eco-friendly products will clear your home of pests without dangerous chemicals lingering around. Contact us for a free quote on our efficient pest control services that will eliminate pest problems before they can morph into issues that seem more fitting for the latest science fiction novel than for everyday life.

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Citations

Barillian bug. (n.d.). RangerWiki. Retrieved March 17, 2023, from https://powerrangers.fandom.com/wiki/Barillian_Bug 

Bauer, E. (2013). Insectography: Insects in the world of fiction. University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Department of Entomology. Available at https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1024&context=entomologydiss (Accessed on March 17, 2023).

Cloyd, R. (2015, January). [Hollywood Hits] Secrets of the “big bugs.” Pest Control Technology. Available at https://www.pctonline.com/article/pct0115-insects-science-fiction-movies/ (Accessed on March 17, 2023).

How insects inspire the look of sci-fi and fantasy films. (2018, November 14). Entomology Today. Retrieved March 17, 2023, from https://entomologytoday.org/2018/11/14/how-insects-inspire-the-look-of-sci-fi-and-fantasy-films/ 

Knobby white ice spider. (n.d.). Wookieepedia. Retrieved March 17, 2023, from https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Knobby_white_ice_spider 

Sokol, J. (2019, May 14). Striking down the queen won’t save you from the swarm. The New York Times. Available at https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/14/science/hives-queens-science-fiction.html (Accessed on March 17, 2023).

Thornton, J. (2022, April 25). Imagining and understanding the alien: Insects in science fiction. Tor.com. Available at https://www.tor.com/2022/04/25/imagining-and-understanding-the-alien-insects-in-science-fiction/ (Accessed on March 17, 2023).