GiANTS

'''"giANTS"''' is a 1979 [[science fiction]] short story by [[Edward Bryant]]. It was first published in ''[[Analog Science Fiction]]''.<ref name=ISFDB>[http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?49888 giANTS] at the [[Internet Speculative Fiction Database]] </ref>

==Synopsis==

An elderly scientist explains why he hates [[ant]]s, and why he is participating in a secret government project to increase the size of invasive ants. He explains that the "square-cube law" dictates that an ever-increasingly size-mutated ant will at some point collapse under its own mass.

==Reception== "giANTS" won the [[Nebula Award for Best Short Story]] of 1979,<ref name=Nebula>[https://nebulas.sfwa.org/award-year/1979/ 1979 Nebula Awards], at [[Science Fiction Writers of America]]; retrieved May 31, 2017</ref> and was nominated for the 1980 [[Hugo Award for Best Short Story]].<ref name=Hugo>[http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1980-hugo-awards/ 1980 Hugo Awards], at TheHugoAwards.org; retrieved May 31, 2017</ref> [[Gary Westfahl]] has noted that the story is based on the fact that giant insects "would be unable to walk or sustain themselves".<ref name=Westfahl>[https://books.google.com/books?id=SQMQQyIaACYC&dq=giants+%22edward+bryant%22&pg=PA245 The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy: Themes, Works, and Wonders, Volume 1], edited by [[Gary Westfahl]]; page 245; published 2005 by [[Greenwood Publishing Group]]</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

[[Category:Nebula Award for Best Short Story–winning works]] [[Category:1979 short stories]] [[Category:Works about ants]] {{1970s-sf-story-stub}}