Bernard Werber (born in 1961 in Toulouse) entered the world of literature at the age of sixteen. He wrote short stories, screenplays, and plays. After completing his studies in criminology and journalism, he worked as an editor in scientific journalism. In 1991, he published his first novel, Les Ants, which enjoyed unprecedented success, even though he was not yet thirty. In his works, Bernard Werber proposes a new genre of literary writing that he calls “philosophical fiction,” a blend of science fiction, philosophy, and spiritual beliefs. He seeks to understand the place of humanity in this universe through multiple and strange perspectives outside of it: animals, trees, ancient gods, and even potential extraterrestrial inhabitants. Bernard Werber’s works are warmly received not only in France but around the world. However, the Ant Trilogy - of which this novel is the first book, as it was followed by The Day of the Ants in 1992 and The Ant Revolution in 1996 - remains the jewel in his creative crown, and the feature that gave his experience its unique flavor and inspired other writers.