1947: Consider Her Ways by Frederick Phillip Grove

This book follows a colony of exploratory ants as they make their way through the world, observing and cataloguing its many other species and fighting rival colonies (the most notable fight being dubbed ‘The Thrilla On The Hill-A’). Viewing the world with compound eyes, Grove poses some interesting philosophical questions (when ants are up high, what do the people below look like?) but the funniest part of the story is the constant scorn and pity ants feel for humans. Apparently, we’re unorganized, inefficient and our mandibles are laughably small. On the other hand, we don’t scream and yell ‘RAAAAAAID!’ in a comically exaggerated fashion whenever we see a can of bug spray.

On a scale of ant segments ranging from the alitrunk to the gaster, this book is: the petiole.

Consider them considered.