Sandkings is a collection of science fiction

Science fiction

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

 short stories

Short Stories

Short Stories may refer to:*A plural for Short story*Short Stories , an American pulp magazine published from 1890-1959*Short Stories, a 1954 collection by O. E...

 by George R. R. Martin

George R. R. Martin

George Raymond Richard Martin , sometimes referred to as GRRM, is an American author and screenwriter of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He is best known for A Song of Ice and Fire, his bestselling series of epic fantasy novels that HBO adapted for their dramatic pay-cable series Game of...

, published in 1981. The multiple-award-winning title story

Sandkings (novelette)

Sandkings is a novelette by George R. R. Martin, published in the August 1979 issue of Omni. It won both the Hugo and Nebula awards, the only one of Martin's stories to have done so.-Plot summary:...

 concerns a race of insectoid, militaristic alien 'pets' who worship their master until he badly mistreats them. It was adapted into "The Sandkings," an episode of the new The Outer Limits

The Outer Limits (1995 TV series)

The Outer Limits is an American television series that originally aired on Showtime,the Sci Fi Channel and in syndication between 1995 and 2002...

, as well as a 1987 graphic novel, published by DC Comics

DC Comics

DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...

 as the seventh and last book of the DC Science Fiction Graphic Novel line, adapted by Doug Moench

Doug Moench

Douglas Moench , better known as Doug Moench, is an American comic book writer notable for his Batman work and as the creator of Black Mask, Moon Knight and Deathlok.-Biography:...

, Pat Broderick

Pat Broderick

Pat Broderick is an American comic book artist known for his work on the Micronauts. Broderick also pencilled the four-part Batman: Year Three storyline, written by Marv Wolfman, which detailed the first meeting of Batman and Tim Drake.-Early career :Fresh from high school in Tampa, Florida,...

, and Neal McPheeters.

In the original story, a millionaire named Simon Kress buys four colonies of sandkings—highly intelligent antlike creatures—as an addition to his collection of exotic pets. Problems occur when he forces the sandkings to make war on one another for his amusement, only to find they are a more sophisticated species than he had realised.

Contents

• The Way of Cross and Dragon
  The Way of Cross and Dragon
  "The Way of Cross and Dragon" is a science fiction short story by George R. R. Martin. It involves a far-future priest of the One True Interstellar Catholic Church of Earth and the Thousand Worlds investigating a sect that reveres Judas Iscariot...
  
   (Hugo Award
  Hugo Award
  The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
  
   and Locus Award
  Locus Award
  The Locus Award is a literary award established in 1971 and presented to winners of Locus magazine's annual readers' poll. Currently, the Locus Awards are presented at an annual banquet...
  
  , 1980)
• Bitterblooms
• In the House of the Worm
• Fast-Friend
• The Stone City
• Starlady
• Sandkings
  Sandkings (novelette)
  Sandkings is a novelette by George R. R. Martin, published in the August 1979 issue of Omni. It won both the Hugo and Nebula awards, the only one of Martin's stories to have done so.-Plot summary:...