I am seeking a science fiction story I am guessing to be from the 1960s-1970s based on when I read it and the book cover seemed relatively new/undamaged at the time. I don't think it was specifically juvenile, but looking back the writing was relatively simplistic. Nothing really fancy, more pulp like. I am pretty sure it was at least novelette length and was bound as a separate book. Though again, I am also pretty sure it was not very long. Cannot for the life of me remember what the cover looked like.
In it, a reptilian/insectoid alien race kidnaps a group of humans and takes them to their world for study. What I remember most about the story line is that it was the first time I remember reading about aliens that were natural radio communications capable. I.e. they had biologic antennae by which they could communicate with each other using radio waves. The lead "king" alien leader was the most sophisticated radio capable individual and could literally "broadcast" his commands across the planet directly to individuals.
By the end of the story:
the aliens had somehow gotten infected by the humans. Their antennae became swollen, runny and unuseable causing chaos through their empire. Think common cold nasal congestion writ large on the antennae. It is particularly bad when the "king" gets infected and can no longer issue commands. The alien society is on the verge of collapse.
To remove the problem, the aliens are forced to return the humans. A phrase that I remember involved traveling using "Anti-space" which effectively used "Anti-time" to counter the effects of relativistic time dilation. Hence, the ship could return virtually instaneously without violating normal space-time rules.
I can't remember in this case if the humans were mind-wiped at the end of the experience or not. As a note, this is not the novelette "First Contact" by Murray Leinster.
Thank you.
