A scholar of Vonnegut’s work, came across five previously unpublished stories. “The Drone King,” one of those five, is from the early 1950s, when Vonnegut hadn’t yet written a novel...

excerpt for review purposes only:

“The history of man’s advance,” said Quick impressively, “has been the history of encouraging that which is good in nature, and discouraging that which is bad. For millions of years now, nature has been throwing away, like so much garbage, one of her wisest, gentlest, most beautiful creations—the drone, whose only crime is that he does not make honey.”

Quick raised his finger. “Now!” he said. “Man comes along, and declares in the face of this cruel waste: ‘There is more to life than this crazy, sick-headed preoccupation with honey, honey, honey, everything for honey—and death to anybody who can’t make honey!’ ”

Quick’s voice became husky with emotion, as though he were praying for a multitude. “We welcome the drones today to the fruits of freedom and equality. Down with tyranny wherever we find it! Down with the tyranny of honey! Down with the tyranny of the self-centered and vain queen! Down with the tyranny of the narrow-minded, materialistic female workers!”

https://www.theatlantic.com/

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html