Rogue Queen eBook L Sprague de Camp
Download As PDF : Rogue Queen eBook L Sprague de Camp 
Rogue Queen is a ground-breaking novel by L. Sprague de Camp that was one of the first science fiction books to deal with sexual themes, paving the way for more daring works by future authors.
Part of the Viagens Interplanetarias series, the story takes place on a planet circling the star Lalande 21185, also known as Ormazd. When humans arrive on the planet they find a hive-like society with a hyper-fertile queen being serviced by male drones.
All the other females of the species are infertile, or so it is believed. However, when one of the worker females rebels she discovers that the workers infertility is largely a result of the diet they follow.
Rogue Queen eBook L Sprague de Camp
I can't say that this story felt original, although I expect this came out before the other tales I was comparing it to. The idea of a world so regimented that any deviance from the norm causes trouble is not a surprising plot twist, and the other sections with diet determining a huge part of the development of a non-human species is again, not uncommon in science fiction.But this is an L Sprague de Camp story. And he is a master at weaving a light-hearted and engaging tale with heroes that are interesting and a plot that never feels like its dragging. I enjoyed this tale
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Rogue Queen eBook L Sprague de Camp Reviews
This 1951 novel is part of the author's "Viagens Interplanetarias" series which was, according to Wikipedia, his "most extended work." I have not read the other books in this series, but apparently "Rogue Queen" was the author's "most influential" Viagens novel and "one of the earliest science fiction novels to deal with sexual themes" (also via Wikipedia). A review on the back of the paperback edition I own (1951 edition) says "Mr. de Camp instills a lot of subtlety in his story" of the conversion of an entire planet of asexual, bee-like beings to good, old-fashioned Earth values. "Subtle" this novel may have seemed in 1951, but to the eyes of this post-sexual revolution female reader, it was a laughably heavy-handed ode to male dominance. In addition, the book espouses, albeit in a breezy and somewhat unconscious manner, anti-communist, pro-imperialist sentiments throughout. Such beliefs were de rigueur in the early fifties but produce in the modern reader a different reaction than the author undoubtedly wished one finds oneself disliking the Earthmen and hoping against hope that the native queen would resist the invaders and their patriarchal--and patronizing--beliefs.
Opinions differ, of course, but I found Rogue Queen to be one of Sprague de Camp's best works. It offers a view of an alien society organized like a bee colony. Nevertheless, there is sexual attraction going on besides service to the queen.
The book features lively action, great dialogue, and well drawn characters. One of the characters is a woman who is greatly attracted to the heroine. Having a lesbian character was quite daring and forward looking for the time.
Along with Lest Darkness Fall and The Glory That Was, then is one of my favorite works by Mr. de Camp.
Rogue Queen (1951) is the only SF novel in the Ormazd subseries of the Viagens Interplanetarias series. It is the third novel in the sequence, following The Hand of Zei. The initial volume in this sequence is The Queen of Zamba. This story takes place in the Lalande 21185 system.
In the previous volume, Dirk is hacking a piece about Sunqar, an island amidst an impassable sea covered in sea plants. He is interrupted to go to a conference. The directors are meeting about the disappearance of Shtain, the resident of the company.
The remaining directors had hired private detectives and notified local, national and international police. None had found any sign of their president. However, the private detectives had a theory that Shtain had been taken to Krishna.
Dirk and George were selected to go to Krishna. Dirk tried to back out, but was convinced to go when his mother was mentioned. Dirk was very much tied to her apron strings.
They change ships near Neptune and voyage to Krishna. At the spaceport, the passengers to Krishna are separated from those going to Ganesha or Vishnu. Their luggage is searched for contraband. They are questioned about the cameras, but are allowed to keep them.
They next meet Castanhoso and Foley. Herculeu suggests that they impersonate Krishnans from Nyamadan in the south polar region. He also selects a route that mostly avoided bandits.
In this novel, Iroedh of Elham is a native worker interested in antiquities. She is also close friends with Antis.
Rhodh is also a neuter worker of Elham. She is more obsequious to her superiors.
Antis is a drone of Elham. He is one of the oldest still alive.
Bloch is a human xenologist. He carries an automatic rifle everywhere outside the ship.
Barbie Dulac is the assistant of Bloch. She takes notes and pictures of his dissections of Ormazd animals.
O'Mara is the photographer on the ship Paris. He is a rough character.
In this story, Rhodh comes to Elham with a message. She asks Iroedh if any council members are available. When Iroedh says all are gone busy, Rhodh asks to speak directly to the queen. She is laying eggs, but Iroedh decides to let Rhodh interrupt her.
Rhodh and Iroedh wait outside the laying chamber for the egg to be deposited. Then Rhodh tells her that a skyship with men on board has landed near their new colony. The queen tells Rhody to take Iroedh and three others to talk to the men.
Iroedh meets with Antis among the nearly ruins. Iroedh finds a flute in the rubble and he tells her how to play it. She also discovers a book of songs in the fragments.
After a five day ride, the Elham party reaches the skyship. They meet Bloch, who has some grasp of their language. He introduces them to the captain and crew and acts as interpreter.
Iroedh learns that the ship's crew consists of males and a few females. All are workers, but are also fertile males and females. Iroedh is amazed that the ship has no queen.
Iroedh takes Bloch, Barbie and O'Mara to see the ruins on Survivors' Point. O'Mara gets drunk and falls off the side of the cliff. The rest of the party goes to retrieve the body.
Iroedh runs ahead to ask Rhodh to help with the body. Rhodh refuses to do so. Iroedh returns the photographic gear she has been carrying, but keeps a machete hidden in her chariot.
Rhodh tells Iroedh that the three oldest drones are going to be killed. Iroedh immediately thinks how to rescue Antis. She remembers how a drone in an ancient tale use information to compel another to do his will.
The humans unload a helicopter and restore it to working order. Iroedh gets a joy ride on the machine. She also knows that only Bloch and another man can fly the chopper.
This tale uses her knowledge of the death of O'Mara to force Bloch to fly her to Elham. She climbs down the rope ladder to rescue Antis and the other drones. Bloch uses the helicopter to scare away the guard.
Iroedh has Block drops off the drones outside the gates. The next installment in this sequence is The Virgin of Zesh.
Ancient Ormazd natives were bisexual, with both males and female fertile. For the past two millennia, natives of Ormazd have a different diet for males and females. Now all the females except the queens are infertile. The excess males are killed off as infants.
Highly recommended for De Camp fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of . Read and enjoy!
-Arthur W. Jordin
Lots of Nordic-sounding words that really did not add to the plot, which was a poor plot anyhow. I bought it on a radio recommendation. Not worth the time or money.
This novel describes first contact between humans and a race of alien stone age humanoids with a social structure very similar to honey bees. A worker falls in love with a drone and tries to save him after the queen orders his execution. Clumsy human anthropologists forever change society by introducing metal working to the aliens. Its a fairly diverting read.
L.Sprague deCamp was a great sci-fi writer during what some might call the golden age of the genre. This story was one of his pulpier ones which, by itself, is not a problem. Plainly, this was not one of his better ones. many of de Camp's stories are less formulaic. The best of his writing was done(in my not so humble opinion)with his longtime partner, Fletcher Pratt. Most of these were "Sword and Sorcery", more fast paced and always contained a large portion of humor.
I'm glad to see that has found one or two of de Camps offerings but I think that they should add some more representative work from both these iconic writers...please.
Kudos to the e-publisher for resurrecting this gem. Great story that I first read in a "Golden Ag" anthology in high school. More, please.
I can't say that this story felt original, although I expect this came out before the other tales I was comparing it to. The idea of a world so regimented that any deviance from the norm causes trouble is not a surprising plot twist, and the other sections with diet determining a huge part of the development of a non-human species is again, not uncommon in science fiction.
But this is an L Sprague de Camp story. And he is a master at weaving a light-hearted and engaging tale with heroes that are interesting and a plot that never feels like its dragging. I enjoyed this tale
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