Originally published in
1977 and written by
Kate Wilhelm,
Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang won the
Hugo Award for science fiction. It was
out of print for a number of years, but is now happily back in publication.
The story is about a post apocalyptic society that survived only through the use of clones. Individuality is repressed, and community is stressed. The main character, a boy born naturally, must interact with the society his cloned mother came from. The society needs his talents, but at the same time rejects his individuality.
With the recent cloning debate, I'm not surprised to see this book back in print. However, the book is not really about cloning, and the message it delivers revolves more around individuality and community rather than the effects of technology. To read a book with a similar theme, but without the clones, check out Ayn Rand's Anthem, which I enjoyed, but not as much.