This is actually the third book in a series but I had no idea that was the case when I bought the book and it stands on its own. Terrans come to a planet Ormazd where the humanoid Avtini are organized along the lines of a bee hive, with a fertile queen bee reigning over the clan with its harem of male drones and neuter female workers. When a drone and worker are drawn to each other, with the help of the Terrans among them, they spark a social revolution. This is counted as groundbreaking; published in 1951, this broke the taboo on sexual themes and was among the first to treat anthropological and gender issues. The book is a very slim volume and a quick, entertaining read, and though I wouldn't put it up there with one of the classics of the genre, I found it tremendous fun.
