C M Kornbluth's "The Education of Tigress McCardle" (short story, humor): An unusual population control program
This is a frame story. Frame is of an unarmed unopposed leisurely US invasion by China; a wily Chinese man has sold the US government an unusual & all too effective population control idea!
But the really interesting & very funny story is the one within the frame - the population control story. Very beautiful.
Story summary.
In this era of "Parental Qualifications Program" ("PQP"), George McCardle & his wife Tigress have decided to have a baby.PQP regulations require them to get a breeding permit from government. To get the permit, they need to care for the "Toddler", a robot baby the government gave them on application, for 3 months.
Looks easy enough; prove that you can live with the demands of a baby. Only this is a super-cranky baby, designed to ensure the aspiring parents will give up the idea in days...
Notes.
- I suspect frame part satirizes a specific US President of the period. But I'm not familiar with issues locals had with their Presidents to figure it out.
Collected in.
Fact sheet.
First published: Venture Science Fiction, July 1957.Rating: A.
Related: Stories of C M Kornbluth.
1 comments:
I always read the story has satirising "King Elvis". Or "Purvis".
The Hound Dog iconography at the end of the frame story was the clincher, in my opinion
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