Tony and the Beetles

A ten-year-old boy grows up fast when history catches up with the human race."Tony and the Beetles" is Philip K. Dick's classic science fiction short story about a human boy (Tony) living on a distant planet, which humanity has occupied and taken control of from its native inhabitants (colloquially called "beetles"). As the interstellar war between the humans and the beetles rages, Tony learns hard truths about interspecies hatred and forced occupation. Written during the Cold War, "Tony and the Beetles" contains allegorical presentations of numerous themes that later became pillars of the science fiction genre: racial tensions, the devastation of war, and the absurdity of multi-generational hatred.