The story revolves around Miss Donna Mitchell, a former biochemistry professor who, after being dismissed from her university, embarks on an ambitious experiment to prove her theory that environment shapes personality. She creates thirty-one identical sons from a single zygote, each intended for a different profession, to demonstrate that upbringing, not genetics, determines one's path in life. Raised in isolation on a Wisconsin farm, each son is meticulously groomed for his assigned career. However, as they reach adulthood, many of the sons find themselves disillusioned with their predetermined paths, realizing they have no passion for the careers chosen for them. Despite their mother's unwavering belief in her experiment, the sons grapple with their own desires and the burden of fulfilling her expectations. Ultimately, they decide to end their mother's life to free themselves from her control and pursue their true interests. The narrative concludes with the sons scattering to live their own lives, acknowledging the failure of their mother's experiment and the flawed premise that environment alone can dictate one's destiny.
By Robert Silverberg · First published 1970 · Genre: Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Dark Comedy