F A C T :
In October 2009, in response to the global deterioration in the health of bee hives, the American National Science Foundation awarded Harvard University ten million Dollars to research the creation of robotic bees. One third of all human food production relies on bees for crop pollination.
F I C T I O N :
In the near future, bees have died out through disease brought on by human over-exploitation and industrialised farming. Global famine and conflict threaten. But one US-based technology company (“Apoidroids” from the Latin classification Apoidea) have leapt to global prominence through their invention of a replacement: …silver android bees that they have sold to every country on earth to take over the pollinating role of their organic forebears. But when the tiny robots begin to acquire unexpected intelligence and independence, their wealthy inventor finds himself drawn into an extraordinary odyssey of discovery about himself, humanity and the world he thought he’d conquered. In his search for truth he will lose everything but regain his soul…
