Clonk Clonk

Clonk Clonk is a 1971 novella by William Golding published in his collection The Scorpion God: Three Short Novels.

Setting
The story occurs in a paleolithic society with a social organization radically different from the modern era. In this story, men are hunters ("Leopard Men") who are frivolous and emotional, constantly nicknaming each other, joking around, and engaging in histrionics. Their lives are largely homosocial and partly homosexual. They only become truly serious in the act of hunting. The women, on the other hand, have a variety of professions, have a generally serious outlook, keep secrets from the men (such as the mechanics of sexual reproduction), and generally treat the men with an indulgent and parental attitude when they return home, not taking them seriously. At the end of the story, it is revealed that the village was wiped out by a volcanic eruption, suggesting that it may have been a historical accident which led to historical male-dominated social organizations.

Plot
The story follows a hunter who is given a humiliating name after a hunting failure and injury, and is shut out of his hunting group because of it. He returns to his village prematurely, and sees many strange things he does not understand during his time with the women. He creates a personal connection with one of the women, and by the end returns to the men with a new name, who have forgotten his failure and welcome him back with open arms.