"19 Best Genetic Engineering Science Fiction Books" by Dan Livingston

[Lynn McGuire]

"19 Best Genetic Engineering Science Fiction Books" by Dan Livingston

https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-genetic-engineering-science-fiction-books/

I have read five of the nineteen. The Kress, Crichton, Bujold, Morgan,
and the Huxley.

Lynn

[Steve Dodds]

Post by Lynn McGuire
"19 Best Genetic Engineering Science Fiction Books" by Dan Livingston
https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-genetic-engineering-science-fiction-books/
I have read five of the nineteen.  The Kress, Crichton, Bujold, Morgan,
and the Huxley.
Lynn

That's a pretty good list, I have read most of them. But there is one
book that belongs at the top of the list, The changeling plague by Syne
Mitchell.

Steve

[Lynn McGuire]

Post by Lynn McGuire
"19 Best Genetic Engineering Science Fiction Books" by Dan Livingston
https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-genetic-engineering-science-fiction-books/
I have read five of the nineteen.  The Kress, Crichton, Bujold,
Morgan, and the Huxley.
Lynn

That's a pretty good list, I have read most of them.  But there is one
book that belongs at the top of the list, The changeling plague by Syne
Mitchell.
Steve

As number 20 or number 1 ? I agree that book belongs on the list. I
was sad when she abandoned writing.

Lynn

[D B Davis]

Post by Steve Dodds

Post by Lynn McGuire
"19 Best Genetic Engineering Science Fiction Books" by Dan Livingston
https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-genetic-engineering-science-fiction-books/
I have read five of the nineteen.? The Kress, Crichton, Bujold, Morgan,
and the Huxley.

That's a pretty good list, I have read most of them. But there is one
book that belongs at the top of the list, The changeling plague by Syne
Mitchell.

The Huxley is the only story on that list read by me. _Hellstrom's Hive_
(Herbert) is an apropos story not on the list that was read by me. If
clones count, _Cloud Atlas_ (Mitchell), _The World of Null-A_
(van Vogt), and _Coma_ (Cook), were also read by me. There's probably
other stories that will be remembered after someone else mentions them.

☮

Thank you,

[Robert Carnegie]

Post by D B Davis

Post by Steve Dodds

Post by Lynn McGuire
"19 Best Genetic Engineering Science Fiction Books" by Dan Livingston
https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-genetic-engineering-science-fiction-books/
I have read five of the nineteen.? The Kress, Crichton, Bujold, Morgan,
and the Huxley.

That's a pretty good list, I have read most of them. But there is one
book that belongs at the top of the list, The changeling plague by Syne
Mitchell.

The Huxley is the only story on that list read by me. _Hellstrom's Hive_
(Herbert) is an apropos story not on the list that was read by me. If
clones count, _Cloud Atlas_ (Mitchell), _The World of Null-A_
(van Vogt), and _Coma_ (Cook), were also read by me. There's probably
other stories that will be remembered after someone else mentions them.

I've read _Brave New World_ and _Accelerando_.

I haven't read _Never Let Me Go_ but I think it
uses vanilla clones, twin sibling duplicates of
the original people. In the circumstances, the
clones would reasonably have genetic diseases
edited away if that's possible.

_Brave New World_ has embryos split multiply -
I think the number is 30 or 50 - as how this
culture makes new citizens. They are tested and
then treated during artificial gestation to
alter their characteristics; their DNA isn't
changed but they come out adapted e.g. for
hot or for cold climate. And neither dumber
nor smarter than required. This is biological
"engineering", but is it "genetic engineering"?

Real "cloning" up to now, as I understand it -
for mammals anyway - involves taking all the
chromosomes from an ordinary cell and inserting
them in an egg cell, which then grows as a clone
of the chromosome donor - except for mitochondrial
DNA. So that is "genetic wrangling", at least.

[D B Davis]

Post by Robert Carnegie

Post by D B Davis

Post by Steve Dodds

Post by Lynn McGuire
"19 Best Genetic Engineering Science Fiction Books" by Dan Livingston
https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-genetic-engineering-science-fiction-books/
I have read five of the nineteen.? The Kress, Crichton, Bujold, Morgan,
and the Huxley.

That's a pretty good list, I have read most of them. But there is one
book that belongs at the top of the list, The changeling plague by Syne
Mitchell.

The Huxley is the only story on that list read by me. _Hellstrom's Hive_
(Herbert) is an apropos story not on the list that was read by me. If
clones count, _Cloud Atlas_ (Mitchell), _The World of Null-A_
(van Vogt), and _Coma_ (Cook), were also read by me. There's probably
other stories that will be remembered after someone else mentions them.

I've read _Brave New World_ and _Accelerando_.
I haven't read _Never Let Me Go_ but I think it
uses vanilla clones, twin sibling duplicates of
the original people. In the circumstances, the
clones would reasonably have genetic diseases
edited away if that's possible.
_Brave New World_ has embryos split multiply -
I think the number is 30 or 50 - as how this
culture makes new citizens. They are tested and
then treated during artificial gestation to
alter their characteristics; their DNA isn't
changed but they come out adapted e.g. for
hot or for cold climate. And neither dumber
nor smarter than required. This is biological
"engineering", but is it "genetic engineering"?
Real "cloning" up to now, as I understand it -
for mammals anyway - involves taking all the
chromosomes from an ordinary cell and inserting
them in an egg cell, which then grows as a clone
of the chromosome donor - except for mitochondrial
DNA. So that is "genetic wrangling", at least.

In retrospect, it was a mistake for me to include the Cook because it's
just an "organ wrangler" story. _Mindbend_ (Cook) is a "fetal wrangler"
story.
How to atone for my _Coma_ error? ... Hmmm ... What's this? ...
Score! _The Eyes of Heisenberg_ (Herbert).

☮

Thank you,

[D B Davis]

Old threads never die. They only hibernate until the next iteration.

Post by Robert Carnegie

Post by D B Davis

Post by Steve Dodds

Post by Lynn McGuire
"19 Best Genetic Engineering Science Fiction Books" by Dan Livingston
https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-genetic-engineering-science-fiction-books/
I have read five of the nineteen.? The Kress, Crichton, Bujold, Morgan,
and the Huxley.

That's a pretty good list, I have read most of them. But there is one
book that belongs at the top of the list, The changeling plague by Syne
Mitchell.

The Huxley is the only story on that list read by me. _Hellstrom's Hive_
(Herbert) is an apropos story not on the list that was read by me. If
clones count, _Cloud Atlas_ (Mitchell), _The World of Null-A_
(van Vogt), and _Coma_ (Cook), were also read by me. There's probably
other stories that will be remembered after someone else mentions them.

I've read _Brave New World_ and _Accelerando_.
I haven't read _Never Let Me Go_ but I think it
uses vanilla clones, twin sibling duplicates of
the original people. In the circumstances, the
clones would reasonably have genetic diseases
edited away if that's possible.
_Brave New World_ has embryos split multiply -
I think the number is 30 or 50 - as how this
culture makes new citizens. They are tested and
then treated during artificial gestation to
alter their characteristics; their DNA isn't
changed but they come out adapted e.g. for
hot or for cold climate. And neither dumber
nor smarter than required. This is biological
"engineering", but is it "genetic engineering"?
Real "cloning" up to now, as I understand it -
for mammals anyway - involves taking all the
chromosomes from an ordinary cell and inserting
them in an egg cell, which then grows as a clone
of the chromosome donor - except for mitochondrial
DNA. So that is "genetic wrangling", at least.

In retrospect, it was a mistake for me to include the Cook because it's
just an "organ wrangler" story. _Mindbend_ (Cook) is a "fetal wrangler"
story.
How to atone for my _Coma_ error? ... Hmmm ... What's this? ...
Score! _The Eyes of Heisenberg_ (Herbert).

Addendum:

_Mortal Fear_ (Cook) was recently read by me. Whereas _Eyes_ pertains to
morula genetic modification that takes place during embryogenesis,
_Fear_ focuses on recombinant plasmidal engineering in adults. This
paper introduces the idea:

TRANSFORMATION OF E. coli WITH PLASMID DNA
http://ksuweb.kennesaw.edu/~jhendrix/bio3300/transformationlab.pdf

God willing, a review of the Cook will be published on my website in the
near future.

☮

Thank you,

[Robert Carnegie]

I meant to say: what's genetic in _Accelerando_?
Nearly all that I remember of it is about computer
data, including minds converted to data. Some
characters are reincarnated in meat bodies which
is pretty cool, but as far as I remember, those
are just ordinary ones but with electronic implants?

[Peter Trei]

Post by Robert Carnegie
I meant to say: what's genetic in _Accelerando_?
Nearly all that I remember of it is about computer
data, including minds converted to data. Some
characters are reincarnated in meat bodies which
is pretty cool, but as far as I remember, those
are just ordinary ones but with electronic implants?

Ditto "Brave New World". No genetics there. Just conditioning, and abusing
the fetuses of those intended for low-intelligence occupations.

pt

[D B Davis]

Post by Peter Trei

Post by Robert Carnegie
I meant to say: what's genetic in _Accelerando_?
Nearly all that I remember of it is about computer
data, including minds converted to data. Some
characters are reincarnated in meat bodies which
is pretty cool, but as far as I remember, those
are just ordinary ones but with electronic implants?

Ditto "Brave New World". No genetics there. Just conditioning, and abusing
the fetuses of those intended for low-intelligence occupations.

It's agreed. Cloning, organ wrangling, and BNW's fetus fiddling fetish
flunk full blown genetic engineering. :0)

☮

Thank you,

[David DeLaney]

Post by Robert Carnegie
I meant to say: what's genetic in _Accelerando_?
Nearly all that I remember of it is about computer
data, including minds converted to data. Some
characters are reincarnated in meat bodies which
is pretty cool, but as far as I remember, those
are just ordinary ones but with electronic implants?

Having reread it recently, I'll propose
a) the various ways the human characters change themselves once nanotech
becomes woven into the routine daily life,
b) related to this, the societies that evolve as tech goes bonkers post-
Singularity, and
c) the evolution of the AIs (including the cat), part of which is eventually
responsible for the dismantling of the inner Sol system, and also the later
example of what happens when you introduce an advanced e-predator

Dave, also, part of a theme is the continuum between fully human and fully AI

[Robert Carnegie]

Post by David DeLaney

Post by Robert Carnegie
I meant to say: what's genetic in _Accelerando_?
Nearly all that I remember of it is about computer
data, including minds converted to data. Some
characters are reincarnated in meat bodies which
is pretty cool, but as far as I remember, those
are just ordinary ones but with electronic implants?

Having reread it recently, I'll propose
a) the various ways the human characters change themselves once nanotech
becomes woven into the routine daily life,
b) related to this, the societies that evolve as tech goes bonkers post-
Singularity, and
c) the evolution of the AIs (including the cat), part of which is eventually
responsible for the dismantling of the inner Sol system, and also the later
example of what happens when you introduce an advanced e-predator
Dave, also, part of a theme is the continuum between fully human and fully AI

Hmm. Interesting points. Yes.

But I think I meant really: where is there
genetic engineering in the story? Maybe I also forgot
to say, I liked it - but I think it may not belong in
a "genetic engineering" article. Was it added to make
up length? Is the bootstrap-pulling of AI designing
better AI designing better AI what is meant?
It's mentioned, but I think it's a stretch.

I'll try putting the question there.

[Peter Trei]

Post by Lynn McGuire
"19 Best Genetic Engineering Science Fiction Books" by Dan Livingston
https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-genetic-engineering-science-fiction-books/
I have read five of the nineteen. The Kress, Crichton, Bujold, Morgan,
and the Huxley.
Lynn

In this list, 7 of the 19 are by women. Not parity, but much closer than 97 out of 100.

Pt

[Lynn McGuire]

Post by Peter Trei

Post by Lynn McGuire
"19 Best Genetic Engineering Science Fiction Books" by Dan Livingston
https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-genetic-engineering-science-fiction-books/
I have read five of the nineteen. The Kress, Crichton, Bujold, Morgan,
and the Huxley.
Lynn

In this list, 7 of the 19 are by women. Not parity, but much closer than 97 out of 100.
Pt

The number of women authors in SF/F has been drastically increasing over
the last couple of decades. It is kind of bad though as they tend to
make more money in romance from what I have been told.

Lynn

[Titus G]

Post by Lynn McGuire
"19 Best Genetic Engineering Science Fiction Books" by Dan Livingston
https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-genetic-engineering-science-fiction-books/

I have read 4 of the top 5.
The Wind-up Girl 4.9 stars
Altered Carbon 4 stars
Player of Games 4 stars
Brave New World not rated as read over 5 decades ago.

But read perhaps 3 of the other 14.

Never Let Me Go. I can remember checking it out from the library and
returning it but not the story!
The Left Hand of Darkness. Blah blah 50 years ago.
Accelarando. Not finished. (Or maybe another Stross.)

Mostly I don't classify books into such narrow categories as genetic
engineering and wouldn't seek a book on such narrow criteria. The
Wind-up Girl was in a Guardian list of five of the best climate-change
novels* so as others have said, the categorisation is questionable but
at least it provides a chance to remember and share likes and dislikes.

*DB Davis in December.

[a***@yahoo.com]

I recommend "Brain Child" by George Turner.