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When you find yourself trying to remember a show (or any works) that's on the tip of your tongue but just out of reach, come here - the collective brain of the TVTropes community can probably help. Post all the details you can remember (examples help). If you're looking for a trope, head over to Trope Finder. Have general questions about tropes? Visit Ask The Tropers!

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FuzzyBoots Since: Jan, 2001
2011-06-13 07:59:45

Perhaps "I, Weapon"? That one involves a far future where there's a combination of adaptation to given environments aided by genetic engineering (including all of the common tropes from heavyworlders to aquatic to flying as well as the people living inside the moon who've engineered away things like hair and belly buttons that they feel get in the way) to shepherded evolution (at some point, humanity was enslaved by an alien race who found us delicious. They bred for lower intelligence, large size, docility, and long earlobes [they found it aesthetically pleasing]. One of the dirty secrets of humanity is that humans found the meat delicious too and continue to farm these descendants).

The main thrust of the book is that there's a form of invading aliens, tripedal creatures, and a secret cabal of humanity is breeding together specific exemplars of the branches of the human race in hopes of creating a potential savior. Very entertaining book if a little iffy on some of their science.

Anima Since: Jan, 2001
2011-06-13 14:55:50

That sounds very close. But you're going to find this odd.

This one had a Wikipedia page with info on the different bipedal species. "I, Weapon" does not have a Wikipedia page.

FloydPinkerton Since: Nov, 2010
2011-06-13 15:11:27

Sounds like Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon.

Anima Since: Jan, 2001
2011-06-14 07:52:40

That's not quite it either. This novel, if I remember, is a bit more recent and the descriptions of the species aren't quite right.

FloydPinkerton Since: Nov, 2010
2011-06-15 21:14:25

There's also Future Evolution by Peter Ward, but that and After Man are illustrated coffee table books, and it sounds like you're describing something in more of a traditional novel format. If you do mean some kind of picture book, I think Life Off Earth by Ian Ridpath had a chapter about adapting humans to other worlds (but I haven't been able to find a copy since the one in my grade school's library, so I could be way off base here).

Now, this is really going out on a limb, but could it be Godwhale by T J Bass?

Madrugada MOD Since: Jan, 2001
2011-06-15 22:31:39

Someone else who's read Godwhale? Cool.

Sorry I have nothing else to contribute...

FloydPinkerton Since: Nov, 2010
2011-06-15 22:38:08

I bought it, but I haven't read it yet.

Madrugada MOD Since: Jan, 2001
TooBah (Long Runner)
2011-06-17 08:17:34

This happens in the Ringworld novels. Humans evolved based on their environments, so you have Vampires, Grass Giants, Ghouls, etc. If so, the Wikipedia page you're looking for is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hominids_of_the_Ringworld

Edited by TooBah Yes, it's real. Why?
Keenath Since: Jan, 2001
2011-06-22 13:32:51

There was a book or anthology called Man Plus that had kind of a similar theme, humans genetically engineering themselves to live in vastly different environments... could it be from that? (I never read it myself.)

Bananaquit Since: Jan, 2001
2011-06-22 22:44:55

Sheila Finch’s The Garden of the Shaped kind of also operates on a similar principle (with the original human scientists artificially prolonging their lives and continuing to live on the planet where their experiment is conducted as deities) but is probably not what you’re looking for.

labellementeuse Since: May, 2010
2011-08-15 04:51:49

Pioneers, by Phillip Mann, is about a future where a small number of humans are genetically engineered to be good first settlers on planets that are being considered for colonisation. There's a bird dude, and a plant dude, and the cover was a guy with a bear arm. I'm not sure if this is close to what you're looking for or not.

theoneguy Since: Sep, 2010
2011-08-15 07:41:18

I am completely positive it is Man After Man: An Anthropology of the Future by Dougal Dixon.

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