In "Watershed," the last story of James Blish's pantropy series, Earth has changed so much that it will now be colonized by Adapted Men while standard humanity must adapt to the new social role of a racial minority - a historical watershed for the sometimes despised Adapted Men.
These different scenarios have in common the understanding that, over long periods of time, everything changes, from planetary environments to DNA. And there is no unchanging human nature.
3 comments:
Hi, Paul!
I hesitate at calling the Kirkasanters no longer human, even if they were no longer able to interbreed with humans who never lived on their world. For one thing, unlike the pitiful people of Gywdion, the Kirkasanters did not go literally mad at fixed intervals. Mentally and socially they remained nearly the same as other human beings (altho Kirkasanters were noted as having a strong desire to have children).
Sean
Sean,
Laure's computer said they weren't human. Ability to interbreed (or not) is the usual criterion of whether two organisms are of the same species.
Paul.
Hi, Paul!
Granted, the point you made. In that case, I would argue for at least calling the Kirkasanters HOMINIDS, because they are at least of the same genus as we are.
Sean
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