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Should we be thinking about genetic modifications for the humans that we send to colonise Mars? (continued)

Damir Blazina
Chester, Cheshire, UK

Previous answers to this question mentioned several sci-fi works that are relevant to this topic. I would like to add one more suggestion for interested readers.

In his 1957 collection of short stories, The Seedling Stars, US writer James Blish explored the topic of modifying humans to be able to thrive in extraterrestrial environments, coining the term “pantropy” for the process.

Perhaps the best-known story is Surface Tension, in which a human colonisation ship crash-lands on a distant planet that is Earth-like, but whose only landmass is covered in shallow puddles of water that are inhabited by microscopic life.

The crew genetically engineer their descendants into tiny, aquatic organisms, who must find a way to survive and interact with the native, intelligent life forms.

In another story, Watershed, a spaceship crewed by “original form” humans transports a group of “adapted” humans back to Earth – now a desert wasteland – in an effort to repopulate humanity’s home world.

The book received critical acclaim for outstanding storytelling and meticulous attention to detail. Although not directly related to living on Mars, it is still a thought-provoking read that explores what it means to be human.

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