The Breeds of Man [Mass Market Paperback]

F. M. Busby (Author)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 294 pages
• Publisher: Spectra; First Edition edition (February 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553270087
• ISBN-13: 978-0553270082
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #706,076 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read, June 4, 2000

By 

Lil S. (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Breeds of Man (Mass Market Paperback)

This book has 2 basic themes--what could happen if scientists aren't careful in engineering cures for disease, and the reaction of average people to a next possible step in human evolution. The book starts out with a near-future society that is ravaged by AIDS, and scientists engineer a cure. Part of the cure, however, renders women sterile to a second pregnancy by a man of the same blood type as the first (eliminating the chances of another child with the same man). To find a cure for *this* problem, scientists create an altered human, the Mark II. Unknown to them until these new children reach puberty, the children are cyclical hermaphrodites, going from male to female and back again every other month. Society's response is typical and intolerant. I won't give away the ending, but it's a fast-paced, solid science fiction novel with a terrific message that isn't preachy!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Synopsis, December 1, 1997

By 

Xoandre (IL, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Breeds of Man (Mass Market Paperback)

The AIDS epidemic is spreading beyond control as scientists struggle to find a way to stop the epidemic which has claimed more than half the world. After years of research, a "cure" is developed and administered to all infected without any previous testing as to side-effects.
The cure totally annhialates the AIDS virus and causes virtually no problems.
But the children born to those cured from AIDS are different, they are the "Mark Twos."

Following is the back cover text:
"The Mark Twos were a breed apart, similar to other humans in every way but one: a survival adaptation different from any seen before. When it was discovered how remarkable that adaptation was, the implications were staggering...
"Because in a world where fear and suspicion reigned, where disease limited population growth, and where survival of the human race depended on a cure for that disease, the Mark Twos were the answer: not a cure, but a new kind of humanity."

This book is an excellent tale surging with emotion and confrontations. The writing style is pure poetry and flows from word to word. I could not put the book down yet often wanted to throw it across the room! Such response in the reader proves an author is worth a good look.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Breeds of Man is wonderful., August 27, 2008

By 

Mary Robinette Kowal (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Breeds of Man (Mass Market Paperback)

This is one of those books that I've read more than once. Thought provoking and thoughtful, "The Breeds of Man" raises questions about gender identity and what it means to be human. I highly recommend this book.