Copernick's Rebellion [Paperback]

Leo Frankowski (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 21, 2006

An adventure in the near future, when the biolab takes the place of the engineering lab and "nature" is definitely replaced by "nurture"

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

We are happy to republish Copernick’s Rebellion because it is better now than when it was first published almost 25 years ago. At the time, genetic engineering was only for science fiction and then only for very speculative science fiction. Everyone knew that someday, somewhere, we would have corn that resisted rot and tomatoes that stayed fresh longer than usual, but no one would have believed trees that grew golden apples and engineered sentient bio-beings. We knew the theory about DNA, but did not have the sequence for even the simplest bacteria. Now, in the real world, you can order mice with genes that glow in the dark when activated. Want to research a gene? Phone the lab and they will splice in a bioluminescence gene along with the one that you want to research. $20,000 and they will breed you a litter of custom mice with genes that glow. We now have sequenced an entire human genome, decoded the rat and several other species. It is only a matter of time before we can build a person from scratch. The problem is now only complexity, not science. When we decide to build a self aware bio-organism, we’ll do it. Twenty five years ago, this book was a hard sell for a new author. Now it is current. Virtually everything in this book is possible, from the tree houses, to the trees with golden apples, to the fauns. Come look at a future that is more possible now than when it was written.

From the Inside Flap

Hidden talents

"So what’s your specialty?" Guibedo asked the creature. "Unarmed combat with a minor in sociology, my lord." The Labor and Defense Unit crowded closer to the left-hand wall of the tunnel. Other LDU’s with empty baskets were passing them at an astounding speed. "Pretty quick your buddies are. But I don’t understand the ‘unarmed combat.’ If you were expecting trouble, why go unarmed?" "My Lord, I meant no external armament." From a slot above each wrist, a bayonetlike claw extended out to a foot past the knuckles.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Great Authors Online (April 21, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977386929
• ISBN-13: 978-0977386925
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,664,891 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better Living Through Genetic Engineering, May 6, 2005

By 

Melissa McCauley (North Little Rock, AR) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Copernick's Rebellion (Mass Market Paperback)

In 1940, thirty year-old Martin Guibedo escaped Germany with his only surviving family member, his crippled five year-old nephew Heinrich Copernick. Both men became masters of genetic engineering, Martin specializing in plants, and his nephew Heinrich in animal life forms.

Martin designs and freely distributes his proud creation to save the human race, tree houses. These houses are literally trees, genetically modified to have rooms, beds, chairs, cupboards that grow food, and of course, composting toilets. A tiny problem develops when the first version of the house eats its occupants. Oops. Heinrich's big creations are LDUs, sentient worker beasts that look like walking tables with eight eyes; fauns, cute little half girls-half goats who educate and care for human young; and TRACs, large sentient creatures designed to act in the stead of trucks or buses.

When the dynamic duo's designs begin to interfere with the status quo of the major political and economic powers of the earth; of course it means war. Heinrich, when not genetically modifying himself into a giant stud-muffin and growing his own Pam Anderson-like wife, has been preparing for this eventuality. When the two scientists unleash metal-eating microbes, the compost really hits the fan.

I agree with Connie Willis that great science fiction comes from taking a hypothesis and drawing it out to its most logical or most absurd conclusion. Leo Frankowski does just that in this book, letting the Polish uncle-nephew duo have complete free reign to design whatever absurd thing they can dream up without any real repercussions; universe builders remaking the earth as they want it. The humans in the story do not have much character development, but the little faun, Liebchen, and the LDU, Dirk, are really endearing as they grow and change in the struggle to understand human morality and ethics.

I am surprised this book is so obscure; it is my favorite Frankowski book. If you have read any of his Conrad Stargard novels, you already know that the book is full of plenty of whiz-bang, neato ideas, male chauvinism, puns, but is overall a rollicking fun read. Hard to put down until the last page is turned.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best SCIENCE fiction books around,, March 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Copernick's Rebellion (Mass Market Paperback)

All of leo frankowskis' books are very good science fiction. There are no "fairies" or dragons or majick. His books just tell you why a railroad works and how a windmill can be used to pump water or thresh grain and WHY this is a good thing.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great fun! Deserves classic status!, December 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Copernick's Rebellion (Mass Market Paperback)

A non-stop parade of fresh ideas, wild inventions and creatures, and original characters. One whopper of a good time!