The Nebula Award–winning masterwork by the author of Gateway
In the not-too-distant future, a desperate war for natural resources threatens to bring civilization to a crashing halt. Nuclear warships from around the globe begin positioning themselves as the American government works feverishly to complete a massive project to colonize Mars. Former astronaut Roger Torraway has agreed to be transformed by the latest advances in biological and cybernetic science into something new, a being that can survive the rigors of Mars before it is terraformed. Becoming Man Plus will allow him to be the linchpin in opening the new Martian frontier…but not without challenging his humanity as no man has ever been challenged before.
A bestselling, Nebula Award–winning novel when first published more than thirty years ago, this book is now more relevant than ever, as the battle between corporate interests and those who seek to save Earth’s natural resources steadily escalates. The question of where man will go once the world’s food, water, and oil have run out has yet to be answered. Man Plus by Frederick Pohl is a brilliantly imagined, compelling possible scenario that has enthralled countless readers.
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“Frederik Pohl, one of the old pros of the genre, never takes unnecessary risks. For him, science fiction is a form of play—an excusable indulgence since he plays it so much better than most people.” —The New York Times Book Review
“We might expect a Frederik Pohl novel to be solid, competent, thoroughly readable sf, well-plotted and brilliantly dramatized. Man Plus is all of these, and it is also horrifyingly believable, a dark mirror held up to today's world...Man Plus is probably Frederik Pohl's best novel so far, and surely one of the most exciting, brilliantly conceived and capably-written sf novels of the past decade.” —John Sladek, Foundation
“Pohl is quietly ready to discuss just about any aspect of literature, science, publishing, or politics, and his decades of experience in speculative fiction make him a trove of knowledge. But don’t let his nice-guy reputation fool you. If you’re going to brag to Frederik Pohl about not reading science fiction, you’d better duck.” —Amazing Stories
"The most consistently able writer science fiction, in all its forms, has yet produced." —Kingsley Amis, author of New Maps of Hell
“Peerless in his own generation, with few equals of any age. One of the 50 most influential people in the Chicago Book World.”—Newscity
“One of the grand old men of SF.”—Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Multiple Hugo and Nebula award–winner FREDERIK POHL was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America. Pohl has also been an award-winning collaborator and editor of magazines and anthologies. Most recently he won yet another Hugo Award for his blog, “www.thewaythefutureblogs.com.” He and his wife, editor and academic Elizabeth Anne Hull, live outside of Chicago.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By cargo
Format:Paperback
Its Evolution Baby
The evolutionary dream, the end point of human desire, the ability to leave behind the limitations of the Earth and take to the stars, is fraught with it's own limitations. Pohl speculates that, while a hostile environment may kill a person, we can survive because we take a bit of a friendly environment with us. We can take air, food, water and fuel to the Antartic, the Moon, Mars and beyond but the environment remains hostile and the human body, fragile and ill adapted. "Man Plus", as may be evident from the title, is concerned with the possibilities of adapting the human body and how the body itself is tied up with notions of identity and belonging.
The cyborg is familiar at least to Science Fiction readers and has been for many years, so, to most of these veterans, Pohl's ideas may seem rehashed, even clumsy in this age of genetic manipulation. Leaving aside these anachronisms (the book was written in 1976), we see in "Man Plus", the raw power of the cyborg as a work of imagination. This power manifests itself in the predominantly earthbound text in the emotional responses, clinical discourses, whispered asides and outright revulsion of those around the cyborg. Political intrigue as the project is kept from view, as well as carnivalesque musings on cyborg sexuality thicken the texture of Pohl's writing.
The counterpoint to the inhumanity of the cyborg is his superhuman abilities and his adeptness once in the right environment. After the death of the original cyborg, Roger Torraway goes through the intimate manipulations of surgeons as all his organs are removed or bypassed, a computer is attached to his back and "wings" containing solar receptors are installed. His life on Earth becomes miserable as the "monster" becomes estranged from his wife and friends by his grotesque appearance but, like the robot in the Asimov short story "Stranger in Paradise," is so ideally suited to the Martian environment that his life there is filled with the joy of belonging. The solar wings transform from demons' to angels' wings in this environment.
This is both a deeply personal look at the transformation of Torroway from man to cyborg and a socio-political reflection on the contingencies of the space race. The growing threat of nuclear armageddon and the sense of overcrowding and paranoia that this engenders on earth also formed the internal logic of the race to the moon. The inevitability of nuclear aggression is dealt with here (and during the cold war) as a force of nature rather than as a result of human actions. Dealt with in this way, it becomes a generic "threat to humanity" and we could almost read this, from a contemporary viewpoint, as the threat of ecological armageddon. It is the clock against which the "free world" is racing to start a Mars colony and the best computer predictions grant them a few years at most. Between the lines, there is room to question the inhumanity of a humanity unable to address its problems without some outside impetus such as the threat of war or ecological disaster or the illusion of same....
The emotional journey we take with Torroway is as pot-hole ridden and treacherous as it is full of hope and freedom. The freedom that exists in the absense of armies and nuclear arms. The relief of escape from the maddening political situation on Earth is accompanied by the discovery of a personal feeling of belonging by Torroway.
A twist at the end of tale seems to indicate that the plot had a former life as a short story but also initiates(?) an idea that has grasped many a Science Fiction imagination since. (No spoilers here).
The evolutionary dream, the end point of human desire, the ability to leave behind the limitations of the Earth and take to the stars, is fraught with it's own limitations. Pohl speculates that, while a hostile environment may kill a person, we can survive because we take a bit of a friendly environment with us. We can take air, food, water and fuel to the Antartic, the Moon, Mars and beyond but the environment remains hostile and the human body, fragile and ill adapted. "Man Plus", as may be evident from the title, is concerned with the possibilities of adapting the human body and how the body itself is tied up with notions of identity and belonging.
The cyborg is familiar at least to Science Fiction readers and has been for many years, so, to most of these veterans, Pohl's ideas may seem rehashed, even clumsy in this age of genetic manipulation. Leaving aside these anachronisms (the book was written in 1976), we see in "Man Plus", the raw power of the cyborg as a work of imagination. This power manifests itself in the predominantly earthbound text in the emotional responses, clinical discourses, whispered asides and outright revulsion of those around the cyborg. Political intrigue as the project is kept from view, as well as carnivalesque musings on cyborg sexuality thicken the texture of Pohl's writing.
The counterpoint to the inhumanity of the cyborg is his superhuman abilities and his adeptness once in the right environment. After the death of the original cyborg, Roger Torraway goes through the intimate manipulations of surgeons as all his organs are removed or bypassed, a computer is attached to his back and "wings" containing solar receptors are installed. His life on Earth becomes miserable as the "monster" becomes estranged from his wife and friends by his grotesque appearance but, like the robot in the Asimov short story "Stranger in Paradise," is so ideally suited to the Martian environment that his life there is filled with the joy of belonging. The solar wings transform from demons' to angels' wings in this environment.
This is both a deeply personal look at the transformation of Torroway from man to cyborg and a socio-political reflection on the contingencies of the space race. The growing threat of nuclear armageddon and the sense of overcrowding and paranoia that this engenders on earth also formed the internal logic of the race to the moon. The inevitability of nuclear aggression is dealt with here (and during the cold war) as a force of nature rather than as a result of human actions. Dealt with in this way, it becomes a generic "threat to humanity" and we could almost read this, from a contemporary viewpoint, as the threat of ecological armageddon. It is the clock against which the "free world" is racing to start a Mars colony and the best computer predictions grant them a few years at most. Between the lines, there is room to question the inhumanity of a humanity unable to address its problems without some outside impetus such as the threat of war or ecological disaster or the illusion of same....
The emotional journey we take with Torroway is as pot-hole ridden and treacherous as it is full of hope and freedom. The freedom that exists in the absense of armies and nuclear arms. The relief of escape from the maddening political situation on Earth is accompanied by the discovery of a personal feeling of belonging by Torroway.
A twist at the end of tale seems to indicate that the plot had a former life as a short story but also initiates(?) an idea that has grasped many a Science Fiction imagination since. (No spoilers here).
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By Jon
Format:Paperback
All in all this was a very good novel. I felt that Frederick Pohl had a brilliant vision for this book, and caried it out in full detail. The story revolves around Roger Torroway, a typical astronaut married to a typical wife living a typical lifestyle. However, Roger is involved in a project which isn't typical at all. This project is called Man Plus, and is devoted to saving the human race, (wihch is, the latest simulation says, a ninety nine percent chance of destroying itself within the next ten years.) Man Plus is devoted to turning a man into more than a man. by ripping out most of his biological components and replacing them with mechanical body parts, thus enabling him to live on Mars. The result would make a super being to start a colony on Mars, thus saving the human race. When William Hartnett, the original Man Plus dies, Roger Torroway has to take his place.
This novel is full of surprises, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone.
This novel is full of surprises, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By Hexanova
Format:Mass Market Paperback
In his book Man Plus, Frederick Pohl mixes the worlds of medicine, cybernetics, and political intrigue into a well thought out tale of a man's journey to Mars. Roger Tarroway, who is a backup in the Man Plus project, suddenly finds himself next in line to be turned into something both wonderful and horrific: a human that can live on the surface of Mars without the need of a suit. But the changes he must go through transform him into something hideous and powerful. Can Roger's mind withstand the changes that he has to go through on an accelerated course? Can he trust his best friend? Will it work? Pohl sets this admist and Earth in peril of destroying itself, and many think that the Man Plus project and the colonization of Mars is the only way to save it from the brink of disaster...and there are other interested parties involved...watching.
Some may find it a little slow or dry in places because there is little action throughout. Pohl's use of the first person "we" at times was a little strange to me in a book written entirely in the third person, but there is a reason for it. While not as tight or emotionally gripping as Pohl's masterpiece Gateway, Man Plus is a well written and executed award winner and deserves to be on the shelf of most sci-fi readers.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Somewhat Anti-Climactic
*** SPOILER ALERT ***
I like Pohl's work, but this book is more of a novella than a novel; too short, IMHO. Read more
I like Pohl's work, but this book is more of a novella than a novel; too short, IMHO. Read more
Published 3 months ago by asfhgwt
5.0 out of 5 stars
No problem
This is a good way to buy books. The book was in good shape and I enjoyed reading it. Usually Pohl is good.
Published 3 months ago by Ronald W. Vasicek
3.0 out of 5 stars
This 1976 Nebula winner is a mix of the interesting and the dated
Man Plus won the Nebula Award in 1976. This tells you a couple things, in and of itself. 1) It's got something worthwhile in it, and 2) It may feel dated, as older science fiction... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Gary Hoggatt
4.0 out of 5 stars
Superhuman or Monster?
Frederik Pohl (1919) is a conspicuous member of "Sci-fi Golden Age" authors and he is still producing excellent new books. Read more
Published on February 25, 2011 by Maximiliano F Yofre
3.0 out of 5 stars
Quick, entertaining read; ages poorly
This is a relatively short novel. In it, we learn the story of a US government program in the early 21st century to create a superhuman cyborg who is capable of surviving on the... Read more
Published on May 19, 2010 by Eric Aderhold
4.0 out of 5 stars
Altering the body changes human inside
Earth is in a cold war and computer predictions show high probability of complete destruction of Earth in nuclear war in near future. The president of US must save the mankind. Read more
Published on April 13, 2009 by Jari Aalto
4.0 out of 5 stars
Just plain great SF
I read Man Plus as part of a compilation that combined Man Plus and Jem in one book, so this review may be affected by the contrast created between the two stories. Read more
Published on October 17, 2002 by Winston J. Pennyworth III
3.0 out of 5 stars
A nifty premise, but underdeveloped
Man Plus is the story of a project to adapt (a) man to be able to live on Mars. Thus, this man would have to be able to survive in a carbon dioxide atmosphere, at very low... Read more
Published on June 19, 2002 by Craig MACKINNON
4.0 out of 5 stars
The science of turning man into machine was page turning.
Man Plus is a decent story about creating a cyborg to live on Mars. Presumably, the world is going to crumble unless we can begin to colonize Mars (according to computer... Read more
Published on March 17, 2002 by Adam Missner
5.0 out of 5 stars
The thinking man's Six Million Dollar Man
This book is not only a genuine science fiction classic, but also a poignant commentary on the human spirit. Read more
Published on August 11, 2000
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