2

In the Vorkosigan series, it is casually mentioned several times in early books that around a hundred years ago, there was a failed social experiment with artificial hermaphrodites. But we still keep seeing plenty of them as of the last book, without comments about the failed experiment. While Betans do have a life expectancy of around 120, given the sheer number of Betan Herms we keep running into, and given the specific statuses allotted (not solely, but commonly) to them as things like sexual therapists and all, it doesn't seem terribly like they were a fad a century ago and not made anymore. If anything, it seems like there was a steady stream of them still being (pardon) pumped out into the universe.

So what's the story here? I assume that Bujold liked the idea of the Herms and changed her mind, but has it ever been addressed that they are still being produced?

Improve this question

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
4

Between 1-10% of Betan society according to the author (board membership needed to view post):

For some of the reasons the answering poster mentions below, the population of herms on Beta is not large, but neither is it vanishingly small. Not below 1% nor above 10%, but as I never gave the population of Beta, we don't know how many individuals that comes to.

Ta, L.

Screenshot

Improve this answer
3
  • 1
    This begs the question- do/can Herms give birth to Herms (with the understanding that there are occasional genetic hiccoughs and that no Betan would generally allow a body birth).
    – Broklynite
    Commented Feb 19, 2016 at 21:12
  • Diplomatic Immunity established that most herms choose at the blastocyst stage which genes to turn on (Bel had holos for his various choices). Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen established that most Betans don't even have sex for the reproduction part, but instead do it all in the uterine replicator.
    – FuzzyBoots
    Commented Feb 20, 2016 at 4:50
  • That was definitely established well before Gentleman Jole, but I haven't read the earlier books in a while. Time to go re-read I suppose. I need something to rinse the taste of Jole out of my mouth anyways.
    – Broklynite
    Commented Feb 20, 2016 at 6:07
0

On Beta the Herms were a minority, but still a sizable fraction of the population. Contrariwise your assumption of "a steady stream of them" going out in the Universe at large is clearly not true. Bel Thorne is an exception. Herms stay on Beta, where they are at home. But most of the Universe is, seemingly, not a friendly place for them. Only in Quaddiespace did Bel eventually find a new home.

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.