Questions tagged [evolution]
The gradual change of a species by adaptation over many generations for purposes ensuring it's survival.
64
questions
11
votes
1
answer
2k
views
A novel where evolution from Neanderthals to us, and from us to superhumans is just by shedding facial skin to become less prognathous
I read this novel about 20 years ago, in English.
Even though the science is horribly wrong (which did bother me a lot) it is really a great novel.
It starts with an anthropologist finding that ...
- 22.3k
8
votes
0
answers
67
views
Time traveler trades with people from alternative dimensions/timelines. Trades ova for high quality dogs, to help humanity in his timeline survive
I read this short story after 2017. It may not have been new but did not seem very many years old. It was in a magazine. I read the magazine online.
The protagonist has a trading post that I think ...
- 8,496
12
votes
1
answer
536
views
Long isolated human colony. People live in trees and have changed a lot. A 'pursemaker' is in danger, he is on trial for heresy
The 'purses' the accused man makes are large sealable tents for safely spending the night in. The pursemakers wonders how many of the people who do not speak a word in his defence had spent the night ...
- 8,496
9
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Old sci-fi story in which fleeing aliens merge with spiders on Earth in the prehistoric era
Looking for name/author of short story I read maybe in the 1970s where aliens are fleeing their collapsing civilization.
With the last of their strength, they arrive on Earth a long time ago, when ...
- 99
9
votes
1
answer
901
views
Novel that involves small predatory creatures quickly adapting wings
I’m fairly certain I read a book with this basic plot maybe a decade ago, the idea of it stuck in my head for so long that I’m sure I’d read it in the past.
The basic premise is that there are some ...
- 99
3
votes
1
answer
149
views
What is the first sci-fi media to discuss human evolution into a non-corporeal being?
In the novelisation of 2001 A Space Odyssey after Dave Bowman enters the TMA-2 monolith, the narrative discusses the evolution of the monolith builders from corporeal beings, to robots to non-...
- 5,937
5
votes
0
answers
101
views
1980s or 1990s art book about future of human evolution, not Man After Man
I'm trying to identify an art book about possible future evolutions of humanity, all of which were heavily modified or adapted to a specific environment or condition. It is similar in concept to "...
- 1,478
2
votes
1
answer
139
views
Identifying/remembering project about speculative evolution on another planet
Another specbio/specevo related question, though not so much about SF/F proper but a real world project
As a kid I had a copy of the Dorling-Kindersley book 'Universe: The Definitive Visual Guide' ...
- 363
6
votes
1
answer
312
views
Identifying this artwork source (and artist) of a 'future human' (NSFW)
I am not sure if this is the right place to ask, but I am trying to find the source and artist of this particular grotesque vision of what a future human would look like. I have reverse searched this ...
- 363
11
votes
1
answer
208
views
Short story about intelligence being only an evolutionary stage to ensure interstellar propagation [duplicate]
Main character is a schoolteacher on one of the first human colonies in space. He is puzzled over and concerned with the uniform lack of intellect he is observing in his students, especially since ...
- 655
15
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Short Story ID: Academy of gifted children evolve beyond us & "resign from humanity"
Short story, originally read in a short SF story anthology in jr high school library in early 80s.
Starts off with narration or presentation by a man discussing "wolf/ape children" raised by ...
- 159
0
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Manga where a male character gets disowned from his family then builds his own kingdom
I'm not sure but I know that he was disowned for having a weak "CREST" but then he gets shipped off to a deserted island. Then finds out that his crest was not trash but just that he has to ...
- 19
9
votes
1
answer
189
views
Looking for a story, from maybe the 1960's, in which an experimental world is rapidly evolved to solve problems [duplicate]
My memory is unreliable. but... What I recall is a story about someone who develops life from scratch in a small contained laboratory vessel, then accelerates evolution super fast until the life forms ...
- 93
5
votes
1
answer
255
views
Show of a guy from a human evolved future who travels back to 20th century to find other time traveler and save humanity [duplicate]
I don't remember too many details. It was a late 80s early 90's tv show. I watched dubbed to Spanish, but I think it may have been American(?).
The guy travels to the 20th century to trap someone(?) ...
- 53
10
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Old sci fi story about a ship that arrives on an alien planet and watches evolution from bacteria to whatever comes after man
I've been trying to remember a short story which I read in the 1980s in a sci-fi anthology.
I recall a ship arriving an alien planet and watching as evolution from bacteria to fish, reptile, mammal, ...
- 109
11
votes
2
answers
683
views
Why haven't Force-sensitive lineages outcompeted all others during evolution?
In the Star Wars universe, Force sensitivity is clearly (in strong part) hereditary.
Even without any training, one could assume Force sensitivity gives individuals an immense survival and ...
- 111
1
vote
1
answer
210
views
Science of Darwin's Radio and Darwin's Children
I picked up a used copy of Greg Bear's book Darwin's Children recently and read it without initially realizing that it was a sequel. I didn't find it particularly involving, so I skimmed most of the ...
user2490
16
votes
1
answer
2k
views
A short story (possibility written in the 80's), where humans visit an alien race that evolves fast?
I was from a wikipedia article. Humans discover a primitive race of aliens that are very small, whose sense of time is much more accelerated. Communication with the aliens can take hours for humans, ...
- 169
3
votes
2
answers
584
views
What was the first science fiction story that got evolution right?
Today we know that a lot of the ideas about evolution presented in early science fiction novels and short stories were based on wrong assumptions. Which is not surprising, considering that even ...
- 525
8
votes
0
answers
123
views
Interstellar pioneers that evolve according to planet
A library book that I read in the 1990s so Could be older, about different single pioneers sent to different planets and they each adapted to the environment of that planet. The main character grew ...
- 81
8
votes
1
answer
424
views
Slow starship passed by FTL starship. Upon arrival finds society has evolved past them
Probably read 30+ years ago. The book's plot is VERY similar to "Far Centaurus" by A. E. van Vogt. But when I saw it was a possible duplicate when asking the question, I read it and it is NOT the ...
- 13k
5
votes
1
answer
280
views
Is it known what conditions caused the Gungan species to diverge morphologically?
It is well known that the Gungan species is divided into two races, the Otolla and the Ankura, even to small children. However, the astonishing biological diversity of Naboo seems a subject still in ...
- 651
3
votes
1
answer
227
views
A psychic science fiction book I read in the 80's an MIT rock star that sings to a flower and it sings back
I read that story in the 80s, although it might be older.
It starts with a young genius who becomes a rock star. He's out practicing in a field, singing to a flower, when he realizes that he's ...
7
votes
2
answers
319
views
Short Story with a simple form of machine evolution [duplicate]
This story Starts out like the standard "Planet of the Apes" routine: Space voyagers from Earth get caught in some sort of warp and return to a recognizable Earth, but the civilization they knew is ...
- 71
12
votes
1
answer
905
views
Novel where humans evolve into less-intelligent species
Around 2000 I read a novel where one thread was about a far future where humans evolved into species with progressively less intelligence. The framing device for this thread was a small military team (...
- 1,208
4
votes
1
answer
144
views
Looking for paperback short story collection on human evolution published before 1960
One story in the book was about a beautiful young man who could predict the future and left a string of pregnant girlfriends to derail human evolution. The last story in the book was about a rocket ...
- 41
8
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Why aren't the Fremen concerned about their long-term future due to taking melange?
I was wondering: why aren't the Fremen worried about getting "degenerated" by taking the melange drug so as to the point do they become like the guild of navigators? At least in the first book.
- 381
8
votes
1
answer
406
views
What is the earliest work of sci-fi that features crows as an advanced/technologically evolved species?
Inspired by this news article about crows and technology evolution.
What is the earliest work of sci-fi that features crows that have evolved to near or beyond human levels of technology/advanced ...
- 12.5k
7
votes
1
answer
343
views
90s Novel About Sentient Rocks
The novel had rocks discovered on some planet that were sentient. Humans used them for cell phones. They wanted to be free and enlisted some sort of geneticist sometimes called "a bodybuilder" to ...
- 1,262
5
votes
1
answer
447
views
Sci-fi serial movie: Hyper-evolved human "queen" captured by scientists
Gosh, I dont know where to start... I watched some serial movie from some sci-fi television (I don't remember which one) the moment that I captured was when the humans captured the queen of the ...
- 71
6
votes
1
answer
383
views
Science fiction novel where inhabitants of the planet become floating spheres
I was told about an old science fiction novel, where the main character-astronaut either travels to his own planet in future or to another planet through the wormhole of some kind. Upon his arrival he ...
- 61
8
votes
0
answers
221
views
Looking for a sci-fi book name with a giant space monster swallowing a ship
I am looking for the name of a sci fi book I have read when I was a kid. Obviously I do not remember the name of the book nor the author's...
Here is a short summary of the story, spoiler ahead!
The ...
- 81
1
vote
0
answers
115
views
Short story or Novella circa 1940, 1950
Theme was man and woman (she was chosen specifically for his preferences) operating as guards or mentors as mankind was on the cusp of evolution, but did not recognize the marvels that awaited upon ...
- 67
5
votes
1
answer
257
views
Scifi anthology - Contains terraforming robots story
I took a Science Fiction class in college a few years ago (2005 or 2006) and one of the stories we read in a collection really struck me and I don't know how to track it down. The professor who taught ...
- 59
5
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Did life evolve in Star Wars, or was it created by the Force?
I was wondering how exactly life originated in the Star Wars universe. Did life arise through natural processes (eg. Darwinian evolution) like on earth, or did the Force somehow "create" life? Did ...
- 1,483
14
votes
1
answer
266
views
What book follows family groups through the history of human evolution?
I read a terrific book a few years back and would like to re-read it, but I cannot remember the title nor author.
In the story, the evolution of humans is the premise. The first ape/human's ...
- 141
3
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Why are only a tiny number of Goa'uld capable of spawning?
Goa'uld, aside from being endosymbionts, are aquatic predators that reproduce by spawning large amounts of offspring left to fend for themselves with only a few surviving to adulthood (traditionally ...
- 1,711
4
votes
0
answers
174
views
Author+title of story of planet inhabited by intelligence which makes mouse and man evolve on ship
In my youth, I’ve read countless science fiction and fantasy books. One of these, when I finished it, I felt like a part of my life ended with the end of the book, and surely there must be a sequel… ...
- 41
16
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Scientists accidentally breed super-intelligent mice
This one is really nagging me. The plot goes something like this:
Two scientists, one from the U.S., one newly escaped from the Soviet Union, have a polite argument about evolution. The former ...
- 4,750
6
votes
1
answer
300
views
story about star travel where the creatures on board evolve during the voyage
Need the name/author. I don't remember much, I'm afraid. Just fragments. I do remember reading the story assuming that the creatures on board were human, only to find out towards the end that they ...
- 69
0
votes
1
answer
518
views
Why are so many Star Wars species so similar in external anatomy? [duplicate]
There are so many different species in the Star Wars universe yet many of the sentient ones have the same general humanoid appearance: Two arms, two legs on a torso with a head on top. I'm not saying ...
- 1,829
7
votes
2
answers
859
views
The second rise of the sandworm
In God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert, Leto states that when his 'metamorphosis' into a sandworm is complete, he will return to the sand. He goes on to say that the sandworms that would come from ...
- 651
8
votes
1
answer
453
views
Planet of animals that evolve in minutes
Looking for a story that starts with quasi-intelligent life on an alien planet that evolve due to environmental pressure in minutes. All except for this one super-creature, who would defeat all others....
- 9,738
3
votes
2
answers
330
views
Searching for a scifi novel incl. Evolution, telepathy, own state/country/isle and bad ending
I think that this was a rather old novel, some children developing telepathic skills on different parts of the world, getting in contact with each other, maybe some disabled telepath, and then them ...
- 39
10
votes
1
answer
370
views
Golden Age or Pulp far-future story, where humans are artificially evolved to neutralize them
There's a story I read a long ways back in which Earth was visited by aliens who "help" humanity. They help them to evolve towards a race of introspective brains. This is in order to prevent humans ...
- 428
16
votes
2
answers
604
views
Short story where astronauts find a star to be the source of "evolution"
A group of astronauts is set to explore a distant and interesting star. They do a few experiments, one of which is to expose some guinea pigs (or other kind of rodents) to the star's light.
The crew ...
- 163
20
votes
5
answers
3k
views
Why are there parallel technologies in the Star Trek universe? [duplicate]
Is it ever explained why so many races evolve, technologically speaking, on a nearly parallel course in the Star Trek universe? Obviously their physical and social evolution was far from parallel but ...
- 1,888
3
votes
1
answer
286
views
Story where humans evolve into consciousness encased in glass, ends with a boy breaking the glass tubes?
My friend told me about a science fiction story he read where humans evolved into consciousness contained within glass tubes, and at the end of the story a boy found the glass tubes in a cave or ...
- 31
12
votes
2
answers
534
views
Title of a book - Earth invasion blocked by aliens
I'm trying to find out the title/author of a book I never finished when I was in middle school, so around the early 2000s.
In this book, Earth exists as it is today (at least in the 90s, when the ...
- 121
18
votes
1
answer
2k
views
I need help identifying a short science fiction story about cancer as human evolution
The short story was part of an anthology. A cancer clinic near a war zone receives a famous cancer patient who they attempt to cure. At the end they find a cure, but the cancer patient reveals he ...
- 183