THE REDISCOVERY OF MAN By Cordwainer Smith

Published : 1975
Pages : 377
Overall Mark : 8/10

The Instrumentality, the central government of humanity, have created a form of human called Scanners, who for most of the time are without emotion and can feel no pain, their primary use being to pilot ships through interstellar space. As the years go by, the Instrumentality decides to also utilise animals – mixed with human DNA – to further their works in space to an exponential degree.

In this series of short stories, loosely held together through a future where humans have been split into subgroups, partly made up from genetically engineered animals, an incredibly descriptive future landscape has been designed which is rich in character and design. Every story herein can be read on its own, but it makes for a great read to go through each one and experience the vast parabola of characters and situations that unfold.