A.Cobley%dundee.ac.uk@ucl-cs.ARPA (10/25/85)
From: COBLEY A (on DUNDEE DEC-10) <A.Cobley%dundee.ac.uk@ucl-cs.arpa> -------- Question For any biologist out there, whats the fesability of taking genes from two females and combining them together, replanting them in a ovum and so get birth from the result. I realise that only female children could be born this way ( YY chromsone?) and this leads me to the main thrust of the question. What would a society be like if all repoduction (or most ) was done this way since the society would consist entirley of females.What would be the role of males (if any existed),would they be kept as pets? revired?, or treated as equals (they would certainly have 'abnormal' sexual disires as far as the rest of society was concerned, unless you use two male genes and find a kindly womb donor.) Any one know of any stories based on this? Any ideas on the fesability, society, role of men. ttfn andy. A.COBLEY%DUNDEE@UCL.CS --------
samson@h-sc1.UUCP (gregory samson) (10/27/85)
In article <215@caip.RUTGERS.EDU> A.Cobley%dundee.ac.uk@ucl-cs.ARPA writes: > Question > For any biologist out there, whats the fesability of >taking genes from two females and combining them together, replanting >them in a ovum and so get birth from the result. I realise that only >female children could be born this way ( YY chromsone?) and this leads >me to the main thrust of the question. Before the main thrust, let me get in a slight parry. It's not necessary to have genes from two females to combine together; all you need is a way to stimulate the egg to divide. That way, you can get variety by using the eggs from many and various women. > What would a society be like if all repoduction (or most ) was >done this way since the society would consist entirley of females.What >would be the role of males (if any existed),would they be kept as pets? >revired?, or treated as equals (they would certainly have 'abnormal' >sexual disires as far as the rest of society was concerned, unless you >use two male genes and find a kindly womb donor.) > Any one know of any stories based on this? > andy. >A.COBLEY%DUNDEE@UCL.CS Something similar to this existed in E. E. Smith's books, in the culture of Lyrane II. It wasn't purely women in the sense that you state; instead, "males" (not men) are described as "dwarfs about 30 inches tall" and they are "not regarded as people, at birth or at any subsequent time." (The frequency of male birth is about 1 in 100.) They are nearly unintelligent, since all they are needed for is "the fundamental necessity of reproducing the completely dominant female." Women are referred to as "persons" (since males are not persons and do not exist in society). They use males simply as adjuncts to breeding, after which the male is disposed of. The concept of "female" does not exist to the women, since they do not consider themselves the opposites of males; indeed, they barely acknowledge their existence. I have no way of being certain, but I think this might have been a clever stab at the pulp-fiction stories involving one lone spaceman on a planet of women. All that the "persons" of Lyrane II feel for the ultra-macho Kim Kinnison is revulsion! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- G. T. Samson The Evil MicroWizard gts@wjh12.HARVARD.EDU
chabot@miles.DEC (10/29/85)
> What would a society be like if all repoduction (or most ) was > done this way since the society would consist entirley of females.What > would be the role of males (if any existed),would they be kept as pets? > revired?, or treated as equals (they would certainly have 'abnormal' > sexual disires as far as the rest of society was concerned, unless you > use two male genes and find a kindly womb donor.) > Any one know of any stories based on this? > Any ideas on the fesability, society, role of men. > > ttfn > andy. > A.COBLEY%DUNDEE@UCL.CS This isn't too new an idea, and yes, there are stories about it. Check out The Female Man by Joanna Russ. Also, "Houston, Houston, ..." (erp, here I am again, typing without my library with toe's reach) by James Tiptree, Jr who we know is really Dr. A. Sheldon, although this one may not give you a good idea about what the society is like.
norman@lasspvax.UUCP (Norman Ramsey) (10/30/85)
THe only story I know of which deals intelligibly with a society based on
fusion of ova is "When it Changed" by joanna Russ. A wonderful story it is,
too.
(SPOILER WARNING)
James Tiptree's "Houston, Houston, do you Read" postulates a single-sex
society based on cloning. Very interestingly worked out; the people in the
society are all busily exploring the possibilities of their genome. For
example, "Lucy's" talk a lot (I think it's Lucys). Personally I think such a
society is stuck in a genetic dead end, but the ideas are fascinating and
the stoy itself is very good.
--
Norman Ramsey
ARPA: norman@lasspvax -- or -- norman%lasspvax@cu-arpa.cs.cornell.edu
UUCP: {ihnp4,allegra,...}!cornell!lasspvax!norman
BITNET: (in desperation only) ZSYJ at CORNELLA
US Mail: Dept Physics, Clark Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
Telephone: (607)-256-3944 (work) (607)-272-7750 (home)mff@wuphys.UUCP (Swamp Thing) (10/30/85)
In article <215@caip.RUTGERS.EDU> A.Cobley%dundee.ac.uk@ucl-cs.ARPA writes: > For any biologist out there, whats the fesability of >taking genes from two females and combining them together, replanting >them in a ovum and so get birth from the result. > > Any one know of any stories based on this? I know I have read a short story like this. Some colony got hit by a plague which killed all of the men. The women figured out a way to fertilize each other. A long time later, a "rescue team" shows up, consisting of some men. They knew that there were only women left, and expected to be jumped all over by the women. The showed up making snide remarks about how the women must be really lonley, etc. But the women had no idea what they were talking about. Unfortunately, I don't remenber who wrote it or what the title was, but it might have been in one of the Dangerous Visions books. Mark F. Flynn Department of Physics Washington University St. Louis, MO 63130 ihnp4!wuphys!mff ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "There is no dark side of the moon, really. Matter of fact, it's all dark." P. Floyd
john@moncol.UUCP (John Ruschmeyer) (10/31/85)
In article <215@caip.RUTGERS.EDU> A.Cobley%dundee.ac.uk@ucl-cs.ARPA writes: > For any biologist out there, whats the fesability of >taking genes from two females and combining them together, replanting >them in a ovum and so get birth from the result. > > Any one know of any stories based on this? Not exactly, but... One of the secretaries here was talking about a book she read called MR. ADAM. It was apparently written in the late 40's and concerned a nuclear accident which left the male population of the earth sterile, except for one man. As she explained it, the book concerned the government's efforts at repopulation via this one man. BTW, she said the book was hilarious. (Anyone with a pointer to finding a copy?) -- Name: John Ruschmeyer US Mail: Monmouth College, W. Long Branch, NJ 07764 Phone: (201) 571-3451 *** NEW NUMBER *** UUCP: ...!vax135!petsd!moncol!john ...!princeton!moncol!john ...!pesnta!moncol!john "...I don't imagine being a supernatural being is much fun since people probably would be more reluctant to invite me to parties." - Gene Spafford
mcdaniel@uiucdcsb.CS.UIUC.EDU (10/31/85)
On a related theme, there's "The Crime and the Glory of Commander Sudzul", by the late Cordwainer Smith (actually the late Paul Linebarger, I think). *** SPOILER *** On a new colony, femininity becomes carcinogenic (say THAT three times fast!), and some fancy genetic engineering has to be done. Unfortunately, it seems to me to be rather homophobic: more would spoil too much.
hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) (11/01/85)
> What would a society be like if all repoduction (or most ) was > done this way since the society would consist entirley of females.What > would be the role of males (if any existed),would they be kept as pets? > revired?, or treated as equals (they would certainly have 'abnormal' > sexual disires as far as the rest of society was concerned, unless you > use two male genes and find a kindly womb donor.) > Any one know of any stories based on this? I can think of one such story in which the society was all male with no females at all. The story is "The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal" by Cordwainer Smith (aka Dr. Paul Linebarger) and appears in at least two collections of his work. Reversing the theme is Ursula Leguin's _The Left Hand of Darkness_, about a society where everyone is a fully functional hermaphrodite. Also with that theme is _Venus Plus X_ by Theodore Sturgeon(?). -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe) Citicorp(+)TTI Common Sense is what tells you that a ten 3100 Ocean Park Blvd. pound weight falls ten times as fast as a Santa Monica, CA 90405 one pound weight. (213) 450-9111, ext. 2483 {philabs,randvax,trwrb,vortex}!ttidca!ttidcc!hollombe
ayers@convexs.UUCP (11/01/85)
> Question > For any biologist out there, whats the fesability of >taking genes from two females and combining them together, replanting >them in a ovum and so get birth from the result. I realise that only >female children could be born this way ( YY chromsone?) and this leads >me to the main thrust of the question. You might look up some of the research being done on nature's version of this: parthenogenesis. <it works with mammals, too> blues, II
jody@inuxd.UUCP (JoLinda Ross) (11/07/85)
> From: COBLEY A (on DUNDEE DEC-10) <A.Cobley%dundee.ac.uk@ucl-cs.arpa> > Question > For any biologist out there, whats the fesability of > taking genes from two females and combining them together, replanting > them in a ovum and so get birth from the result. I realise that only > female children could be born this way ( YY chromsone?) and this leads > me to the main thrust of the question. > What would a society be like if all repoduction (or most ) was > done this way since the society would consist entirley of females.What > would be the role of males (if any existed),would they be kept as pets? > revired?, or treated as equals (they would certainly have 'abnormal' > sexual disires as far as the rest of society was concerned, unless you > use two male genes and find a kindly womb donor.) > Any one know of any stories based on this? > Any ideas on the fesability, society, role of men. > > ttfn > andy. > A.COBLEY%DUNDEE@UCL.CS > -------- I am glad this subject was brought up. I had no idea so much had been written on this subject, so I am making a list of books to read. I was wondering if there are any stories of this type taking place on earth. For example, a country or area on earth decided to use advance technology to reproduce. I have often thought of story line along this topic. The closer I bring the time period to the present the more trouble the caraters get into. Since I'm no writer, I would like to read someone elses work. Joland