Browse Fiction
"Soroche" in Ship Fever (1996) by Andrea Barrett 
An anecdote about Darwin's travels prompts a widow to alter her lifestyle.
"Behavior of Hawkweeds, The" in Ship Fever (1996) by Andrea Barrett
Short story that blends an account of Mendel's experiments into the history of a contemporary couple's marriage.
"Birds With No Feet" in Ship Fever (1996) by Andrea Barrett 
Explorer who sees parallels between his life and Alfred Wallace's imagines a rivalry between them as each hopes to uncover the secret of fabled feetless birds.
"Dancing on Air" in Beaker's Dozen (1998) by Nancy Kress
Bioenhancements expose the limitations of ballet dancers, and of ballet as an aesthetic form.
"English Pupil, The" in Ship Fever (1996) by Andrea Barrett
An aging Linnaeus attempts to retain his memories through a classificatory system.
"Evolution" in Beaker's Dozen (1998) by Nancy Kress
Short story about future effects of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
"Little C" in Clones and Clones (1998) by Martha C Nussbaum
This elegant story assesses the complex emotional ramifications that result from cloning a child to replace a deceased spouse.
"Margin of Error" in Beaker's Dozen (1998) by Nancy Kress 
Machines implanted to maintain youth have fatal consequences
"Morpho Eugenia" in Angels and Insects (1992) by A. S. Byatt
Debates about Darwin and religion animate this novella set in 1860 England.
"Sex Education" in Beaker's Dozen (1998) by Nancy Kress
Young girl discovers she has been cloned when one of the clones goes "awry."
Adulthood Rites: Book Two of the Xenogenesis Series (1988) by Octavia Butler
Kidnapped from his Oankali family, Akin bonds with factions resisting the alien intervention in human reproduction and promises to aid them in their quest for autonomy.
All Over Creation (2003) by Ruth Ozeki
A radical group protesting genetically engineered foods and a fractured family dedicated to organic seed production converge on an Idaho potato farm.
Beaker’s Dozen (1998) by Nancy Kress
These thirteen short stories question the effects of genetic engineering, and whether technology should be used simply because it is available.
Beggars and Choosers (1994) by Nancy Kress
Beggars and Choosers, an “independent sequel” to Kress’s Beggars in Spain , traces the interlocking stories of three main characters—a Donkey, a Liver, and a Liver-Sleepless hybrid working with the SuperSleepless—in the year 2114, thirteen years after the action of the first book.
Beggars in Spain (1993) by Nancy Kress
The first novel in a science fiction trilogy explores both the
potential positives and negatives of human genetic modification.
Boys From Brazil, The (1976) by Ira Levin
Dr. Mengele creates a horde of Hitler clones in hopes of recreating the Third Reich.
Brave New World (1932) by Aldous Huxley
Classic dystopia about a society that genetically engineers people to fit their social positions.
Cast of Shadows (2005) by Kevin Guilfoile
When his daughter is brutally murdered, Dr. Davis Moore becomes obsessed with the prospect of one day learning the killer’s identity, using a sample of her killer’s DNA to create a clone.
Chromosome 6 (1997) by Robin Cook 
Thriller about transgenic animals created to provide organs for rich clients.
Cloning of Joanna May, The (1990) by Faye Weldon 
After she discovers that her husband had her cloned thirty years before, Joanna becomes interested in finding her clones and living vicariously through their very different lives.
Cloud Atlas (2004) by David Mitchell
A series of interlocking tales that span generations examine social and biological developments through the complex interaction of genetic transformations and collective philosophies.
Crystal Age, A (1888) by W. H. Hudson
A botanist on an expedition finds himself wandering around a strange land with hyperintelligent animals and apparently ageless humans.
Darwin's Children (2003) by Greg Bear
As fear and prejudice shape social reactions to a newly evolved generation of children, Stella rejects her parents for her evolved brethren.
Darwin's Radio (1999) by Greg Bear
An ancient retrovirus long dormant in human genes activates, causing a rash of miscarriages that presage the births of a new species of humans, one which evokes terror and confusion from an unprepared society.
Dawn: Book One of the Xenogenesis Series (1987) by Octavia Butler
An alien race rescues the survivors of nuclear war, reawakening them when Earth is once more habitable and offering them the chance to improve the human species by combining alien DNA with existing human genes.
Family Tree, The (2005) by Carole Cadwalladr
When faced with personal tragedy, Rebecca Monroe must consider whether she carries a genetic trait that explains the behavior of several generations of Monroe women.
From the Depths (Star Trek) - (1993) by Victor Milan
Star Trek novel that is distinctive for its positive treatment of genetic engineering.
Glory Season (1993) by David Brin
An outcast from her society because she is a genetic variant (“var”), Maia tries to find a place in a matriarchal, clone-prevalent world that sees her as superfluous.
Gold Bug Variations, The (1991) by Richard Powers
After the death of a once promising geneticist Stuart Ressler, his friend Jan studies genetics to better understand his life, and discovers that Ressler’s interest in Bach’s “Goldberg Variations” helped him to comprehend intricate genetic structures.
He, She, It (1991) by Marge Piercy
Shira falls in love with a cyborg named Yod who has been created to protect her hometown’s Net base.
Heredity (2003) by Jenny Davidson
Elizabeth Mann decides to give birth to 18th-century criminal Jonathan Wild’s clone.
Imago: Book Three of the Xenogenesis Series (1989) by Octavia Butler
Jodahs bridges the gap between alien Oankalis and non-modified humans.
Island of Dr. Moreau, The (1896) by H. G. Wells
Victorian science fiction about human-animal hybrids
Jurassic Park (1990) by Michael Crichton
Dinosaur DNA is harvested to create an amusement park of clones.
Legacy of Cain, The (1888) by Wilkie Collins
Can an adopted daughter be distinguished based on amoral behaviors inherited from her mother?
Mendel's Dwarf (1998) by Simon Mawer
Dr. Benedict Lambert isolates the gene for achondroplasia, but now must decide whether to use his newfound knowledge to genetically “perfect” his offspring.
Methuselah's Children (1958) by Robert Heinlein
The Howard's families, gifted with longevity through generations of eugenic experimentation, flee the galaxy to avoid persecution and death.
Middlesex (2002) by Jeffrey Eugenides
While explaining his female-to-male transition, Cal Stephanides explains how his hermaphroditism arose from mutations in the family’s gene pool, and how his apparent gender role conflicts with his biologically-determined one.
Mr. Darwin's Shooter (1998) by Roger MacDonald
Syms Covington recounts his experiences as Charles Darwin’s loyal assistant during the Beagle voyage and the composition of The Origin of Species.
My Sister’s Keeper (2004) by Jodi Picoult
Conceived as an allogenic donor for her sister, Anna decides to take legal action to protect her body from further medical procedures.
Neanderthal (1996) by John Darnton
Archaeologists stumble upon a community of prehistoric Neanderthals living in remote European caves.
Never Let Me Go (2005) by Kazuo Ishiguro
Children cloned and raised as organ donors prepare to give their lives in fulfillment of their socially-designated purpose.
Next (2006) by Michael Crichton
Crichton depicts a world identical to our own—except for the transgenic animals, gene theft, rampant gene patenting, genetic profiling in divorce/custody hearings, genetic mutation as art, and more.
Oryx and Crake (2003) by Margaret Atwood
After Jimmy’s friend Crake unleashes a manufactured supervirus, Jimmy must protect the sole survivors from dangerous transgenic creatures and bioengineered diseases.
Philosophical Investigation, A (1992) by Phillip Kerr
This provocative detective fiction raises troubling issues about gender and racial stereotypes in a society where genetic profiling has become commonplace.
Saturday (2005) by Ian McEwan
Henry Perowne encounters a man whose dangerous disease, rooted in a genetic abnormality, threatens both him and his family.
Schismatrix Plus (1996) by Bruce Sterling
Abelard Lindsay uses training to navigate Schismatrix, a universe composed of cyborgs Mechanists, bioengineered Shapers and alien Investors.
Secret, The (1992) by Eva Hoffman
When Iris discovers that she is her mother’s clone, she leaves home to try and forge an individual identity.
Seedling Stars, The (1958) by James Blish
When Earth’s resources become strained from overpopulation, scientists bioengineer a humanoid species capable of survival on other planets.
Ship Fever (1996) by Andrea Barrett
A series of short fiction traces connections between the lives of early evolutionary theorists and their contemporary counterparts.
Soul (2006) by Tobsha Learner
Learner’s novel follows the lives of two related women: one a Victorian wife who murders her husband, the other a twenty-first century geneticist searching for the mutant gene that allows people to kill without remorse.
The Coming Race (1871) by Edward Bulwer-Lytton
An evolved, superhuman community lives beneath the Earth's surface
The Experiment (1999) by John Darnton
Skyler discovers that he is a clone meant to provide “spare parts” for a rogue scientist’s child.
The Giver (1993) by Lois Lowry
When Jonas turns twelve, he is selected to receive the memories of his highly regulated community -- and the process reveals disturbing truths about his origins.
The Lost World (1995) by Michael Crichton
An alternate site to Jurassic Park exists, one still populated by dinosaurs who appear to have recreate the ecological balance of prehistoric periods.
The Time Machine (1895) by H.G. Wells
When a Victorian scientist travels into the future in his time machine, he discovers that the human race has split into two species: the beautiful, peaceful but weak Eloi and the dangerous, animalistic Morlocks.
Time Enough For Love (1973) by Robert Heinlein
Lazarus Long, oldest living member of the Howard Families, has become tired of his genetically-acquired and artificially-enhanced longevity, and seeks new adventures to justify his continued existence.
Wetware (2002) by Craig Nova
In the year 2026, Hal Briggs engineers human and animal life by encoding biology into digital form. But when two special prototypes escape, the trouble begins.
White Teeth (2000) by Zadie Smith
Oppositional forces from religious and political groups converge around the genetically modified FutureMouse, revealing in the process the inherited and environmental motivations that inform these positions.