description A Different Flesh Overview
A Different Flesh is a 1988 fix-up novel by Harry Turtledove, assembled from linked stories set between the early colonial period and the late twentieth century. Its point of divergence is that Homo erectus, called “sims” in the narrative, occupies the Americas instead of Homo sapiens before European colonization, and Pleistocene megafauna also survives. The book uses successive historical episodes to examine colonization, slavery, science, law, and the changing status assigned to another human species.
help A Different Flesh FAQ
What is the point of divergence in A Different Flesh?
A Different Flesh imagines that Homo erectus reached and occupied the Americas instead of Homo sapiens alone. The surviving Homo erectus people are called “sims” in the novel.
What time period does A Different Flesh cover?
The linked stories range from the early colonial period to the late twentieth century. Together they show how the presence of the sims changes American history over several centuries.
Is A Different Flesh a single continuous novel?
It is a 1988 fix-up novel assembled from connected stories by Harry Turtledove. The separate episodes share the same alternate world and build a long historical arc.
What social issue does A Different Flesh explore?
The book examines colonialism, slavery, racism, and the treatment of an intelligent nonhuman population. The sims function as a mirror for human prejudice and changing ideas about personhood.
explore Explore More
Reviews & Comments
Write a Review
Be the first to review
Share your thoughts with the community and help others make better decisions.
