| A Different Flesh | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Author | Harry Turtledove |
| Cover artist | Ray Mel Cornelious |
| Subject(s) | Alternate History |
| Publisher | Congdon and Weed |
| Publication date | 1988 |
A Different Flesh is a collection of related short stories by Harry Turtledove. Based on the idea that Homo erectus ("sims" in the text) and megafauna survived in North America, due to the absence of indigenous humans, the stories chronicle the move toward the recognition of the sims as intelligent beings with rights. Originally published by Congdon & Weed in 1988, it was first published in paperback by Worldwide the following year. In 1994, Baen reprinted the book. The book includes an introduction written by Dr. Isaac Asimov. Most of the short stories were originally published in issues of Analog: Science Fiction and Fact. "Trapping Run" was originally published in Asimov's Science Fiction.
1994 Baen edition.
Plot summary[]
"Vilest Beast"[]
1610: At the English colony of Jamestown, Virginia, Edward Wingfield must rescue his infant daughter from the tribe of wild sims who kidnapped her. The opening passages reveal that Captain John Smith was killed and eaten by sims in 1607.
"And So To Bed"[]
1661: The story is made up of a series of entries in Samuel Pepys' diary. Pepys owns two sims (which can easily be trained in household chores) and contemplates the origin of the species. By watching these sims, as well as observing various other animals found in North America, Pepys develops the transformational theory of life, which supposes that sims and "men" had a common ancestor.
Only one of the diary entries in the story has a corresponding entry in the real diary Pepys kept.
"Around the Salt Lick"[]
In 1691, Thomas Kenton, a scout from Virginia and descendant of Edward Wingfield, and his faithful sim companion Charles, explore the interior of North America. Kenton is after the teeth of the spearfang cats that populate the area. He is captured by a group of wild sims, and must hope that Charles will rescue him. The story structure is reminiscent of James Fenimore Cooper.
Cover of the 2018 edition.
"The Iron Elephant"[]
1782: The first steam-driven train is invented by Richard Trevithick in Plymouth Commonwealth. A race is held in a commonwealth bordering the New Nile starting in Springfield and ending in Cairo, with one of the hairy elephant-pulled trains they threaten to replace.
- The story has some parallels to the legend of John Henry.
- In this story it is learned that England's American colonies broke off into a new nation - the Federated Commonwealths of America - in 1738, and westward expansion began much sooner than in our history, due to the lack of indigenous humans in the regions to be colonized. Instead, the development of a tyrannical absolutist monarchy during the 17th century is cited as the chief reason for colonial secession.
- The FCA has more Roman attributes than the USA. For example, its system of currency is mentioned as consisting of units called sesters and denaires (presumably FCA equivalents of US cents and dollars).
"Though the Heavens Fall"[]
1804: A house-slave named Jeremiah goes on trial for running away, and his attorney presents the argument that, with the existence of sims, there is no need for human beings to enslave other human beings. They are successful, and the court's decision leads to the emancipation of all human slaves. There are echoes of the historical Dred Scott Decision.
- Further Roman attributes of the FCA include a two-headed executive branch (Censors, analogous to the Roman Consuls), and a Senate whose members have lifetime tenures. Unlike the Roman system, there is an elected assembly to check the Senate's power. The executive branch is said to be very inefficient, as there have been times when each Censor constantly vetoes each bill which the other supports.
"Trapping Run"[]
1812: Henry Quick, a trapper operating west of the Rocky Mountains, is wounded by a bear and is nursed back to health by sims in exchange for making tools such as cups and bows and arrows. While there, he ends up involuntarily impregnating one of the sims, resulting in a Sim-Human hybrid. However, his interference in a challenge to the leadership of the sim tribe, resulting in a fatality, forces Quick to leave. His time among the sims makes him far more sympathetic to them, leading him to establish the sim justice movement.
"Freedom"[]
1988: A group of sim justice activists, including Melody Porter, a descendant of Henry Quick, "rescue" Matt, a sim deliberately infected with HIV, from a medical lab with the intention of releasing him into a sim preserve. Having failed to take enough HIV inhibitor serum to preserve Matt's health, the activists are eventually forced to return Matt to the researchers.
Both sides of the sim testing argument are portrayed sympathetically, leaving the reader to decide which is morally preferable.
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