Science fiction novels about a solar system spanning civilisation where people change their bodies at will












5















I think I read this around 20 years ago, but I may be off on that.



It's a series about a future human society where people can go into tanks to regrow their bodies according to various commercial templates. The templates have largely replaced other types of fashion and status symbol. IIRC the protagonist is a detective of some kind who investigates unlicensed and illegal templates. There's a key plot point around some kind of illegal form (possibly giant lizards?) being found at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.










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    Can't answer now, but scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/53930/…

    – FuzzyBoots
    1 hour ago











  • Thanks, that's it

    – Dave
    1 hour ago






  • 3





    Possible duplicate of SF novel where body swapping/modification is widespread

    – Dijkgraaf
    1 hour ago
















5















I think I read this around 20 years ago, but I may be off on that.



It's a series about a future human society where people can go into tanks to regrow their bodies according to various commercial templates. The templates have largely replaced other types of fashion and status symbol. IIRC the protagonist is a detective of some kind who investigates unlicensed and illegal templates. There's a key plot point around some kind of illegal form (possibly giant lizards?) being found at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.










share|improve this question









New contributor




Dave is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
















  • 1





    Can't answer now, but scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/53930/…

    – FuzzyBoots
    1 hour ago











  • Thanks, that's it

    – Dave
    1 hour ago






  • 3





    Possible duplicate of SF novel where body swapping/modification is widespread

    – Dijkgraaf
    1 hour ago














5












5








5








I think I read this around 20 years ago, but I may be off on that.



It's a series about a future human society where people can go into tanks to regrow their bodies according to various commercial templates. The templates have largely replaced other types of fashion and status symbol. IIRC the protagonist is a detective of some kind who investigates unlicensed and illegal templates. There's a key plot point around some kind of illegal form (possibly giant lizards?) being found at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.










share|improve this question









New contributor




Dave is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.












I think I read this around 20 years ago, but I may be off on that.



It's a series about a future human society where people can go into tanks to regrow their bodies according to various commercial templates. The templates have largely replaced other types of fashion and status symbol. IIRC the protagonist is a detective of some kind who investigates unlicensed and illegal templates. There's a key plot point around some kind of illegal form (possibly giant lizards?) being found at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.







story-identification novel transhuman






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edited 1 hour ago









Stormblessed

2,348837




2,348837






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asked 2 hours ago









DaveDave

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  • 1





    Can't answer now, but scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/53930/…

    – FuzzyBoots
    1 hour ago











  • Thanks, that's it

    – Dave
    1 hour ago






  • 3





    Possible duplicate of SF novel where body swapping/modification is widespread

    – Dijkgraaf
    1 hour ago














  • 1





    Can't answer now, but scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/53930/…

    – FuzzyBoots
    1 hour ago











  • Thanks, that's it

    – Dave
    1 hour ago






  • 3





    Possible duplicate of SF novel where body swapping/modification is widespread

    – Dijkgraaf
    1 hour ago








1




1





Can't answer now, but scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/53930/…

– FuzzyBoots
1 hour ago





Can't answer now, but scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/53930/…

– FuzzyBoots
1 hour ago













Thanks, that's it

– Dave
1 hour ago





Thanks, that's it

– Dave
1 hour ago




3




3





Possible duplicate of SF novel where body swapping/modification is widespread

– Dijkgraaf
1 hour ago





Possible duplicate of SF novel where body swapping/modification is widespread

– Dijkgraaf
1 hour ago










1 Answer
1






active

oldest

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8














That would be Sight of Proteus, by Charles Sheffield. The main character works in the office of Form Control that regulates (and investigates, where it has been misused) purposeful Form Control.



An early plot involves 'Monsters' found, as you mentioned in the Mariana Trench that turn out to be regular humans (spacers) who were infected by a virus from one of the other planets in our solar system; when they went into change units for a quick refreshing, the virus took control, and tried to turn them into it's proper host -- the system being geared to handle humans, they died partway through.






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  • That's the one, thank you.

    – Dave
    1 hour ago











  • FAST!!! Good job +1

    – Stormblessed
    1 hour ago






  • 1





    @Stormblessed - Thanks; but I had an advantage -- as you will see in the possible dup link; I answered that one too, although that was 5 years ago :)

    – K-H-W
    1 hour ago












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1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes








1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes









8














That would be Sight of Proteus, by Charles Sheffield. The main character works in the office of Form Control that regulates (and investigates, where it has been misused) purposeful Form Control.



An early plot involves 'Monsters' found, as you mentioned in the Mariana Trench that turn out to be regular humans (spacers) who were infected by a virus from one of the other planets in our solar system; when they went into change units for a quick refreshing, the virus took control, and tried to turn them into it's proper host -- the system being geared to handle humans, they died partway through.






share|improve this answer


























  • That's the one, thank you.

    – Dave
    1 hour ago











  • FAST!!! Good job +1

    – Stormblessed
    1 hour ago






  • 1





    @Stormblessed - Thanks; but I had an advantage -- as you will see in the possible dup link; I answered that one too, although that was 5 years ago :)

    – K-H-W
    1 hour ago
















8














That would be Sight of Proteus, by Charles Sheffield. The main character works in the office of Form Control that regulates (and investigates, where it has been misused) purposeful Form Control.



An early plot involves 'Monsters' found, as you mentioned in the Mariana Trench that turn out to be regular humans (spacers) who were infected by a virus from one of the other planets in our solar system; when they went into change units for a quick refreshing, the virus took control, and tried to turn them into it's proper host -- the system being geared to handle humans, they died partway through.






share|improve this answer


























  • That's the one, thank you.

    – Dave
    1 hour ago











  • FAST!!! Good job +1

    – Stormblessed
    1 hour ago






  • 1





    @Stormblessed - Thanks; but I had an advantage -- as you will see in the possible dup link; I answered that one too, although that was 5 years ago :)

    – K-H-W
    1 hour ago














8












8








8







That would be Sight of Proteus, by Charles Sheffield. The main character works in the office of Form Control that regulates (and investigates, where it has been misused) purposeful Form Control.



An early plot involves 'Monsters' found, as you mentioned in the Mariana Trench that turn out to be regular humans (spacers) who were infected by a virus from one of the other planets in our solar system; when they went into change units for a quick refreshing, the virus took control, and tried to turn them into it's proper host -- the system being geared to handle humans, they died partway through.






share|improve this answer















That would be Sight of Proteus, by Charles Sheffield. The main character works in the office of Form Control that regulates (and investigates, where it has been misused) purposeful Form Control.



An early plot involves 'Monsters' found, as you mentioned in the Mariana Trench that turn out to be regular humans (spacers) who were infected by a virus from one of the other planets in our solar system; when they went into change units for a quick refreshing, the virus took control, and tried to turn them into it's proper host -- the system being geared to handle humans, they died partway through.







share|improve this answer














share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer








edited 1 hour ago

























answered 1 hour ago









K-H-WK-H-W

51.9k7199250




51.9k7199250













  • That's the one, thank you.

    – Dave
    1 hour ago











  • FAST!!! Good job +1

    – Stormblessed
    1 hour ago






  • 1





    @Stormblessed - Thanks; but I had an advantage -- as you will see in the possible dup link; I answered that one too, although that was 5 years ago :)

    – K-H-W
    1 hour ago



















  • That's the one, thank you.

    – Dave
    1 hour ago











  • FAST!!! Good job +1

    – Stormblessed
    1 hour ago






  • 1





    @Stormblessed - Thanks; but I had an advantage -- as you will see in the possible dup link; I answered that one too, although that was 5 years ago :)

    – K-H-W
    1 hour ago

















That's the one, thank you.

– Dave
1 hour ago





That's the one, thank you.

– Dave
1 hour ago













FAST!!! Good job +1

– Stormblessed
1 hour ago





FAST!!! Good job +1

– Stormblessed
1 hour ago




1




1





@Stormblessed - Thanks; but I had an advantage -- as you will see in the possible dup link; I answered that one too, although that was 5 years ago :)

– K-H-W
1 hour ago





@Stormblessed - Thanks; but I had an advantage -- as you will see in the possible dup link; I answered that one too, although that was 5 years ago :)

– K-H-W
1 hour ago










Dave is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.










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