[?]
Croyd {/42,TG/11} [BBT]
[Berkley; 1967; X1616; $.50]
[DAW; 1980; 0879975814; $2.25] [BB]
- [Result: BM/MD?.] Incidental transformation
when one of the protagonists turns another into a Neanderthal. -42
[Ballantine; 1975; 345-24211-4-150; $1.50]
- [Result: AN.] Cause: MA Type: BX. There are several
transformations in it, some crucial to the plot. Two male characters are transformed into
a mated pair of animals, a doe and stag, then a boar and sow, then a wolf and she-wolf, as
punishment for rape. Their life as animals is described in some detail. Later, another
character is changed into an eagle or hawk (I've forgotten which) as he is dying. It's the
fourth book of a series; I think the other three may have a little incidental
transformation in them. -75
[St. Martin's; 1993; 0312928645; $?] [BB]
[New English Library; 1990; 0450536262; $3.99?] [BB]
- [Cause: RE.] Contemporary fantasy novel.
Humans are the second part of the reincarnation cycle. -79
[DAW; 1994; 0886776082; $4.99] [BB]
[UK: Granada; 1984; 0586058958; UK1.95] [BB]
- [Cause: VI Result: BX.] An experimental virus
causes transformation of humans into what they most deeply desire, usually with some
bizarre superpower. Even Watson's usual metaphysical speculations don't stop this being
rather silly, but it was probably intended to be tongue in cheek. I was half expecting to
see Picko man, capable of superhuman acts of nasal digitation. -77
[Ace; 1978; 0441520448; $1.95]
[BB]
- [Result: MP.] Catalytic agent from a returning
space probe triggers off human 'metamorphosis' The neural reorganisation gives those
affected an unusual handle on human motivation; no 'superpowers' to control people, just
insight into exactly what you have to say to make them do what you want. -77
[Avon; 1987; 0-380-75198-4; $2.95]
[Fc2/Black Ice Books; 1988; 093251118X; $8.95] [BB]
[Leisure; 1988; 0843929979; $3.95] [BB]
[Forging the Darksword:
Bantam Spectra; 1988; 0553268945; $3.95] [BB] [BBT]
[Doom Of the Darksword: Bantam
Spectra; 1988; 0553271644; $3.95] [BB] [BBT]
[Triumph Of the Darksword: Bantam
Spectra; 1988; 0553274066; $3.95] [BB] [BBT]
[Darksword Adventures: Bantam
Spectra; 1988; 055327600X; $4.50] [BB] [BBT]
[Berkley; 1967; X1407; $.60]
[in The Complete Science Fiction Treasury of H. G. Wells; Wells, H.
G.; Avenel; 1979; 051726188X; $15.00 hardback] [BB]
- [Cause: AM Result: BM.] Surgical
transformation of animals into humanoids. -42
- About a mad scientist stuck away on a deserted island in the middle of the Pacific, he
spends his time making strange and bizarre surgical modifications to animals in the hope
of discovering some secrets. -47
- There's a fairly recent Bantam Spectra edition which users of the list may find more
easily. Also some red tape: Cause: CM/AM Result: BM.
-96
[UK:Sphere; 1980-ish; ?]
- May not be quite "on topic": it's not as much on transformation per se, but
deals rather with "delusions of transformation". Throughout the story it is
never made quite clear whether any transformations have actually happened, though several
leading characters come to be convinced of the reality of the transformation. A word of
warning: due to the nature of the work, the story is heavy on dialogue and VERY spare on
action. I didn't really dislike it personally, but if you don't like philosophical
lectures disguised as fiction, you should definitely skip this one. Cause: AX(suspected) Result: MP(assumed). -96
[in The Complete Science Fiction Treasury of H. G. Wells; Wells, H.
G.; Avenel; 1979; 051726188X; $15.00 hardback] [BB]
- While not central to the story itself, this contains a well known description of the two
races of humanity, the Eloi who live in idle luxury above ground, and the dark-adapted
Morlocks who live underground. The two races are the product of divergent evolution over
the course of eight hundred thousand years. Cause:
EC Result: RM/BM. (See Spoiler
Section for more information) -96
[Bantam; 1989; 0553279238; $?] [BB]
[DAW; 1987; 0886772257; $2.95] [BB]
[Berkley; 1977; 0425038262; $2.25] [BB]
[Ace; 1985; 0441627404; $5.50] [BB]
[Canadian edition: Fontana; 1987; 0006153100; $11.95 Cdn.] [BB]
- [Cause: MA Result: BX/IN.] In T.H. White's The
Once and Future King, all the transformation (or nearly all) is in the first book, The Sword in the Stone [BBT].
This was abridged in the one-volume Berkley edition! Some of the
best transformation scenes were left out. The unabridged version (on which the Disney
movie was based) is still in print, though, from Dell (with a clip from the Disney movie
on the cover). In any case, most of the transformations involve Merlyn turning Wart
(Arthur) into various animals so that he can learn from other animals of the same sort.
These are very well-described. Also, there is Merlyn's transformation duel with Madam Mim
(which was left out of the omnibus version). -75
[Avon; 1975; 038000285X, $1.50] [BB]
[Leisure; 1992; 0843932953, $4.99] [BB]
[White Wolf; 1994; 1565040872; $5.99] [BB]
- [Result: LY.] Lycanthropy. -154 (98/02/13)
- Stories in the Werewolf: The Apocalypse gameworld. -Ph
[Pocket; 1977; 0671809121; $1.75] [BB]
- [Rating: X Cause: AS Result: RM?/PE.] I'm not
sure this is appropriate for 'transformation' but: Using cloning techniques, rather than
preserve the human race as intended, the resulting humans are transformed into a somewhat
different species with radically different mental and emotional makeups and capabilities. -50
[All Hallows Eve: ?; reprinted by William B. Eerdmans] [BBT]
[The Place of the Lion: ?; reprinted by William B. Eerdmans] [BBT]
- [Result: BM/PE.] ...There are some decidedly
odd transformations, mainly spiritual and some physical. -75
[The Dragonbone Chair: DAW;
SFBC] [BBT]
[Stone of Farewell: DAW; SFBC] [BBT]
[To Green Angel Tower: DAW; SFBC] [BBT]
- [Cause: MA.] In the second book, the evil
priest of the story learns the Words of Changing...Really good (IMHO, of course).
-45
[Tor; 1987; 0812557964; $3.50] [BB]
[Dell; 1979; 0440117461; $1.95] [BB]
[St. Martin's; 1984; 0312940785; $?] [BB]
- [Cause: NA Result: SC.] If you can find it,
[it's] very good...About a reporter in the 50s(?) who discovers that there is a race of
shapechangers that has been around since ancient times. -3
- ...And it is very good. -42
- Very slightly dated but still excellent novel about shapeshifters. -87
- [Result: LY.] Lycanthropy. -154
[Del Ray/Ballantine; 1982; 0345307457; $2.75] [BB]
[Ballantine; 1983; 0345307437; $?] [BB]
- Rating: 4 Cause:AS/GM Result: BX/RM Significance:
+ Description: + Saturation: +. A project to seed humans through the stars has many
little seed-ships launched with the genetic materials to create new humans (adapted as
necessary to alien planets) and android protectors. Technically not a transformation story
as the characters are all newly born; however, they have the memories from the lives of
the humans who designed them and they consider themselves transformed versions of their
creators, which is close enough. Very well written, and it includes some nice
characterization of Don Brink as the android Defender, with a golden body misformed due to
damage the ship sustained in flight. -104 (98/02/07)
[Bantam Spectra; 1985; 0553341707; $10.95 softcover] [BB]
- [Cause: NA Result: BM/PE.] An anthology of
stories about a shared world designed one year at WorldCon. The natives of Medea are
fox'taur like creatures that go through several physical and mental transformations during
their lives. I rather enjoyed this work, a definite plus on my list. -99
[?]
- Cause: MA Result: BX/MP. The rat in the Cinderalla
fairy tale, who is transformed into a coachman and back. In this story, the rat retains
human speech after the transformation. -Ph
[?]
[Leisure; 1993; 0843935308; $4.50] [BB]
[?]
- [Cause: CM Result: MU.] A pretty funny novel
about an Englishman who switches bodies with a boy movie star while under the influence of
a dentist's anesthetic. The switch is the whole reason for the novel, so I guess it fits
the saturation quotient. -3
[1968; ?]
- [Cause: AS Result: GC/PE.] The main character,
a female student, is tranformed into a man as a scientific experiment. The story focuses
on the mental transformation that is slowly brought about by the physical
transformation... East German TV made this into a TV movie in 1989...I don't know if
there's an English translation of this story... -74
[Villard; 1991; 067940094X; $17.00] [BB]
[The Shadow of the Torturer:
Timescape; 1980; 0671463985; $2.95] [BB] [BBT]
[The Claw of the Conciliator:
Timescape; 1981; 0671416162; $2.95] [BB] [BBT]
[The Sword of the Lictor:
Timescape; 1981; 0671499459; $3.50] [BB] [BBT]
[The Citadel of the Autarch:
Timescape; 1982; 0671496662; $3.50] [BB] [BBT]
- [Rating: 5 Result: BM/IN?.]
- One of the best sf/f ever written. Some transformation, including a robot trapped in
humanoid form, but it's not central. -42
[TOR; 1990; 0812506251; $4.95] [BB]
[Ace; 1981; 0441235018; $2.50] [BB]
[Tor; 1986; 0312937342; $?] [BB]
[?]
- ... a pretty standard future dis-utopia SF story. Though it's very short. -99
[Pageant/Random House; 1988; 0517000431; $3.50] [BB]
[?]
[Granada; 0586044485; 1977] [BB]
- [Result: GC.] A fictional 'biography' spanning
four centuries and many of the royal courts of Europe, featuring an abrupt sexual
transformation in the middle of it. Rather satirical, it's one of Virginia Woolf's most
famous novels. -49
[TOR; 1990; 0812558251; $3.95] [BB]
[1930s?]
- [Cause: AS Result: MX.]
- I've not read it or ever seen a copy, but it's supposedly one of the earliest superman
stories, as a 97 pound weakling is transformed by an experimental serum. -77
Where to from here?
Copyright © 1993-2000 Phaedrus /
Books V 
Transformation Stories List
Darkness Weaves {/171/} [BBT]
The Island of the Mighty
{75//} [BBT]
Wolf-Dreams {/Ph/} [BBT]