Man Plus

About “Man Plus”

Earth is in crisis due to a lack of water and arable land, and the threat of nuclear war forces the United States to seek resources on Mars. To survive there, humans must be changed rather than altering Mars. Roger Torraway, who volunteered as an understudy to astronaut Willy Hartnett, becomes the candidate for a transformation known as Man Plus after Willy dies. Roger undergoes surgeries and changes that make him increasingly alien to those around him. His mind and body are reshaped to survive Mars, and he must succeed to save humanity. The novel, originally published in 1976, addresses environmental crisis and the question of what makes humans human. It won the Nebula Award and remains a powerful story about survival and transformation.