[kelber at mindspring.com]

Still rabidly recommending Evolution by Stephen Baxter.  Runs the gamut from pre- to post-human.

Laura

-----Original Message-----
>From: Dave Monroe <against.the.dave at gmail.com>

>
>OED Online Word of the Day
>
>post-human, adj. and n.DRAFT ENTRY Dec. 2006
>
>Brit. /psthjumn/, U.S. /pos(t)(h)jum()n/  [< POST- prefix + HUMAN adj.
>Cf. earlier PREHUMAN adj.]
>
>    A. adj.
>
>    1. Chiefly Science Fiction. Of or relating to a hypothetical
>species that might evolve from human beings, as by means of genetic or
>bionic augmentation.
>1916 M. PARMELEE Poverty & Social Progress xxi. 319 An animal no
>longer human, or for that matter mammalian, in its character... But
>even if such a post-human animal did come into existence, it is
>difficult to believe that it could carry on the necessary economic
>activities without using a certain amount of formal organization. 1934
>Times 20 Nov. 15/4 Here is no biological speculation on the means of
>getting born of oviparous parentage, like the miserable post-human
>young in the last act of Back to Methuselah. 1940 H. G. WELLS Babes in
>Darkling Wood IV. iii. 374 If Homo sapiens fails in his promise, then
>I do not care whether it is his degenerate descendants, post-human
>monsters..or whether it is totalitarian ants or rats or mice or what
>not which come next in the succession. 1995 D. COUPLAND Microserfs
>(1996) v. 241 They want to become 'posthuman'to make their bodies like
>the Bionic Woman's and the Six Million Dollar Man'sto go to the next
>level of bodyhood.
>
>    2. Designating or relating to art, music, etc., in which humanity
>or human concerns are regarded as peripheral or absent; abstract,
>impersonal, mechanistic, dispassionate.
>1944 J. KEROUAC Let. Oct. in Sel. Lett. 1940-56 (1995) 81 Hating
>himself as he does, hating his 'humankindness', he seeks new vision, a
>post-human post-intelligence. 1950 J. BERRYMAN Stephen Crane iii. 257
>It affects one as pure symbol, senseless and ghastly, like one of
>Goya's last etchings, and has the posthuman quality of certain late
>art by other masters. 1981 Time (Nexis) 25 May 86 His humor, his
>presence, his act seem not only post-funny but posthuman. 1998 K.
>ESHUM More Brilliant than Sun v. 68 Moving into the possibility space
>of hyperrhythm, posthuman rhythm that's impossible to play, impossible
>to hear in a history of causation.
>
>    B. n.    Science Fiction. A member of a hypothetical species that
>might evolve from human beings.
>1985 B. STERLING Schismatrix 26 I've met many borderline posthumans in
>my day, but never one of you. 1999 Village Voice (NY) (Nexis) 14 Dec.
>120 The posthuman is not just some Edward Scissorhands amalgamation of
>gizmos and flesh. 2002 A. M. STEELE in Asimov's Sci. Fiction May 70 A
>posthuman who had once been flesh and blood until he'd relinquished
>his humanity to have his mind downloaded into cyborg form, becoming an
>immortal intellect.
>
>Visit the OED's home page at http://www.oed.com