Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books

[David Morris]

I've mentioned this book before when SciFi gets mentioned here:

*The Child Garden* by Geoff Ryman

Well written, thought provoking, and funny.

http://www.sfsite.com/09b/cg232.htm

In a future world where the cure for cancer had the unfortunate
side-effect of increasing the speed of ageing rapidly, children must
become adults within a few years after birth. Genetically engineered
viruses that transfer knowledge are used to cut childhood as short as
possible. But Milena Shibush turns out to be immune. Learning things
the hard way, she's also not bound by the social conformity spread by
the omnipresent viruses. When Milena meets the outsider master-singer
Rolfa, she falls in love with the strange, genetically engineered
creature. Since homosexuality is regarded as "bad grammar" and
therefore something to be cured by virus, Milena keeps her affection a
secret -- even from Rolfa. However, as she's found out, it turns out
that Milena's unique immunity to most viruses may be just the thing
the ruling "Consensus" has been looking for to make another step in
its evolution...