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Copernick's Rebellion
When Heinrich Copernick and Martin Guibedo discover that their latest inventions can free humanity from want and oppressive governments forever, they come up with a scheme that can only lead to disaster
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 27, 2025
Copernick's Rebellion is a tech-heavy extrapolation of the possible effects of genetic manipulation and nanotechnology on contemporary society. Some of the humor falls a little flat and Frankowski had a wide streak of chauvinism, but it's a thought-provoking story. Frankowski wasn't a great writer, but he focused on big ideas and wrung just about every drop of speculation out of them. This one's an easy read (compared to his Conrad series), and I enjoyed it.
May 18, 2016
In 1940, thirty year-old Martin Guibedo escaped Germany with his only surviving family member, his crippled five year-old nephew Heinrich Copernick. Both men became masters of genetic engineering, Martin specializing in plants, and his nephew Heinrich in animal life forms.
Martin designs and freely distributes his proud creation to save the human race, tree houses. These houses are literally trees, genetically modified to have rooms, beds, chairs, cupboards that grow food, and of course, composting toilets. A tiny problem develops when the first version of the house eats its occupants. Oops. Heinrich's big creations are LDUs, sentient worker beasts that look like walking tables with eight eyes; fauns, cute little half girls-half goats who educate and care for human young; and TRACs, large sentient creatures designed to act in the stead of trucks or buses.
When the dynamic duo's designs begin to interfere with the status quo of the major political and economic powers of the earth; of course it means war. Heinrich, when not genetically modifying himself into a giant stud-muffin and growing his own Pam Anderson-like wife, has been preparing for this eventuality. When the two scientists unleash metal-eating microbes, the compost really hits the fan.
I agree with Connie Willis that great science fiction comes from taking a hypothesis and drawing it out to its most logical or most absurd conclusion. Leo Frankowski does just that in this book, letting the Polish uncle-nephew duo have complete free reign to design whatever absurd thing they can dream up without any real repercussions; universe builders remaking the earth as they want it. The humans in the story do not have much character development, but the little faun, Liebchen, and the LDU, Dirk, are really endearing as they grow and change in the struggle to understand human morality and ethics.
I am surprised this book is so obscure; it is my favorite Frankowski book. If you have read any of his Conrad Stargard novels, you already know that the book is full of plenty of whiz-bang, neato ideas, male chauvinism, puns, but is overall a rollicking fun read. Hard to put down until the last page is turned.
Martin designs and freely distributes his proud creation to save the human race, tree houses. These houses are literally trees, genetically modified to have rooms, beds, chairs, cupboards that grow food, and of course, composting toilets. A tiny problem develops when the first version of the house eats its occupants. Oops. Heinrich's big creations are LDUs, sentient worker beasts that look like walking tables with eight eyes; fauns, cute little half girls-half goats who educate and care for human young; and TRACs, large sentient creatures designed to act in the stead of trucks or buses.
When the dynamic duo's designs begin to interfere with the status quo of the major political and economic powers of the earth; of course it means war. Heinrich, when not genetically modifying himself into a giant stud-muffin and growing his own Pam Anderson-like wife, has been preparing for this eventuality. When the two scientists unleash metal-eating microbes, the compost really hits the fan.
I agree with Connie Willis that great science fiction comes from taking a hypothesis and drawing it out to its most logical or most absurd conclusion. Leo Frankowski does just that in this book, letting the Polish uncle-nephew duo have complete free reign to design whatever absurd thing they can dream up without any real repercussions; universe builders remaking the earth as they want it. The humans in the story do not have much character development, but the little faun, Liebchen, and the LDU, Dirk, are really endearing as they grow and change in the struggle to understand human morality and ethics.
I am surprised this book is so obscure; it is my favorite Frankowski book. If you have read any of his Conrad Stargard novels, you already know that the book is full of plenty of whiz-bang, neato ideas, male chauvinism, puns, but is overall a rollicking fun read. Hard to put down until the last page is turned.
March 22, 2019
Read once m as my years ago .was fascinated by the premise and ideas behind the book. It is wonderful to think that the technology expanded could actually be possible .
August 13, 2021
Thank you Frankowski
June 7, 2014
When this first came out in 1987, I read it, and thought it was rather over the top with the DMA modifications, as well as making custom animals, and plants. Now in 2014 after reading it again, scientific progress has been made that now allows us to at least consider some of the future things told in this science fiction book, as a possible far future. I don't think we will ever be able to go as far as Leo Frankowski thinks or talks about in his book, but it is nice to realize that the future is progressing this way. It is a good read, and worth considering the science, and mistakes made in bringing their utopia future to earth. I recommend it for every one.
July 5, 2012
This is Leo's first novel and a precursor to Conrad Stargard. In this novel, he creates much of the technology hinted at in the Conrad novels and more explicitly in the pre-equal Conrad's Time Machine.
June 9, 2007
This novel is a lark, but also explores the idea of bioengineered creations and how they might affect society. Short and readable.
April 17, 2013
This author tells the same story over and over again, but it is a story I like.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews