Here is a minor human species I have come up with for my Terran Alliance ATU. They call themselves after Epona, the Celtic goddess of war, and they are my take on how to include the idea of Amazons in an SF universe in a mature way.
The Daughters of Epona were created several centuries ago by (female) human scientists seeking to eliminate the wastefulness of sexual reproduction in an age in which it is no longer needed because natural selection, the driving force of evolution, is no longer really taking place. (By that I mean that modern medicine and the social contract of human societies counteract most selection pressure, to the point where artificial selection, and artificial modification of the genetic code, by far outweighs the influence any natural processes)
The result is a species composed entirely of women (although, purely technically speaking, I don´t think the term "women" is correct for describing an essentially asexual species). Reproduction takes place in one of two ways:
The first, and simplest way, consists in administering certain hormones which will trigger ovulation (the Daughters do not naturally ovulate); since the ovum is grown essentially already fertilized, it will always try to implant, which is no more and no less likely to succeed than with "standard" human women. The child that results from this is a clone (except for minor copying errors in the genome which always occur) of her mother.
The second way is more complicated, and in the Daughters´ society is reserved to the semi-permanent couples called "lifemates". One ovum is taken from each partner, and the ova are melded to create two ova whose genetic material is mix of that of both parents; even though the two children are called "twins" in Daughter society, they are, by definition, as far apart genetically as two full siblings could possibly be, since each has inherited exactly those genes the other did not inherit. The "mixed" ova resulting from the melding process can be implanted in either or both mothers, but are usually gestated in vitro, since that is by far the safer and easier way to reproduce, compared to the natural way; also, Daughter society is largely based in space and in hostile environments, the effects of late-term pregnancy do not mix well with the wearing of tailored vac suits, to say nothing of the effect of toxins and radiation on unborn children.
The melding process, and of course committing to a "lifemate" partnership in first place, is by far the preferred way of reproduction; in fact, the simple hormone-induced reproduction is viewed with a mild stigma in most of Daughter society - sort of a mix between the way our society by and large views unmarried single mothers, and seeing such a thing as an admission that one is unable to find a partner.
Of course, the radically altered (to say the least) way of reproduction also has its repercussions for Daughter society. The friction between the sexes is, naturally, gone, although complications caused by love or jealousy are not. By the way, Daughters can, and many of them do, have sex, the same as "standard" human women, and they tend to enjoy it, too, however since it has nothing to do with reproduction, it is not nearly the driving force that is it for "standard" humans - sex is fun for them, but no more than any other form of physical work-out, and the way "standard" men react to it is kind of annoying to them. The interaction between Daughters and "standard" humans where flirtation and innuendo are in the air can be fun for the casual observer... let´s leave it at that. ;-)
The main intention behind this was, as I said, to integrate Amazons into an SF universe, and to do so in a way that does not scream "teenage boy who needs to get laid". (Although, there is that tiny, immature part of my brain that keeps saying "why not?" :-D)
I´m not finished wrapping my mind about all the implications, either, and would appreciate hearing any thoughts you might have on this.
The Daughters of Epona were created several centuries ago by (female) human scientists seeking to eliminate the wastefulness of sexual reproduction in an age in which it is no longer needed because natural selection, the driving force of evolution, is no longer really taking place. (By that I mean that modern medicine and the social contract of human societies counteract most selection pressure, to the point where artificial selection, and artificial modification of the genetic code, by far outweighs the influence any natural processes)
The result is a species composed entirely of women (although, purely technically speaking, I don´t think the term "women" is correct for describing an essentially asexual species). Reproduction takes place in one of two ways:
The first, and simplest way, consists in administering certain hormones which will trigger ovulation (the Daughters do not naturally ovulate); since the ovum is grown essentially already fertilized, it will always try to implant, which is no more and no less likely to succeed than with "standard" human women. The child that results from this is a clone (except for minor copying errors in the genome which always occur) of her mother.
The second way is more complicated, and in the Daughters´ society is reserved to the semi-permanent couples called "lifemates". One ovum is taken from each partner, and the ova are melded to create two ova whose genetic material is mix of that of both parents; even though the two children are called "twins" in Daughter society, they are, by definition, as far apart genetically as two full siblings could possibly be, since each has inherited exactly those genes the other did not inherit. The "mixed" ova resulting from the melding process can be implanted in either or both mothers, but are usually gestated in vitro, since that is by far the safer and easier way to reproduce, compared to the natural way; also, Daughter society is largely based in space and in hostile environments, the effects of late-term pregnancy do not mix well with the wearing of tailored vac suits, to say nothing of the effect of toxins and radiation on unborn children.
The melding process, and of course committing to a "lifemate" partnership in first place, is by far the preferred way of reproduction; in fact, the simple hormone-induced reproduction is viewed with a mild stigma in most of Daughter society - sort of a mix between the way our society by and large views unmarried single mothers, and seeing such a thing as an admission that one is unable to find a partner.
Of course, the radically altered (to say the least) way of reproduction also has its repercussions for Daughter society. The friction between the sexes is, naturally, gone, although complications caused by love or jealousy are not. By the way, Daughters can, and many of them do, have sex, the same as "standard" human women, and they tend to enjoy it, too, however since it has nothing to do with reproduction, it is not nearly the driving force that is it for "standard" humans - sex is fun for them, but no more than any other form of physical work-out, and the way "standard" men react to it is kind of annoying to them. The interaction between Daughters and "standard" humans where flirtation and innuendo are in the air can be fun for the casual observer... let´s leave it at that. ;-)
The main intention behind this was, as I said, to integrate Amazons into an SF universe, and to do so in a way that does not scream "teenage boy who needs to get laid". (Although, there is that tiny, immature part of my brain that keeps saying "why not?" :-D)
I´m not finished wrapping my mind about all the implications, either, and would appreciate hearing any thoughts you might have on this.
