Williamson is an old-school SF heavy-weight and kept on writing into his nineties - a writing career spanning six-seven decades! This came out in the early 80's - picked it off my husband's sf shelf. I probably read some of his stories back in the day when we had subscriptions to various S&SF mags, but I can't say I remember anything specific. This one features "advanced" races of men, genetically manipulated. We, the unchanged ones, are called pre-men (even though that includes the Creators who began the process), then there are trumen (really nice guys - like the donkeys in the Nagato books, mumen (mutants who do stuff), the immortals, god-like "men" of varying types--who were meant to be benevolent but turned out to be wholly self-interested, and then finally, in the hopes of correcting it all, there is a myth of a "multiman" or "ultiman". The god-man who runs Earth has decided to rid himself of the pre-men, there are just too many rumours flying about of the ultiman who will be able to destroy him and his kind. This effort triggers something, long hidden and waiting, for just such a danger to occur . . . the oedipal sort of situation where in your efforts to prevent the thing you fear you cause it to happen . . . At first I thought, oh no, ultiman?, but I got sucked right into it and read happily to the end even when it was a bit silly here and there. There were also some fine inventions and good moments and surprises. It holds up surprisingly well. ***1/2 (it's really more of a 3 1/4). ( )

A very readable 1970's science fiction novel. Genetic engineering has led to a society of premen - the descendants of unaltered humanity; trumen - "perfected" people who are stronger, smarter and more healthy; mumen - mutated people engineered for different environments and specialities and the Gods - an immortal species. There are rumours of a fourth kind of genetically engineered human - the ultiman but the gods have destroyed the Creators, a family closely involved with the genetic engineering, and suppress all mention of them. Two young premen live on the final reservation of humanity and this is their story.

A very entertaining read. I like the use of some of the writings of the Creators at the start of each chapter. This is a good and reasonably paced story with a well realised future world. I'm definitely going to have to add some more Williamson to my shelves. ( )

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