Azi (clone)
Encyclopedia
Azi are a fictional type of human clones
invented by science fiction
and fantasy
author C. J. Cherryh
. They appear in various books in her Alliance-Union universe
. "Azi" is an acronym for "artificial zygote insemination". The subject is treated at length in Cherryh's 1989 Hugo Award
-winning novel, Cyteen and its 2009 sequel, Regenesis.
The azi are first developed by Union just prior to the "Company War" in the early twenty-fourth century. Although derived from human gene
sequences, they are both genetically engineered and psychologically conditioned
for specific occupations, such as soldiers or farmers. They are created to supplement the low human reproductive rate and bring a given settlement to self-sufficiency and economic viability.
Because of these modifications, azi are seen as an abomination by many on Earth, and this revulsion is an exacerbating factor in the start of the war between the Earth Company and Union. During the Company War, Union produces large numbers of azi for its military and to augment its civilian population and thus stimulate economic growth
. In large measure, the azi are therefore responsible for Union forces winning a war of attrition
against the Earth Company Fleet led by Conrad Mazian.
To some degree, the azi are also controversial in Union itself. As mentioned in Cherryh's books Cyteen
and Regenesis, there is an abolitionist party which seeks to emancipate what it considers to be slaves, but it has little political power.
Azi are introduced to "tape" or subliminal learning at birth, which has a profound effect on their psychological development . They are less adept at handling unusual or new situations compared to normal humans; however, they are able to concentrate better. Each azi has a Supervisor, to whom he or she looks to for orders and guidance. Azi are categorized using letters from a to z, with the very brightest (on the "Rezner scale") being classed as Alphas. Azi can eventually apply to become full Union citizens, and in frontier stations often become the first generation of an otherwise regular human population.
The Reseune research facility on Cyteen, the main Union planet, is central to all azi development. It has a monopoly on advanced tape design and is the legal protector of all azi in Union. The process of selecting specific azi "psych-sets" is referred to in Cyteen sequel, Regenesis
, as integrations, or designing a group of azi to complement a group of "born-man" mind sets to balance them, and thus produce a more stable society.
Azi characters are featured in the following Cherryh books:
Human cloning
Human cloning is the creation of a genetically identical copy of a human. It does not usually refer to monozygotic multiple births nor the reproduction of human cells or tissue. The ethics of cloning is an extremely controversial issue...
invented by science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
author C. J. Cherryh
C. J. Cherryh
Carolyn Janice Cherry , better known by the pen name C. J. Cherryh, is a United States science fiction and fantasy author...
. They appear in various books in her Alliance-Union universe
Alliance-Union universe
The Alliance-Union universe is a fictional universe created by science fiction and fantasy author C. J. Cherryh. It is the setting for an epic future history series extending from the 21st century out into the far future....
. "Azi" is an acronym for "artificial zygote insemination". The subject is treated at length in Cherryh's 1989 Hugo Award
Hugo Award for Best Novel
The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
-winning novel, Cyteen and its 2009 sequel, Regenesis.
The azi are first developed by Union just prior to the "Company War" in the early twenty-fourth century. Although derived from human gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
sequences, they are both genetically engineered and psychologically conditioned
Classical conditioning
Classical conditioning is a form of conditioning that was first demonstrated by Ivan Pavlov...
for specific occupations, such as soldiers or farmers. They are created to supplement the low human reproductive rate and bring a given settlement to self-sufficiency and economic viability.
Because of these modifications, azi are seen as an abomination by many on Earth, and this revulsion is an exacerbating factor in the start of the war between the Earth Company and Union. During the Company War, Union produces large numbers of azi for its military and to augment its civilian population and thus stimulate economic growth
Economic growth
In economics, economic growth is defined as the increasing capacity of the economy to satisfy the wants of goods and services of the members of society. Economic growth is enabled by increases in productivity, which lowers the inputs for a given amount of output. Lowered costs increase demand...
. In large measure, the azi are therefore responsible for Union forces winning a war of attrition
Attrition warfare
Attrition warfare is a military strategy in which a belligerent side attempts to win a war by wearing down its enemy to the point of collapse through continuous losses in personnel and matériel....
against the Earth Company Fleet led by Conrad Mazian.
To some degree, the azi are also controversial in Union itself. As mentioned in Cherryh's books Cyteen
Cyteen
Cyteen is a Hugo Award-winning science fiction novel by C. J. Cherryh set in her Alliance-Union universe. The murder of a major Union politician and scientist has deep, long-lasting repercussions....
and Regenesis, there is an abolitionist party which seeks to emancipate what it considers to be slaves, but it has little political power.
Azi are introduced to "tape" or subliminal learning at birth, which has a profound effect on their psychological development . They are less adept at handling unusual or new situations compared to normal humans; however, they are able to concentrate better. Each azi has a Supervisor, to whom he or she looks to for orders and guidance. Azi are categorized using letters from a to z, with the very brightest (on the "Rezner scale") being classed as Alphas. Azi can eventually apply to become full Union citizens, and in frontier stations often become the first generation of an otherwise regular human population.
The Reseune research facility on Cyteen, the main Union planet, is central to all azi development. It has a monopoly on advanced tape design and is the legal protector of all azi in Union. The process of selecting specific azi "psych-sets" is referred to in Cyteen sequel, Regenesis
Regenesis (novel)
Regenesis is a science fiction novel by American science fiction and fantasy author C. J. Cherryh set in her Alliance-Union universe. It is a sequel to Cherryh's 1988 Hugo award-winning science fiction novel, Cyteen, and was published in hardcover by DAW Books in January 2009...
, as integrations, or designing a group of azi to complement a group of "born-man" mind sets to balance them, and thus produce a more stable society.
"Now [Ari] was working directly with the ethics that drove [Novgorod], examining the ethics set into the azi who had been the foundational citizens. Did she intend to tweak that mix? She could. She could subtly, by sending in other azi into key positions, shift the whole Cyteen electorate.
"She could set others at work at Fargone, where Ollie ruled. She knew Ollie's ethical structure. She had a copy of Ollie's personal manual, down to the day he left. She could skim it at high speed, and recognize ordinary structures from special ones. She could design azi to fit around Ollie, no question, the foundations of something special, around one that she'd loved, when she was little. She could make all Fargone Station into Ollie's image."
Azi characters are featured in the following Cherryh books:
- Serpent's ReachSerpent's ReachSerpent's Reach is a 1980 science fiction novel by the United States science fiction and fantasy author C. J. Cherryh. The book was nominated for the Locus Award for Best Novel in 1981 and is set in the author's Alliance-Union universe. Specific placement of the novel within the Alliance-Union...
(1980) - Downbelow StationDownbelow StationDownbelow Station is a science fiction novel written by C. J. Cherryh and published in 1981 by DAW Books. It won the Hugo Award in 1982, was shortlisted for a Locus Award that same year, and was named by Locus Magazine as one of the top 50 science fiction novels of all time in 1987.The book is set...
(1981) - Port Eternity (1982)
- Forty Thousand in GehennaForty Thousand in GehennaForty Thousand in Gehenna, alternately 40,000 in Gehenna, is a 1983 novel by science fiction and fantasy author C. J. Cherryh. The science fiction novel is set in her Alliance-Union universe between 2354 and 2658, and is one of the few works in that universe to portray the Union side .The book was...
(1983) - CyteenCyteenCyteen is a Hugo Award-winning science fiction novel by C. J. Cherryh set in her Alliance-Union universe. The murder of a major Union politician and scientist has deep, long-lasting repercussions....
(1988) - RegenesisRegenesis (novel)Regenesis is a science fiction novel by American science fiction and fantasy author C. J. Cherryh set in her Alliance-Union universe. It is a sequel to Cherryh's 1988 Hugo award-winning science fiction novel, Cyteen, and was published in hardcover by DAW Books in January 2009...
(2009)