Genetically Manipulated Organisms going wild

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Jörg Baumgartner asked:

What happens when a GMO or neophyte outperforms all native organisms, destroying entire ecosystems and agricultural resources?

Malcolm Ramsay answered:

John Christopher’s The Death of Grass studies this quite closely. In the book, a new virus eradicates all grass varieties, including wheat, barley, rice, etc. Society promptly collapses, perhaps unsurprisingly. The book was later filmed as No Blade of Grass.

Another interesting treatment is from the 1970s British SF series Doomwatch; the first episode—“The Plastic Eaters”—involves a virus that evolves the ability to digest all plastics. Havoc ensues. From the name and era, you can guess it wasn’t a cheery series, but one this initiative could mine pretty profitably!

Terry Poot answered:

The Doomwatch episode sounds like it may have been based on the book Mutant 59: The Plastic Eaters.

https://www.amazon.com/Mutant-59-Plastic-Kit-Pedler/dp/0285620320

Heather Hile answered:

In the book the City of Pearl by Karen Travis a big part of human civilization’s interactions with aliens are about protecting native ecosystems when we colonise a new planet. The story about native flora/fauna versus alien flora/fauna continues in the rest of the books in the series.

David Churn answered:

The series of The War Against the Chtorr books from David Gerrold looks at the wholesale replacement of Earth species and how humanity deals with the changes. As the books progress humans start to learn how to incorporate the species into their lives while the U.S. tries to evacuate as much of the biome to space. Four books have been published with the last in 1993. The last two should be along soon.

Reggie Bautista answered:

In Blood Music by Greg Bear, a small number of white blood cells are modified into a biological computers which become self-aware. The organisms eventually form a nanoscale civilization which eventually assimilates most of North America, dramatically altering the landscape and ecosystem. It was first published as a short story in 1983 and expanded into a novel in 1985. Over 30 years after publication, it still reads as if it could have been published today.

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Slow Apocalypse by John Barnes Varley features oil-eating bacteria that wreak havoc on the world.

Jim Baerg answered:

I notice that “Slow Apocalypse” isn’t by John Barnes, but by John Varley.
John Barnes did write the Daybreak series (1st book “Directive 51”) in which bacteria & nanomachines designed to eat plastics & create nitric acid in electrical machinery are deliberately designed & released to destroy industrial civilization.

Peter Enyeart answered:

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi envisions a future where this is a big problem.

Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood also covers similar themes.

A Message to the King of Brobdingnag by Richard Cowper has genetic engineering accidentally destroy all crops.

Hal Clement’s short story, “The Mechanic” (collected in the short story collection Space Lash — originally published as Small Changes) posits a world where genetic engineering has allowed creating artificial life forms known as “pseudolife” of a variety ranging from dolphin/porpoise-like “fish” which process ocean water to collect elements (such as gold) which may then be picked up, harvested, and returned to the ocean to continue their purpose.

The story follows a vessel which is going about that task and encounters

a mutated life form which is like to a mold which eats metals, infects the vessel and causes a crash

the balance of the story looks at that aftermath and also has interesting things to say about the future of the medical profession.

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