Children of Time is a 2015 science fiction novel by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

In the distant future, humanity seeks to create new habitats for itself on distant planets, terraforming them and seeding them with life. Dr. Avrana Kern is heading one such project, orbiting the tentatively named "Kern's World", where the plan is to release monkeys le-monke infected with a nanovirus that will accelerate their evolution. Through an act of sabotage from an anti-technology group that has also destroyed much of Earth, the monkeys are never released, and the virus instead infects a species of spider, Portia labiata. The book follows the evolution of the spiders and their eventual civilisation, as well as a remnant of humanity that fled to Kern's World hoping to find paradise.

also children of ruin and children of memory, the sequels, are really good

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  • RION [she/her]
    ·
    2 days ago
    listen well this tale of dysphoric(?) woe

    Giggling with my friend at work as some of the gals we're friendly with have some incredibly candid sex discussions in the next cubicle over since the office is basically empty

    She goes over to tell them that we can definitely hear everything they're saying

    I think I can hear one of them poke fun at the fact that I (boymoding, only out to my friend) can hear

    Suddenly reminded of the distance that exists between me and them because of how they perceive me

    Feel very far away, almost "shell-shocked" for the remaining half hour of the work day

    According to my friend they were actually cool with me hearing and that I was explicitly invited to join in when the next such Empty Office Sex Salon occurs. But I still can't shake the feeling that I'm different, that me being there just pollutes everything and they'll always view me with some unshakable suspicion and wariness, like a wild animal that could snap and start mauling people.

    I honestly don't get too much dysphoria, to the point that I don't even know if this counts?? but this is the feeling that gets me. Can't we just pretend I'm part of the group? I'm not that much different from you on the inside, I promise.

    • AcidSmiley [she/her]
      ·
      1 day ago

      This is actually one of the quickest ways to gender euphoria once you're out. I've met so many inclusive, supportive cis women over the last years, even when i was freshly out and not passing at all. It's mindblowing how much it changes conversations and social interactions and how natural it feels to be included.

    • bolshevikLovelace [she/her, love/loves]
      ·
      1 day ago
      spoiler

      i think the feeling of being excluded from groups of women has been a major source of dysphoria throughout my life. even when i'm physically there, i've also felt that distance which keeps me from being fully apart of it. that's starting to die down lately, i'm out at work and this week someone said "oh it's just the girls here!" which was small but still pretty euphoric to hear. you deserve to feel like you belong and i hope you're able to do that soon or in non-work settings lea-finger-guns

    • Thallo [she/her]
      ·
      2 days ago

      There's a woman in my office who makes little gifts for the other women in the office during holidays, and I never get one, and it makes me sad