The Terraformers overview: What will we owe the animals in our care?

Annalee Newitz’s new novel examines the darkish facet of “uplifting” animals to a state of self-awareness – and asks whose intelligence is getting used because the template, finds Sally Adee

By Sally Adee

The Terraformers

Annalee Newitz (Tor Books on sale 2 February)

IN A deep future tens of 1000’s of years from now, animals have been introduced into the so-called Nice Discount: in saving Earth from the results of the Anthropocene, a deal has been struck between all creatures, and people now embody everybody in managing the shared land.

However to take part, it’s worthwhile to be an individual, and for that you could cross an intelligence evaluation. So whereas relations between species look …