# Have there been science fiction stories featuring intelligent beings who perform photosynthesis? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 8, 2016, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-there-been-science-fiction-stories-featuring-intelligent-beings-who-perform-photosynthesis/754298 "2016-05-08T15:09:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-there-been-science-fiction-stories-featuring-intelligent-beings-who-perform-photosynthesis/754298/1 "2016-05-08T15:09:45Z")
Some of the posts in the thread on [“ethical arguments for eating animals”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=792245) put this idea in my head: what if there were animals who could peform photosynthesis? (I’m aware there are bacteria, as well as some organisms which are not, by the “official” biological definition, plants, like some types of algae, that perform photosynthesis, but I’m talking about “higher” organisms, like what we would consider animals.) I’m not interested here in technical arguments about whether it’s feasible for such a creature to actually exist here on earth or to evolve. And I’m aware that such a creature would need a means of taking in exogenous nutrients, like minerals, as well. I was just wondering if this concept has ever been used in science fiction. Anyone know of any stories, books, or movies, that posit the existence of intelligent life forms that obtain their energy by photosynthesis? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-there-been-science-fiction-stories-featuring-intelligent-beings-who-perform-photosynthesis/754298/2 "2016-05-08T15:15:42Z")
[Zhaan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Farscape_characters#Zhaan) from _Farscape_. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-there-been-science-fiction-stories-featuring-intelligent-beings-who-perform-photosynthesis/754298/3 "2016-05-08T15:22:07Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > Some of the posts in the thread on [“ethical arguments for eating animals”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=792245) put this idea in my head: what if there were animals who could peform photosynthesis? (I’m aware there are bacteria, as well as some organisms which are not, by the “official” biological definition, plants, like some types of algae, that perform photosynthesis, but I’m talking about “higher” organisms, like what we would consider animals.) I’m not interested here in technical arguments about whether it’s feasible for such a creature to actually exist here on earth or to evolve. And I’m aware that such a creature would need a means of taking in exogenous nutrients, like minerals, as well. I was just wondering if this concept has ever been used in science fiction. Anyone know of any stories, books, or movies, that posit the existence of intelligent life forms that obtain their energy by photosynthesis? There have been lots of them. The Kanten in Brin’s Uplift series, the Angels in Sheffield’s Nimrod Hunt, the plant creature in John Christopher’s Lotus Cave, and of course, the half-plant/half human in the 1970s TV series “Quark,” just to name a few. There have also been stories in which humans become photosynthetic. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-there-been-science-fiction-stories-featuring-intelligent-beings-who-perform-photosynthesis/754298/4 "2016-05-08T15:53:56Z")
Knights of Sidonia features humans who have become photosynthetic as a result of genetic engineering. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-there-been-science-fiction-stories-featuring-intelligent-beings-who-perform-photosynthesis/754298/5 "2016-05-08T15:54:12Z")
Don’t forget the Czill from the Well World. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-there-been-science-fiction-stories-featuring-intelligent-beings-who-perform-photosynthesis/754298/6 "2016-05-08T16:00:38Z")
The Symbs in John Varley’s “Eight Worlds” stories. Ficus Pandorata from the TV show _Quark_ is a sentient plant. ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-there-been-science-fiction-stories-featuring-intelligent-beings-who-perform-photosynthesis/754298/7 "2016-05-08T16:04:21Z")
**Lyekka** in **Lexx** was a plant based life form. However, after all these years, I cannot recall whether actual photosynthesis was mentioned as a plot point. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![DeptfordX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DeptfordX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeptfordX)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-there-been-science-fiction-stories-featuring-intelligent-beings-who-perform-photosynthesis/754298/8 "2016-05-08T16:07:43Z")
Specimens of future humans ‘Green Men’, from Desolation Road by Ian McDonals have been gene modded for photosynthesis. ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-there-been-science-fiction-stories-featuring-intelligent-beings-who-perform-photosynthesis/754298/9 "2016-05-08T16:09:34Z")
Plus the modified replacement bodies used in **Old Man’s War** by **John Scalzi** are green skinned and use photosynthesis. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-there-been-science-fiction-stories-featuring-intelligent-beings-who-perform-photosynthesis/754298/10 "2016-05-08T16:11:19Z")
Doctor Who has a few intelligent plants, including [Jabe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_of_the_World_%28Doctor_Who%29),the [Vervoids](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terror_of_the_Vervoids)and the [Krynoid](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seeds_of_Doom). ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-there-been-science-fiction-stories-featuring-intelligent-beings-who-perform-photosynthesis/754298/11 "2016-05-08T16:15:14Z")
How can we have got this far and not mentioned the **Triffids** from **Day of the Triffids**? TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-there-been-science-fiction-stories-featuring-intelligent-beings-who-perform-photosynthesis/754298/12 "2016-05-08T16:33:26Z")
Do the triffids count as intelligent? As a group they exhibit a sort of very limited intelligence, but individually they are just plants. ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-there-been-science-fiction-stories-featuring-intelligent-beings-who-perform-photosynthesis/754298/13 "2016-05-08T17:16:41Z")
Triffids aren’t notably intelligent. But they can detect and target humans with their stingers plus they make that strange noise which attracts other Triffids so that suggests communication skills. I vote ‘intelligent plant’ sums them up. Of course, with non-human, non animal life forms ‘intelligence’ doesn’t have to conform to human standards. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-there-been-science-fiction-stories-featuring-intelligent-beings-who-perform-photosynthesis/754298/14 "2016-05-08T17:23:02Z")
anybody else read _Top Secret_ by John Reynolds Gardiner when they were kids? > **[Top Secret](https://www.harpercollins.com/products/top-secret-john-reynolds-gardiner?variant=32112942972962)** > > Nine-year-old Allen Brewster has a fantastic idea that might even win the silver trophy at the science fair: human photosynthesis. He has several obstacles to overcome, but Allen persists in his mission by using the scientific method and finally... ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-there-been-science-fiction-stories-featuring-intelligent-beings-who-perform-photosynthesis/754298/15 "2016-05-08T21:18:45Z")
Larry Niven’s Known Space series has the Outsiders who get their energy from sunlight. They use thermoelectricity instead of photosynthesis, though. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-there-been-science-fiction-stories-featuring-intelligent-beings-who-perform-photosynthesis/754298/16 "2016-05-08T21:35:11Z")
The kids’ book “Top Secret” is about a child who, for his science project, develops a formula that makes him photosynthetic. The webcomic [Schlock Mercenary](http://www.schlockmercenary.com/) includes some characters who are humans who were genetically modified to photosynthesize. They have light purple skin and purple hair. Many science fiction stories feature planet-wide Gaea organisms, all of which could be considered photosynthetic. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-there-been-science-fiction-stories-featuring-intelligent-beings-who-perform-photosynthesis/754298/17 "2016-05-08T21:37:48Z")
Do the pequeninos from Speaker for the Dead count? ---
**Author:** ![Goofus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7feea3/32.png) [@Goofus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Goofus)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-there-been-science-fiction-stories-featuring-intelligent-beings-who-perform-photosynthesis/754298/18 "2016-05-08T21:44:30Z")
_Perdido Street Station_ has cactus-people. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-there-been-science-fiction-stories-featuring-intelligent-beings-who-perform-photosynthesis/754298/19 "2016-05-08T22:31:19Z")
i think Diane Duane has a sort of intelligent tree-people in some of her stories. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-there-been-science-fiction-stories-featuring-intelligent-beings-who-perform-photosynthesis/754298/20 "2016-05-08T22:37:29Z")
There are plant-people on intelligent trolleys in _A Fire Upon The Deep_. Can’t remember their name. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-there-been-science-fiction-stories-featuring-intelligent-beings-who-perform-photosynthesis/754298.md?page=2)