Planet where species have dual life cycles. Ex: tree births a bear, bear births a tree.

[Lisalbaylor]

The story revolves around humans who are trying to make contact with the natives who live in a forest. The natives seem violent sometimes (killing humans who cut down the trees, killing humans who are becoming friends). The humans learn that the natives were honoring the friends they killed by trying to birth a tree from them.

I read this book maybe 20-25 years ago. Cannot remember the title. I would love to use it in a biology lesson.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[NannyOgg]

Hooray - one I actually know! This is almost certainly Orson Scott Card's 'Speaker for the Dead'. (Sequel to 'Ender's Game', although it goes off in a rather different direction.)

 

[Lisalbaylor]

Loved that book! But no.

The main species looked like bears and their greatest warriors would be chosen to grow the next generation (tree). They would be split down the middle and their insides spread around. This was the "seed" for the tree. They tried to do that to the humans they honored and did not understand when the humans got mad.

I can't remember this part clearly, but I think they finally understood when they saw a pregnant human give birth.

 

[Kylara]

Definitely Orson Scott Card. Speaker for the dead, and the following two have the same characters (xenocide and children of the mind).

The piggies get turned into trees, they try and do the same for pipo and miro but obviously doesn't work for humans. It's an honor and the piggies become father trees who create more piggies.

 

[Lisalbaylor]

Definitely Orson Scott Card. Speaker for the dead, and the following two have the same characters (xenocide and children of the mind).

The piggies get turned into trees, they try and do the same for pipo and miro but obviously doesn't work for humans. It's an honor and the piggies become father trees who create more piggies.

Thank you. I cannot believe I forgot that one so much..

 

[monkeypooper]

Bugger got up after nightshift and pipped to the post great book series it was the planet that they settled and took the queen

 

[Ray McCarthy]

they finally understood when they saw a pregnant human give birth

The mystery is why women do it more than once.

 

[monkeypooper]

I heard a mate say once child birth is like doing a number 2, hurts like hell but, afterwards you feel like aaaaaahhhhhh!!! that was a good crap, you forget the pain, and no i dont compare it to that myself, he was drunk at the time, mind you so was i so, made sense then.