Jack L. Chalker (1944–2005)

Let's check the scoreboard of Jack L. Chalker writing tropes:
Male gets transformed into a female form - NO
Male gets transformed into a more attractive male form - YES
Someone gets transformed into a form that has alien characteristics but would be highly attractive to humans - YES
Someone is blind/has very poor vision - YES
Someone is naked for extended periods of time - YES
Someone walks/hikes a long distance through wilderness - NO
Mind control - YES
Polygamous society - YES
Marriage to/sexual intercourse with a female who is/appears to be younger than an 18-year-old human - NO… (more)

Always a fascinating and thought-provoking read. This must have been the 4th or 5th time I've read 'Midnight..'. And this time through many of the passages revealed ideas and concepts that seemed new (new compared to what I remember from other reads of this), intellectually and culturally fascinating, and philosophically linked to many ideas that I've encountered over the past 40 years since I read it the first time.
On the surface it appears to be 'space opera', but progressing through the book that view of the novel changes to an 'examination' of social and psychological and biological and technological differences that might be encountered over the whole of the universe and its denizens.
A fun read... now I need to find where I've sequestered the subsequent four novels of the series.… (more)

Read for a buddy read that I initiated in SFFBC, Nov 7 2020.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/21736200-nov-7-the-river-of-dancing-gods-by...

I had a bit to say, but this sample is enough for here:
Maybe a sequel would be fun if it played with the Rules. For example if people found loopholes in them, or fought against them. I dunno, just musing... because I do own the next book and don't want to skip it.

If you know this book, or want to read it soon, we'd love to have you join the discussion!… (more)