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Series · science fiction
Of Man and Manta
The Of Man and Manta series by Piers Anthony has 3 known books (3 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Omnivore (1968).
- Books
- 3 known books (3 novels)
- Published
- 3
- First published
- 1968
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Science Fiction
- Last checked
Start here: Omnivore (1968) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Omnivore
Omnivore, published in 1968, opens Piers Anthony's Of Man and Manta trilogy at a brisk 189 pages, sending three human investigators of contrasting temperaments to the alien planet Nacre to study its shapeshifting, telepathic mantas.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Omnivore - Book 2:
Orn
Orn followed Omnivore in 1971 at 247 pages, the longest of the three, continuing Piers Anthony's loosely connected Of Man and Manta trilogy with a new alien threat on Nacre centered on a different member of the original three-person expedition. Like the rest of the trilogy, it favors hard-SF problem-solving and xenobiology over the fantasy comedy of Anthony's later Xanth books, using its investigators' differing survival instincts to interrogate the planet's stranger mysteries.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Orn - Book 3:
OX
OX closed out the trilogy in 1976, five years after Orn, at 216 pages -- Anthony's final visit to Nacre's ecology and its very different human observers.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of OX
About the Of Man and Manta series
A trio of human investigators — an omnivore, a herbivore, and a carnivore by temperament and diet alike, each representing a different survival strategy and worldview — travel to the alien planet Nacre to study its native life, most strikingly the shapeshifting, telepathic creatures known as mantas. What begins as a scientific expedition steadily reveals larger and stranger threats: Nacre's ecology, its relationship to human colonization efforts, and the true nature and intelligence of the alien life the team encounters turn out to be far more dangerous, and far more alien, than a straightforward first-contact story would suggest.
Written early in Piers Anthony's career (1968-1976), the loosely connected trilogy is closer to classic hard-SF problem-solving and xenobiology than to the fantasy comedy of Xanth, using its three very different human protagonists to interrogate how personality and survival instinct shape the way people interpret an alien environment they don't yet understand.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Of Man and Manta series?
Three novels: Omnivore (1968), Orn (1971), and OX (1976).
What order should I read Of Man and Manta in?
Publication order, starting with Omnivore. The books are loosely connected rather than one continuous plot, so they can largely be read as standalone adventures set on the same alien planet.
What is the premise of the Of Man and Manta series?
Human investigators travel to the alien planet Nacre to study its native life, including shapeshifting telepathic creatures called mantas, and uncover ecological and existential threats far stranger than a simple first-contact mission.
Is Of Man and Manta connected to Piers Anthony's other series?
No, it's self-contained, with no shared characters or setting with his other work.
Is Of Man and Manta finished?
Yes. All three novels were published between 1968 and 1976, and Piers Anthony has not added further entries.
If you like the Of Man and Manta series
Reading order last verified .