In 1924, the British scientist J.B.S. Haldane wrote an essay Daedalus: or Science and the Future, where he expressed some skepticism over the outcomes of scientific advances. He noted that biological inventions were usually perceived as "blasphemous perversions  (The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction). In the middle of the twentieth century, scientists began to investigate the features of the genetic code. By that time the structure of DNA was deduced and in the 1970s the development of genetic manipulation took place. Literally, genetic engineering means different mechanisms that modify the information or expression of DNA. The date of "birth  of genetic engineering goes back to the year 1973, when the first direct transfer of DNA from one organism to another was completed by Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen, scientists at Stanford University. Since then, the idea of enhancing people's lives in terms of eliminating diseases or aging has been dominating the scientists' minds. This movement is also known as the concept of Transhumanism. It aims to enhance human condition by using different technologies, one of which is genetic engineering. In science fiction, however, the idea of manipulation of human genes which is also known as the science of eugenics, was brought in by several authors long before the actual gene manipulations were implemented in real life. Since genetic engineering primarily is used at agricultural biotechnologies and for testing on animals in real life (animals have been already successfully cloned), I will look at how genetic engineering of humans is approached in two different science fiction works. I will come up with the possible impacts that genetic engineering could have on our society. I came to the conclusion that the alteration of human condition is a complicated moral issue and it is outpacing our ability to face the outcomes. It is to say that very few science fiction writers had any knowledge of the biological sciences. Thus their works were more philosophical than had any practical features. There were some exceptions like Isaac Asimov, who was a biochemist or James Blish, who studied zoology and worked as a medical technician. Blish was the first one to import biological ideas to his works. The first story that included actual genetic engineering was "Proteus Island," written by the chemical engineer Stanley Weinbaum (Encyclopedia of Science Fiction). The most important novel that deals with the manipulation of human genes and raises lots of moral questions is the Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. The book was so popular in the fifties that it was taught in schools around the world. This dystopian work deals with reproductive technologies as well as with psychological manipulations of the individual. The greatest fear in the book is that technology will overcome us in the future, and human breeding could be disastrous for the humanity. The title of the book derives from Shakespeare's The Tempest, when the young Miranda exclaims: "How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world that has such people in't  (Scholes 33-34). The novel opens in London in the future (six centuries A.F. “ after Henry Ford). The population lives in the World State, a stable, peaceful society, where everyone is happy. There is no natural reproduction because children are produced and raised in hatcheries. The society is a class system, consisting of the so-called "Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas and Epsilons  where everybody has a particular role in the society. While "Alphas" and "Betas" are considered superior castes and allowed to develop naturally, lower society members are subjected to a "special treatment  that stops the development in intelligence or physical growth. People of these castes make up the majority of human society which makes it harmonious since these people are intentionally limited in their cognitive and physical abilities. That is why it is easier to take control over them. There is a hallucinogen called soma, which is a kind of psychedelic drug used as a social control and helps its users to "relax  every time when someone feels any discomfort or stress. Thus for example, there is no need for religion. Sex is no longer a method of reproduction, it is used only as fun activity. The slogan "everyone belongs to everyone  leads to the fact that everybody is having sexual relationships with everyone. The idea of family is considered old-fashioned; the word "mother  has become an obscenity. There is no competitive performance because people are "produced  to do their jobs, so no other job is desired. The main characters in the book are John (the Savage), Bernard Marx, Helmholtz Watson and Lenina Crowne. While Lenina, an Alpha, is socially accepted, Bernard is rather an outcast; he dislikes soma because he wants to "be himself." Bernard differs not only in his behavior but he is also shorter than other Alphas. It triggers rumors that alcohol was accidently put in h