What book is this?

[kbrocx]

I'm sorry if this is an odd request, but I read a book 20 or so years ago and I loved it. Unfortunately I can't remember the name. I've done all the searching I can but haven't come up with anything. I'd love any help finding the name of this book. Unfortunately I have very little to go on. This is what I remember:

A man wakes up on a space ship. He has been turned into a super soldier with tough skin and looks pretty monsterly. He's not happy about it but deals with it.

Space ship and surprise your a gruesome super soldier is about it.

That's all I've got. :\ I think it was called "The 'something' Man". But I'm not sure about that. I read it as a early-teen in the mid eighties, but it wasn't a new book.

I know that's not much to go on, but I'm hoping it rings a bell with someone.

Thank you.
-Ken

[Hobbit]

Thread moved to where it should be.

Best of luck with this one, Ken!

Mark

[Ropie]

Man Plus by Frederik Pohl is along the same lines but probably not the one you're looking for..

[B5B7]

'Protector' by Larry Niven has a similar idea, but also is probably not the book you are looking for, but one I recommend reading anyway.

[mpemburn]

That definitely sounds like "Protector" to me. Here's the blurb from the back of the book:

"Phssthpok the Pak had been travelling for most of his 32,000 years -- his mission, to save, develop and protect the group of Pak breeders sent out into space some 2 1/2 million years before . . .

[Jack] Brennan was a Belter, the product of a fiercely independent, somewhat anarchic society living in, on and around an outer asteroid belt. The Belters were rebels, one and all, and Brennan was a smuggler. The Belt worlds had been tracking the Pak ship for days -- Brennan figured to meet that ship first . . .

He was never seen again -- at least not by those alive at the at the time."

Brennan gets aboard the Pak ship and, after discovering that the air was breathable, is seized by an irresistible urge to eat some roots he finds in the ship. This transforms him into a Protector -- the final stage of human development that could only be attained through the consumption of this particular foodstuff.

Hope that helps,

Mark