(Found, with ribbons and bells) Genetically modified bloke with green hair, escalator scene

[BAYLOR]

This has been driving me crazy. I've searched and all I can find is an old film The Boy With Green Hair based on a short story by Betty Beaton, the synopsis is parents die in war, runs away to the forest when he wakes up one morning with green hair. Not what you are looking for.

It was a film in 1948 , Dean Stockwell played The boy with the green hair.

 

[BAYLOR]

Not that one pretty sure it’s a female author

Sorry Joe when you said Gareth for some reason it just clicked into my head.

 

[Vince W]

In the mid to late 80s Elizabeth Moon was probably the biggest female author apart from C.J. Cherryh, Andre Norton, Anne McCaffery, Lois McMaster-Bujold, Jo Walton, Joanna Russ... wait, where was I going with this?

https://www.nypl.org/blog/2017/11/22/finding-book-forgotten-title

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I’ll do my annual bump on this one.

Early 80s Young Adult
Main character was a bloke with coloured hair (green, I believe)
I think he was genetically modified and is likely to have secateur hands (which means every google search throws up Edward Scissorhands...)
He is a free thinker which is rare and must be hidden
There is definitely a human pile up on a moving walkway that he steps around

Still driving me mad.

 

[Danny McG]

I’ll do my annual bump on this one.

You wouldn't let it lie, would you?

 

[Dave]

To help get more replies I've changed the thread title Book Search Requests - PLEASE READ FIRST

 

[Jo Zebedee]

You wouldn't let it lie, would you?

Nope.

Thanks, Dave!

 

[tachyon]

Was it "The Missing Persons League" by Frank Bonham?

The Missing Persons League

The cover looks spot-on from the original description, protagonist is a boy, hiding secrets from the government, there's a garden, a love interest. I haven't read it so not sure about the escalator scene...

 

[nixie]

Jo, we need to know has it been found?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Jo, we need to know has it been found?

Sadly not @tachyon , I’m pretty sure it was a female author but thank you!

 

[Danny McG]

When this finally gets solved the internet is gonna go full meltdown!

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I’m starting to think I dreamt reading it....

 

[tachyon]

You have to admit the cover of "The Missing Persons League" is pretty striking.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

You have to admit the cover of "The Missing Persons League" is pretty striking.

It’s ace

 

[Danny McG]

@Jo Zebedee
Jo, there's one I haven't read but I found some blurb online, domed city, moving sidewalks and the usual YA trope-ish teen rebel.
However it's a male writer, Granville Wilson, story 'War of the Computers' so there is a 4 word title

 

[Jo Zebedee]

@Jo Zebedee
Jo, there's one I haven't read but I found some blurb online, domed city, moving sidewalks and the usual YA trope-ish teen rebel.
However it's a male writer, Granville Wilson, story 'War of the Computers' so there is a 4 word title

I don’t think so - the cover isn’t the same. But it’s the right era.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

This is still driving me insane! How can I remember so much about this and yet it’s in-google-able. From the top:

Young adult
Late seventies or (more likely) early 80s
Main character was a bloke - free thinker - coloured hair (green, I think)
I think he was a gardener with secateurs for hands (this kills all google searches as it brings up Edward Scissorhands)
Not Monica Hughes but very like her and I’m very sure it’s a woman writer

The plot:

A city where free thinking is not encouraged but the main character is one. A scene where people fall on an escalator and our hero steps past them. Teams up with a female and they flew together.

That’s it. Danny is stumped. I am too. I’m sure the book is complete rubbish but I’d love to flipping know what it was anyhow

 

[Danny McG]

I thought I'd found the answer over in 'Stack Exchange' because someone was after a book about a gardener with genetically modified shear hands!
However none of the suggested answers were accepted

Trying to remember the name of a female, Canadian, children's sci-fi author from the 80s

I read a number of books when I was around 10-15 years old (roughly 1985-1990) by a female, Canadian, sci-fi author. I can't remember her name (maybe Amy something?) or the titles of any of the boo...

scifi.stackexchange.com

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I thought I'd found the answer over in 'Stack Exchange' because someone was after a book about a gardener with genetically modified shear hands!
However none of the suggested answers were accepted

Trying to remember the name of a female, Canadian, children's sci-fi author from the 80s

I read a number of books when I was around 10-15 years old (roughly 1985-1990) by a female, Canadian, sci-fi author. I can't remember her name (maybe Amy something?) or the titles of any of the boo...

scifi.stackexchange.com

I’m pretty sure it’s the same book.

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

This article

How To Find A Book By Description With These Tips, Tricks, & Resources

So you want to find a book by description? These tips and tricks will get you well on your way to reconnecting with your long lost book.

bookriot.com

led me to this site

WorldCat.org

WorldCat.org is a global catalog of library materials. You can search for books, music, video, articles and much more at libraries near you.

www.worldcat.org

which might be of some use, if not for this then future queries

and have you tried

The Internet Speculative Fiction Database

www.isfdb.org