Science Fictional Worlds I'd Like to Live In
This turned out to be a much more difficult list than the previous one. The reason is pretty simple: settings that are interesting to read about are often horrible places to actually live in. I don't actually want to share my neighborhood with alien conquerers, reality-devouring cosmic entities, or even run-of-the-mill space pirates. So the Top Ten list only has four entries. I'll explain some of the ones that didn't make the cut below.
The Polesotechnic League universe by Poul Anderson. This is one of two which appears on both lists. It strikes a nice balance between super-advanced civilization on the home worlds and rough-and-tumble adventure out on the frontier. There is a pall of Spenglerian gloom, especially in the later stories, as the characters all know it won't last and the barbarians gather, but it has a pretty good run.
The Culture from the books by Iain M. Banks. This is the other setting which is both a nice places to live and a fun places for fictional adventures. That's because the Culture is a utopia (sort of) but where it bumps into other civilizations there is conflict and adventure. I have to say Anderson's universe is more appealing. The Culture has more amazing technology than the Polesotechnic civilization, but on the other hand it's run by superintelligent computer Minds who can be enormous jerks sometimes. Plus the Polesotechnic's frontier is inhabited by colorful space merchants while the Culture's "Special Circumstances" branch is a bunch of self-righteous prigs.
While Arthur C. Clarke's novels don't explicitly take place in the same future, the basic assumptions in most of his work are so consistent that they might as well. The hard-science future shown in Rendezvous With Rama, Imperial Earth, The Fountains of Paradise, and 2001 looks like a pretty neat place. The occasional alien interlopers are incomprehensible but generally benign, there are no civilization-wrecking wars or cosmic disasters -- and best of all, none of it requires any editing of the laws of nature as we understand them.
The Dream Park universe of Larry Niven and Steven Barnes. This could be described as "bright cyberpunk" as it has all the technology and giant corporations beloved by the cyberpunk writers but lacks the dystopian tone and the noir attitude. Besides, how can I object to a world in which roleplaying game designers enjoy the fame and adulation of rock stars?
Now here are some that didn't make it.
The Foundation universe, by Isaac Asimov. Doubtless there are nice enough planets in the Galactic Empire or its successor states which stay pleasant for centuries, but my beef with this setting is more existential. Let me keep my illusion of free will, please. Knowing that the future is essentially carved in stone -- and that any efforts I make to change it are just part of the chisel -- is very depressing.
The "Uplift" universe by David Brin. On the plus side: lots of super-advanced alien civilizations. On the minus side: most of them are trying to subjugate or exterminate humans. Pass.
The "Wormhole Nexus" setting of Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan books. Are you kidding me? Earth is apparently in the middle of an environmental collapse, Beta Colony is a PC nanny-state, Barrayar is fun and colorful but when you strip away the cool stuff it's still a feudal autocracy on a hostile planet. A Galaxy where freelance space mercenaries are a major industry sounds a bit too exciting for me.
The Future History, by Robert Heinlein. There's at least one World War, a theocratic dystopia ruling the United States for several decades, and a slightly more politely repressive World State after the war. Even after humans expand out into the Galaxy it doesn't seem that they learn to run things any better. Not really an improvement over reality.
Known Space, by Larry Niven. Sure, it's a post-scarcity utopia with immortality available at the drugstore, but if you look at the details Known Space has some pretty awful periods -- like the secret tyranny of the ARM, and the terrifying Kzin Wars. Plus the Galaxy is exploding! No, thanks.
The Star Trek universe by Gene Roddenberry. This is another utopian society, very much like Banks's Culture (and every bit as self-righteous about it). However, if you're not part of the heroic crew of the Enterprise, Voyager, or Deep Space 9, your life is constantly in danger from giant space amoebas, mind-controlling parasites, acquisitive cyborgs, disgruntled Romulans, and who knows what else. Plus there's at least one devastating World War to get through. It's a utopia in which everyone must be taking fistfuls of stress-reducing pills all the time.
Anyone else have any suggestions for science fiction worlds you'd like to live in?
Some credit must be given to Ursula LeGuin's Hainish universe, for its almost laughably naive use of the ansible. Ender's Whatever put it to better use, but no two species could seem to meet without massive damage, so to heck with that.
Anne McCaffrey's future seems to have a little of something for everyone... except good writing. :P
Posted by: Tom | 06/05/2011 at 12:21 AM
On Banks' novels and the Culture as a sort of "computer-aided" anarchy, see also this long but enlightening contribution: http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/rumpalaepaper.pdf
Posted by: CA | 06/19/2011 at 07:53 AM