What fantasy universe would you like to live in? - Page 4

marksman · 1st February 2013, 02:47 PM

Most fantasy worlds suck to live in. I think I'll take Eden.

thomowen20 · 3rd February 2013, 10:32 PM

Originally Posted by HansMustermann

Well, that's actually the thing. Almost no universe sucks that bad if you're one of the privileged few. I mean, even in imperial Rome, life wasn't bad at all if you were born in the senator class, but it kinda sucked if you were a slave. Or even in the late middle ages, it didn't suck too badly to be a noble, but it kinda sucked if you were a peasant, especially when a Black Death outbreak hit. Heck, even in Somalia it's probably not so bad if you're a warlord.

Even in the most shiny happy universes, let's say Star Trek again, sure, it doesn't suck too much if you're a bridge officer on the Enterprise, but it sucks plenty if you're a red-shirt fresh out of the Academy. Or if you're on one of the many many ships lost to make every conflict more dramatic. E.g., it would suck plenty to be almost anywhere except on the Defiant at the Second Battle of Chin'toka, when the Breen used that energy drain. Or it would suck plenty to be one of the Bajorans during the Cardassian occupation. Or to be a Cardassian too, by the end of the Dominion war. Or a colonist just about anywhere, the way they're always attacked by everything or hit by some cataclism or plague. Or to be a Vidiian, with that plague going on. Or to be, well, just about anyone in the Delta Quadrant, with a few notable exceptions, for that matter. Etc.

So, yeah, if you can put conditions boiling down to 'except those who have it bad', any universe is great. The problem is that most people don't have such a choice.

^^^This!

Gazpacho · 3rd February 2013, 11:15 PM

I'd like to live in the Scientology time track. It might be traumatic but it would never be boring.

ParrotPirate · 9th February 2013, 05:32 PM

More S/F and a little dystopian, but Gibsons cyberpunk future might be fun.

TragicMonkey · 9th February 2013, 08:34 PM

Originally Posted by NetPen

Well, right now I can only think of fantasy universes that I do NOT want to live in, such as Star Wars Episode I & II and Promethus, especially Promethus.

Hell, I'd rather be a redshirt fighting in any other fantasy universe than be a main character in that movie!

One thing worse than being a character in Prometheus:

Jimbo07 · 9th February 2013, 09:53 PM

Originally Posted by HansMustermann

Even in the most shiny happy universes, let's say Star Trek again, sure, it doesn't suck too much if you're a bridge officer on the Enterprise, but it sucks plenty if you're a red-shirt fresh out of the Academy... if you can put conditions boiling down to 'except those who have it bad', any universe is great. The problem is that most people don't have such a choice.

I've always thought that an absolutely fantastic piece of fiction (or fan fiction, for the right author), would be an exploration of ST:TNG's seamy underside. There are tantalizing hints that there could be more at work than seen (ex. the failed colony where Yar was born, the Klingon penal colony in ST:VI, etc.). What if those sort of planets were more common than we're typically led to believe? What if the paradise of the Star Trek world was real, but built on the backs of hidden workers in miserable conditions on industrial worlds (like 40k Forge worlds)? What if it's worse, and the Federation council is hiding this from its citizens, so that some really believe it's a paradise? Etc.

Ape of Good Hope · 10th February 2013, 08:32 AM

I quite fancy life as an itinerant juggler traveling the vastness of Majipoor.

Or for sustained insanity, how about Toontown in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"?

kellyb · 10th February 2013, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by Skeptic Ginger

Didn't the inhabitants find it very boring in the end?

No, that was "We" (which Orwell was convinced BNW must have been inspired by, although Huxley denied it.) In BNW, only a very few aberrant (overly curious) alphas were bored (and thus sent to Siberia-type place to do otherwise forbidden scientific research.) Everyone else was apparently quite happy, at least after toddlerhood.

My favorite would probably be the post-scarcity, post-mortality world of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom (free Cory Doctorow book!):

http://craphound.com/down/?page_id=1625

Or the universe ruled by Prime Intellect here (another free eBook, but X rated for extreme violence)

http://localroger.com/prime-intellect/mopiidx.html

nota · 10th February 2013, 06:43 PM

niven's known universe has some problems in the last books

it is exploding
the hindmost is sterilizing any world that mite be a threat
and the pak are coming

John Albert · 10th February 2013, 08:10 PM

Omelas, so long as I don't have to be the kid in the closet.

luchog · 15th February 2013, 09:27 AM

Give me my own TARDIS and I will happily inhabit the Whoniverse. Yeah, it's a crapsack world in a lot of ways (although Futurama, my second choice, is worse); but it would never be dull. And it has some good points (I'd be spending more than a little time in the late 51st century). Not to mention being able to be a first-hand witness to history and far future progress and change.

Monketey Ghost · 15th February 2013, 09:31 AM

Originally Posted by Travis

What fantasy universe would you want to live in?

Westros?

Middle Earth (1st or 2nd/3rd age)?

Whatever the LLoyd Alexander place is called?

Narnia?

Bout time I posted in this thread:

I was a huge fan of the LOTR novels, and often thought how interesting it would be to live in the Middle-Earth that the books depicted. Always fantasizing, of course, invincibility so I could enjoy it instead of being maimed and dying.

3rd February 2013, 10:32 PM	#122
thomowen20 New Blood Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 12	Originally Posted by HansMustermann Well, that's actually the thing. Almost no universe sucks that bad if you're one of the privileged few. I mean, even in imperial Rome, life wasn't bad at all if you were born in the senator class, but it kinda sucked if you were a slave. Or even in the late middle ages, it didn't suck too badly to be a noble, but it kinda sucked if you were a peasant, especially when a Black Death outbreak hit. Heck, even in Somalia it's probably not so bad if you're a warlord. Even in the most shiny happy universes, let's say Star Trek again, sure, it doesn't suck too much if you're a bridge officer on the Enterprise, but it sucks plenty if you're a red-shirt fresh out of the Academy. Or if you're on one of the many many ships lost to make every conflict more dramatic. E.g., it would suck plenty to be almost anywhere except on the Defiant at the Second Battle of Chin'toka, when the Breen used that energy drain. Or it would suck plenty to be one of the Bajorans during the Cardassian occupation. Or to be a Cardassian too, by the end of the Dominion war. Or a colonist just about anywhere, the way they're always attacked by everything or hit by some cataclism or plague. Or to be a Vidiian, with that plague going on. Or to be, well, just about anyone in the Delta Quadrant, with a few notable exceptions, for that matter. Etc. So, yeah, if you can put conditions boiling down to 'except those who have it bad', any universe is great. The problem is that most people don't have such a choice. ^^^This!
thomowen20 New Blood Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 12

3rd February 2013, 11:15 PM	#123
Gazpacho Master Poster Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Valley Lodge, USA Posts: 2,136	I'd like to live in the Scientology time track. It might be traumatic but it would never be boring.
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9th February 2013, 08:34 PM	#125
TragicMonkey Poisoned Waffles Pither Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Monkey Posts: 30,059	Originally Posted by NetPen Well, right now I can only think of fantasy universes that I do NOT want to live in, such as Star Wars Episode I & II and Promethus, especially Promethus. Hell, I'd rather be a redshirt fighting in any other fantasy universe than be a main character in that movie! One thing worse than being a character in Prometheus: Being in the audience.
	__________________ One cannot expect wisdom to flow from a pumpkin.

9th February 2013, 09:53 PM	#126
Jimbo07 Illuminator Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 3,415	Originally Posted by HansMustermann Even in the most shiny happy universes, let's say Star Trek again, sure, it doesn't suck too much if you're a bridge officer on the Enterprise, but it sucks plenty if you're a red-shirt fresh out of the Academy... if you can put conditions boiling down to 'except those who have it bad', any universe is great. The problem is that most people don't have such a choice. I've always thought that an absolutely fantastic piece of fiction (or fan fiction, for the right author), would be an exploration of ST:TNG's seamy underside. There are tantalizing hints that there could be more at work than seen (ex. the failed colony where Yar was born, the Klingon penal colony in ST:VI, etc.). What if those sort of planets were more common than we're typically led to believe? What if the paradise of the Star Trek world was real, but built on the backs of hidden workers in miserable conditions on industrial worlds (like 40k Forge worlds)? What if it's worse, and the Federation council is hiding this from its citizens, so that some really believe it's a paradise? Etc.
Jimbo07 Illuminator Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 3,415	__________________ This post approved by your local jPac (Jimbo07 Political Action Committee), also registered with Jimbo07 as the Jimbo07 Equality Rights Knowledge Betterment Action Group. Atoms in supernova explosion get huge business -- Pixie of key Last edited by Jimbo07; 9th February 2013 at 09:55 PM.

10th February 2013, 12:30 PM	#128
kellyb Illuminator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Tennessee. Ain't you jealous? Posts: 4,410	Originally Posted by Skeptic Ginger Didn't the inhabitants find it very boring in the end? No, that was "We" (which Orwell was convinced BNW must have been inspired by, although Huxley denied it.) In BNW, only a very few aberrant (overly curious) alphas were bored (and thus sent to Siberia-type place to do otherwise forbidden scientific research.) Everyone else was apparently quite happy, at least after toddlerhood. My favorite would probably be the post-scarcity, post-mortality world of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom (free Cory Doctorow book!): http://craphound.com/down/?page_id=1625 Or the universe ruled by Prime Intellect here (another free eBook, but X rated for extreme violence) http://localroger.com/prime-intellect/mopiidx.html
	__________________ The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts ~ Bertrand Russell

1st February 2013, 02:47 PM	#121
marksman Reality Checker Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Tarrytown, NY Posts: 5,003	Most fantasy worlds suck to live in. I think I'll take Eden.

9th February 2013, 05:32 PM	#124
ParrotPirate Graduate Poster Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Here,now Posts: 1,540	More S/F and a little dystopian, but Gibsons cyberpunk future might be fun.

10th February 2013, 08:32 AM	#127
Ape of Good Hope Muse Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Brizzle Posts: 664	I quite fancy life as an itinerant juggler traveling the vastness of Majipoor. Or for sustained insanity, how about Toontown in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"?

10th February 2013, 06:43 PM	#129
nota Thinker Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 195	niven's known universe has some problems in the last books it is exploding the hindmost is sterilizing any world that mite be a threat and the pak are coming
nota Thinker Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 195

10th February 2013, 08:10 PM	#130
John Albert Illuminator Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 3,143	Omelas, so long as I don't have to be the kid in the closet.
John Albert Illuminator Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 3,143	__________________ “In religion and politics, people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from other non-examiners, whose opinions about them were not worth a brass farthing.” —Mark Twain

15th February 2013, 09:27 AM	#131
luchog Neo-Post-Retro-Revivalist Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: The Emerald City Posts: 7,957	Give me my own TARDIS and I will happily inhabit the Whoniverse. Yeah, it's a crapsack world in a lot of ways (although Futurama, my second choice, is worse); but it would never be dull. And it has some good points (I'd be spending more than a little time in the late 51st century). Not to mention being able to be a first-hand witness to history and far future progress and change.
	__________________ "All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated and well supported in logic and argument than others." -- Douglas Adams "The absence of evidence might indeed not be evidence of absence, but it's a pretty good start." -- PhantomWolf "Let's see the buggers figure that one out." - John Lennon

15th February 2013, 09:31 AM	#132
Monketey Ghost Body of Work Join Date: May 2003 Location: I'm on your screen! Posts: 14,806	Originally Posted by Travis What fantasy universe would you want to live in? Westros? Middle Earth (1st or 2nd/3rd age)? Whatever the LLoyd Alexander place is called? Narnia? Bout time I posted in this thread: I was a huge fan of the LOTR novels, and often thought how interesting it would be to live in the Middle-Earth that the books depicted. Always fantasizing, of course, invincibility so I could enjoy it instead of being maimed and dying.
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