Which sci-fi universe would you like to live in?

TimothyC · Post by **TimothyC** » 2005-08-30 08:01pm

Odyssey verse circa 3001. Other than the threat of big black monoliths doing something out of the ordinary you're in a paradise.

Noble Ire · Post by **Noble Ire** » 2005-08-30 08:20pm

Star Trek and Star Wars (Old Republic period after the Ruusan Reformation and before the Stark Hyperspace War) are good possibilities, but really, I would say Haloverse, circa Red vs. Blue.

True, you are either thrown against an unstoppable Covenant force, an enemy who doesn't even know why he's fighting you (and may even be on your side), or an insane AI and his army of Mexican robots, but a universe where your soul can possess other humans and even robots after you die, human body parts are fully compatable with pig organs, and mouth to mouth can save you from a gunshot wound in the head is worth the risk. And talking tanks are sweet.

Spice Runner · Post by **Spice Runner** » 2005-08-30 08:42pm

The Culture. No wants, no worries.

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2005-08-31 03:10am

I don't know where I would live, but I know I would not live in my own science fiction universe. Sure, you can do what ever the hell you like in most cases, but only if you have the money, and if you don't have the money, you're stuffed.

Lord Pounder · Post by **Lord Pounder** » 2005-08-31 10:47am

Ford Prefect wrote:I don't know where I would live, but I know I would not live in my own science fiction universe. Sure, you can do what ever the hell you like in most cases, but only if you have the money, and if you don't have the money, you're stuffed.

Which is why Star Trek is the way to go, you don't need money. You can sit on your ass listening to any music you want, (no RIAA in the Federation). eatting whatever you want via the replicator and being able to go anywhere you want via the holodeck.

Has anyone ever seen what would happen in ST if a dude refused to do anything but live in his apartment?

Bounty · Post by **Bounty** » 2005-08-31 11:10am

Has anyone ever seen what would happen in ST if a dude refused to do anything but live in his apartment?

They'd probably send a therapist to find out why he doesn't want to fully realise his innate potential, and then respect his right to be left alone and indulge in holoporn 24/7.

Hawkwings · Post by **Hawkwings** » 2005-08-31 11:26am

that's probably what all the smart people are doing, leaving the not-so-smart people to run the federation.

Embracer Of Darkness · Post by **Embracer Of Darkness** » 2005-08-31 11:38am

Hawkwings wrote:that's probably what all the smart people are doing, leaving the not-so-smart people to run the federation.

However, some would say it's preferable to live under semi-pacifist morons than tyrannical dictators who are under the complete influence of the dark side of the force.

Trogdor · Post by **Trogdor** » 2005-08-31 12:07pm

Didn't one of the Earths in Slider have a hundred women for every one man or something? If so, that's where I'd like to go. Even I couldn't fail with the odds so heavily in my favor.

The Nomad · Post by **The Nomad** » 2005-08-31 01:46pm

I'd start a few years on a Culture Orbital, then try life on a GSV. I might enlist into Contact if I get bored, by Special Circumstances are a big no-no.

18-Till-I-Die wrote:No drive, no need, everything is there at your fingertips and you can never advance past the Minds who run the show.

The main drive seems to be entrance into Contact/SC, which is the only social prestige left in that civilization. You might also try becoming a successful Player of Games or famous artist, that would be quite a challenge. Even if it gets a little boring after a while, why, hike on a GCU !

Argosh · Post by **Argosh** » 2005-08-31 02:40pm

If I can choose only one with no moving between different sci-fi universes after that, I'd go to Culture-verse.

If I can move between different universes then I'd start with lower tech ones and slowly move upwards.

First stop: DBZ, buy capsules.
Babylon 5 is a must, Deep Space 9 for comparison, maybe Atlantis(Stargate version) and in the end - Culture.

Lord of the Abyss · Post by **Lord of the Abyss** » 2005-08-31 02:59pm

In rough order of preference.

Culture. Live as long as want, do anything I want (almost).

One of the nicer spots in Orion's Arm. Very high living standards, but the A.I.s tend to more obnoxious and dangerous than Culture Minds. Immortality as well.

Know Space. Good technology, boosterspice immortality and lots of interesting stuff going on.

5th Imperium. Long life, cool tech and a government that believes in civil rights.

Star Trek's Federation, on Earth. Relatively low tech, but a semi-utopia. My main regret is the lack of life extension.

Aktariel · Post by **Aktariel** » 2005-08-31 06:00pm

Oh yes...Known Space. Forgot about that one. I'd want to be Pak protector kung fu master...hand you yourself on fucking platter in hand to hand combat, plus I'd live (almost) forever with no boosterspice or anything...NA that expanded intelligence would kick ass.

On a small side note, in Ringworld's Children, the really old female protector said that hominids had evolved into the niches left by the Pak taking out wolves, vampire bats, tigers, and a few other nasty things like that.

I wanna be a tiger-hominid protector

LeftWingExtremist · Post by **LeftWingExtremist** » 2005-08-31 07:10pm

star wars: seems nice enough place to live, even if there is nearly constant war. naboo (apart from hte invasion) seems like a nice enough place to live although tatooine looks like a shit hole.

Perseid · Post by **Perseid** » 2005-08-31 07:23pm

My choices would be

1. Star Wars

2. Hitchhikers universe

3. Cultureverse

4. Star Trek

jack cloudy · Post by **jack cloudy** » 2005-09-02 12:55pm

Do you have to be human?

If I could chose, I would want to be an old one in the universe I’m busy writing a fic about in my spare time. They may be a bunch of political idiots who are all busy with this protect the universe from itself without interfering unless necessary and don’t know where to draw the line between interfering and not interfering so they just cruise around a bit, but I am talking about the second oldest living race in the galaxy with some really nice hardware and some damn nice immortality. Their body lives for about 200 years, during that time, energy of some kind is stored in their armoured outer shell. When their body dies, they essentially go inside a deep sleep, while a small thing on their forehead, that contains their soul and is even better at containing their funny energy than the outer shell uses the gathered energy to construct a new (child sized) body in a couple of years, after which they wake up again and continue their lives. Naturally, they’re really angry if someone takes this “soul shard” The only downside is that if I was born too early (before the birth of the current galaxy) I would be hunted because certain body parts just happen to make damn good batteries.

If my first choice doesn’t count, I would want to be Q in star trek. I remember something about hearing that there are multiple Q’s, so I would probably try to travel back through time, shield myself against any changes in the time line and prevent whatever caused the Q’s to be created from happening. After that, I would be a god who doesn’t have to listen to anyone. I would go to the Delta Quadrant and pop up on the Voyager’s bridge, after Janeway ruined another chance to get home early. Then I could annoy her with that fact

.

If I have to be human, I’ll go to the Star Wars universe, before the Clone Wars. there’s a lot of variety there and I could make myself a living as a merchant.

Post by **fgalkin** » 2005-09-02 03:40pm

I'm going to break the mold here and say that the Culture is one of the places I definitely wouldn't want to live in. I don't like being a pet, see.

I'd choose SW, followed by the Hegemony of Man, if only for that floating bathroom Silenus had. Just have me die before the Hyperion bbooks begin, and definitely before the Fall

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

The Grim Squeaker · Post by **The Grim Squeaker** » 2005-09-02 03:57pm

Post endymion living would be very cool actually, with a high level of technology, the ability to freely "teleport" any inhabited place in the universe and with the dominant "religion" being the most compassionate, anti-force/conversion thing immaginable.
I'd still prefer life in the culture though, hard to beat post scarcity, immortality and a built in pleasure center/drug store

Post by **NecronLord** » 2005-09-02 04:17pm

As there's still been no mention of whether you even get to choose which civilisation you end up in, I might consider nominating the alternate reality ruled by the 'benevolent' Daleks in the Dalek Empire series. As long as you're prepared to accept autocratic Dalek rule, (in much the way you'd have to accept Mind rule to live in and gain the benefits of the Culture) it seemed pretty damn decent (ruthlessness in war and lack of belief in anyone having a right to exist outside the Dalek rule).

What's more, unlike say, the Culture-verse, there is absolutely no chance that you will end up in a hole like the Empire of the Azad or the Affronter Hegemony, because the Daleks have run them all to ground and neutralised them.

Morat · Post by **Morat** » 2005-09-02 06:14pm

I'm going to break the mold here and say that the Culture is one of the places I definitely wouldn't want to live in. I don't like being a pet, see.

So, just grab a module and leave the Minds behind you. You can even start a Mind-free Culture offshoot if it suits you. Nobody would stop you.

Tychu · Post by **Tychu** » 2005-09-02 07:06pm

besides the LEXX universe (yeah that was a weird universe both light and dark, the light was better but its dead

)

but id go with the Star Wars universe definatley, id be either a smuggler or just a law bidding star delivery man, just traveling from planet to planet would be cool and getting paid to do so. I would remember though that if i get hit by an astroid before i enter hyperspace i would just turn around, unlike that old shit...head in (SW: Tales from Mos Eisley)

Post by **fgalkin** » 2005-09-02 09:44pm

the .303 bookworm wrote:Post endymion living would be very cool actually, with a high level of technology, the ability to freely "teleport" any inhabited place in the universe and with the dominant "religion" being the most compassionate, anti-force/conversion thing immaginable.
I'd still prefer life in the culture though, hard to beat post scarcity, immortality and a built in pleasure center/drug store

Yeah, and being a complete goody-two shoes pussy. Fun fun fun.

And the Culture, IMO, is not good at all. The nice toys do not change the fact that as an organic being, you are completely useless, helpless, and exist only because the Minds tolerate you. Besides, being the only human around is kinda lonely.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2005-09-02 09:58pm

fgalkin: but you can do whatever you want with your life. You can even change your appearance pretty much at will.

The Culture for me.

Post by **fgalkin** » 2005-09-02 10:11pm

HemlockGrey wrote:fgalkin: but you can do whatever you want with your life. You can even change your appearance pretty much at will.

The Culture for me.

No you can't. What if you want to change something in the great scheme of things? You can't do that in the Culture because the Minds won't let you.

Besides, the apperance changing is only for the Culture aliens. Unless you transfer your conciousness into another body, I'm not sure you could get the full capabilities of a Culture person.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2005-09-02 10:40pm

No you can't. What if you want to change something in the great scheme of things? You can't do that in the Culture because the Minds won't let you.

What are you talking about? The Minds only stop you from hurting the Culture. If you take some friends and a spaceship you can form your own Culture offshoot and no one will try and stop you.

I've never read anything about the Minds preventing people from doing things.