# Favorite Fictional Culture **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 15, 2007, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-culture/430134 "2007-12-15T21:25:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2007, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-culture/430134/41 "2007-12-16T23:29:51Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] The Loonie culture of Heinlein’s _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_ is fascinating, with its group marriages, line marriages, polyandry, and all the other ways that have been devised to deal with a massive gender imbalance under frontier conditions. (The apparent absence of prostitution is implausible, however – considering its prevalence in historical frontier societies with shortages of women.) [/QUOTE] “Absence of prostitutes”?! 😕 What about the “Slot Machine Girls”; who, if you put a coin in the slot, will give you something you hadn’t got when you started. :dubious: However, Loonie culture is a hoot. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-culture/430134/42 "2007-12-17T00:03:43Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] “Absence of prostitutes”?! 😕 What about the “Slot Machine Girls”; who, if you put a coin in the slot, will give you something you hadn’t got when you started. :dubious: [/QUOTE] I don’t remember that from the book at all. Long time since I’ve read it, though. One thing I do remember is that women are so scarce all men treat them like royalty. That’s not how it worked out in the Old West. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-culture/430134/43 "2007-12-17T00:12:11Z")
[QUOTE=Steve Wright] The advantages of living in a hyper-technological utopia seem fairly obvious … [/QUOTE] Recirculating testicles? ---
**Author:** ![This\_ll\_Do](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/this_ll_do/32/3023_2.png) [@This\_ll\_Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/This_ll_Do)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-culture/430134/44 "2007-12-17T01:02:10Z")
The kingdom of Karhide on Gethen in Ursula K. Le Guin’s _The Left Hand of Darkness_. The Atevi homeworld in C. J. Cherryh’s _Foreigner_ series. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-culture/430134/45 "2007-12-17T01:10:33Z")
I came into say Karhide, but **This’ll Do** beat me to it. As second most interesting, I’ll go with another Le Guin - The Archipelago from the Earthsea books. Of the two, I’d rather live in the Archipelago, but found Karhide more deeply realized and interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Vimp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vimp/32/4186_2.png) [@Vimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vimp)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-culture/430134/46 "2007-12-17T02:44:08Z")
My choice would be Cordwainer Smith’s \*Instrumentality of Mankind \* universe. Seeing C’Mell and D’Joan and all of the rest would be way cool. ETA: Mr Roo votes for Wonderland ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-culture/430134/47 "2007-12-17T03:51:50Z")
The Draka Domination, but only when I’m in a really bad mood. After that…the world of the _Difference Engine_ might be kinda fun, though I can’t say I’d be that enthused about balkanized North America. ---
**Author:** ![sreeja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@sreeja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sreeja)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-culture/430134/48 "2007-12-17T10:49:45Z")
My favorites are Hercules and rhombus ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-culture/430134/49 "2007-12-17T15:20:19Z")
The world of _A Canticle for Leibowitz._ I would love to read history texts from the 38th century in that universe. (Also the collected works of the Venerable Boedullus.) 1. I want to read a prequel set during and immediately after the Revolution. The time of Nehemiah Scudder from Heinlein’s future history. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-culture/430134/50 "2007-12-17T15:29:00Z")
[Q Continuum](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_Continuum) ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-culture/430134/51 "2007-12-17T15:38:12Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] Ideally, I would stay behind, perfecting my craft and then go visiting Middle Earth in the third age or fourth age, maybe I could hitch a ride with Glorfindel or Gandalf. [/QUOTE] What, and miss seeing Middle-Earth in the First Age? That was when Elves were Real Elves, Men were Real Men, and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were _reall_ small, furry creatures from Alpha Centauri. (Ooops, wrong reference.) Seriously though: more moving to me than all the descriptions of the glories of Nargothrond, Doriath, Gondolin and other fastnesses of the First Age, or of the white walls and jeweled streets of Tirion on the shores of Eldamar in Valinor, was the lament of Fangorn for the lost lands of Beleriand: _In the willow-meads of Tasarinan I walked in the Spring. Ah! the sight and the smell of the Spring in Nan-tasarion! And I said that was good. I wandered in Summer in the elm-woods of Ossiriand. Ah! the light and the music in the Summer by the Seven Rivers of Ossir! And I thought that was best. To the beeches of Neldoreth I came in the Autumn. Ah! the gold and the red and the sighing of leaves in the Autumn in Taur-na-neldor! It was more than my desire. To the pine-trees upon the highland of Dorthonion I climbed in the Winter. Ah! the wind and the whiteness and the black branches of Winter upon Orod-na-Thön! My voice went up and sang in the sky. And now all those lands lie under the wave…_ Sure, I’d love to tour Tirion upon Tuna and peek inside Gondolin before the fall, or to behold Luthien wearing a Silmaril in the court of Thingol and Melian in Doriath. but I’d want to go home to what Treebeard described. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-culture/430134/52 "2007-12-17T15:44:50Z")
I think I’ll chose “Harlequin World”. This is the land of the romance novel. YOu’ll start out a lowly wage slave and be swept off your feet by an incredibly rich, handsome, funny guy with great hair. Then you live happily ever after. Or perhaps the world that Katherine Kurtz’s Deryni novels are set in. Although you seem to have a pretty good chance of being killed by magic, poison or capital punishment. StG ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-culture/430134/53 "2007-12-17T16:14:08Z")
True to my username, I’d want to see Middle-earth. I’d rule in Minas Tirith but take frequent trips out to the hinterlands. The Sea of Rhun has always appealed to me, and it’d be nice to try out the different wines of Dorwinion. For a near-perfect balance of personal freedom, high-tech cool stuff, varied entertainment, democracy, the rule of law, adventure and companionship, it’d be hard to beat the Federation of _Star Trek: The Next Generation_ and thereafter. I’d definitely want to learn more about the Andorians, who I always thought were 'way cool. The universe of Haviland Tuf of George R.R. Martin’s _Tuf Voyaging_, although tougher, less safe and more anarchic than ST:TNG, also appeals to me. In the Harry Potter world, I wouldn’t mind working for the Ministry of Magic in some top post, post-Voldemort. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-culture/430134/54 "2007-12-17T16:16:00Z")
I’ve always kinda liked the idea of the Zensunni Fremen. ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-culture/430134/55 "2007-12-17T16:24:35Z")
The Star Trek Federation is probably first choice. Pern, though, is a pretty close second. Harry Potter and Narnia tied for third. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-culture/430134.md?page=2)