# Fictional worlds you'd least like to live in **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 15, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049 "2003-06-15T17:28:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049/41 "2003-06-16T12:53:59Z")
Put me down for another who thinks that Lovecraft’s universe isn’t so scary. Most of his “monsters” are ineffectual beasts, many of them almost rendered extinct through sheer incompetence. The most they ever seem to manage is to murder a few innocents. I look on Lovecraft’s story as early researches into an obscure ecological niche whose inhabitants are probably doomed to extinction as soon as the rest of us learn how to manage extra-dimensional travel. Frex, “Pickman’s Model” was practically an adventure magazine account of a rare species sighting, and “At The Mountains of Madness” could have run in Argosy in its heyday. Coming Soon: The Society for the Preservation of Cthulhu, Azathoth and those cute li’l ol’ moon beasties ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049/42 "2003-06-16T12:55:18Z")
Man, some of you people’s worst places sound like a lot of fun. Here’s mine: Raccoon City, _Resident Evil_ Char, _Starcraft_ The Dark World, _Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past_ Phleebhut, _Space Quest III_ Any city I’ve ever built, _Sim City_ ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049/43 "2003-06-16T13:09:32Z")
I’ve just been re-reading _Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep?_, the novel _Bladerunner_ is based on. While the future in the movie doesn’t seem so bad, the decaying world in the book is so much more depressing. I suppose one could go live the good life in the off-world colonies, but we never actually see those, so who knows what that’s really like? ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049/44 "2003-06-16T13:44:49Z")
The deeply inbred world of soap operas isn’t my cup of tea. “Brave New World”, “A Clockwork Orange”, and “Dune” are all fairly unappealing, as is “1984”. All worlds which are totaltarian states. “Friends”. NYC with only 5% of the landmass and 8% of the people. I’d end up dead very quickly if I lived in a film noir or Mob world. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049/45 "2003-06-16T14:07:58Z")
Harry Harrison’s **Make Room, Make Room** (movie = **Soylent Green** ). The sad/chilling part is that, like Asimov’s **Caves of Steel** , this is a very likely future for our children. ---
**Author:** ![Kantalooppi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@Kantalooppi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kantalooppi)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049/46 "2003-06-16T14:59:08Z")
Honestly, folks. People list all these totalitarian states and I guess that’s bad, but at least most of them have some order, if it’s of a twisted kind. Megacity-1? Try Cursed Earth - especially the more radiated zones. In fact, I’d bet that post-apocalyptic Earth settings in general would be among the least desirable. Along with zombie-infested worlds. Nothing like some of that Hobbesian state of nature, yeah. Or take 1984 - Oceania’s pretty shitty, but I’d wager it’s a walk in the park compared to living in that neutral zone Oceania, Eastasia and Eurasia are battling over. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by klockwerk \* > \*\*I’m surprised more people haven’t mentioned Huxley’s novel. Though the world of sex-inducing drugs, thousands of twins, genetic engineering and more might be great because you have nothing to worry about, but as soon as you might realize what is really going on, you may start to want something a little more out of this “society” and > > after careful consideration, it seems that the savage’s choice to kill himself truely was the only way out. I couldn’t find a reason for him to _want_ to live! > > Great novel by the way 🙂 I need to get around to reading 1984 sooner or later. \*\* Yeah, but there’s one crack at Huxley’s dystopia - if you don’t fit in you get to go on an island with other people like you. Like Bernard Marx and whatshisface did. I mean, hell, doesn’t sound like too bad a deal for me. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049/47 "2003-06-16T15:25:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by PatrickM \* > \*\*For Buffy fans like me its a moot point now but Sunnydale CA seems to be a good place to avoid. \*\* Tht’s what I was going to say. On the upside, Spike is there! Yay! On the downside…so are thousands of othre vamps, demons, monsters and Buffy herself. ---
**Author:** ![Sinungaling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Sinungaling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinungaling)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049/48 "2003-06-16T15:33:01Z")
I wouldn’t want to live in Middle-earth. Really, it’s like the good guys are always losing, even when they’re winning, like the world’s decline is inevitable no matter how hard you fight to stop it. I know Tolkien stole that from **Beowulf** , but it’s still fairly depressing to live in a world where your greatest efforts ultimately come to naught, and where all history is ultimately an account of the passing away of the good things in the world. As for **Ranchoth** ’s point about the absence of religion in cartoon universes, I noticed the same sort of thing in a different fictional world: in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Think about it, here you have a world where God’s existence is an undeniable fact. Here, crosses and holy water really do work against vampires. (Incidentally, how come holy water is sold in a shop, when you can just get it for free in a church?) God really does intervene on behalf of people, at least against vampires, and possibly in other instances hinted at. However, God is barely mentioned at all. More significantly, the Devil has never been mentioned at all. How come? It _is_ his minions that Buffy fights off every week. You’d think the Bright One would at least get an occassional “Hail Satan!” from his cohorts. (These ideas aren’t mine, by the way, I got them from an Entertainment Weekly article on Buffy.) And sure, there’s Wicca, but that’s more blasting orcs into oblivion and casting Lightning Wall than actual worship. And what’s all this “Powers That Be” stuff? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049/49 "2003-06-16T15:47:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Evil Captor \* > \*\*Gotcha all beat. Earth under the Draka in any of S. M. Stirling’s books about same, particularly “Under the Yoke” which gives a pretty vivid picture of life for the Draka’s slaves. And even the Draka themselves are vulnerable to their own security apparatus. It’s a picture of a terroristic state that makes 1984 look idyllic. > \*\* Even though, if you live under the Draka in the near future (as seen in his book “Drakon”), you’ll have been genetically altered to remove any ambition or resentment at being made a slave, and the Draka’s pheremones will make you love them and want to serve them. So, at least you’ll be happy. ---
**Author:** ![godzillatemple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@godzillatemple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godzillatemple)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049/50 "2003-06-16T16:29:38Z")
I think the Biblical depiction of Hell sounds pretty nasty, what with the lakes of fire, brimstone, eternal damnation and all that. And yes, I do consider the Bible to be a work of fiction, thank you very much. Barry ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049/51 "2003-06-16T17:30:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Loneraven \* > \*\*The world described in those books - sorry, my extreme forgetfulness is showing. The books are called “The Wind Singer” and “Slaves of the Mastery” and while they’re good books, the world they describe sounds like hell to live in. Can anyone remember the author? \*\* That’s the “Wind on Fire” trilogy by William Nicholson. And no, I don’t think I’d want to spend much time there! Julie ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049/52 "2003-06-16T18:05:50Z")
The Biblical descriptions of heaven that I’m aware of sound really lame as well. Plus the traditional one with the harps would suck, too. > [@](#): > > “Friends”. NYC with only 5% of the landmass and 8% of the people. And none of the interesting parts. And all the people are white. ---
**Author:** ![InquisitiveIdiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3ec8ea/32.png) [@InquisitiveIdiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InquisitiveIdiot)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049/53 "2003-06-16T18:36:17Z")
“The Grey Earth”, I think it was called. Actually, make that any primitive world without hope of return. Yeah, 1984 and Hyperion suck, but at least I’d have my internet. Who cares what’s using my brain while I’m surfing? ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049/54 "2003-06-16T19:08:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by InquisitiveIdiot \* > … **Yeah, 1984 and Hyperion suck, but at least I’d have my internet.** … Not many people had Internet access in 1984, much less in _1984_. Besides, [Big Brother](http://www.aclu.org/Privacy/Privacy.cfm?ID=6967&c=130) would be watching you. ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049/55 "2003-06-16T19:08:26Z")
Yeah, but in the 1984 world you would have to use a \* Mac \* to get on the internet. (Now that would be hell on earth!) At least I think that is what I think that commercial ment. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049/56 "2003-06-17T00:47:42Z")
I’d hate to live in the fictional world of GONE WITH THE WIND. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049/57 "2003-06-17T02:43:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Windwalker \* > **Menzoberranzen, in R. A. Salvatore’s Dark Elf Trilogy (Homeland being the first and best in the series, IMO).** Not just Menzo, or even the Underdark as a whole. ALL of Faerun - hell, all of Aeber Toril would be less than great to live in. I’d particularly hate to live in Cormyr. Just since the Time of Troubles (15 years), they’ve suffered (at least) two attempted coups - one of which was connected with a fairly successful war of conquest (took the norther 2/3 of the country). Arabel changes hands more often than a copper coin. Assassination is standard practice in Suzail… And Tilverton…between the despair when Gond ‘abandoned’ them during the Time of Troubles, and its utter destruction when the Shadow Enclave returned… Halruaa I could probably deal with. Unless I was Jordaini… ---
**Author:** ![raisinbread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8491ac/32.png) [@raisinbread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raisinbread)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049/58 "2003-06-17T02:51:16Z")
I wouldn’t mind living in Lovecraft’s worlds, especially Celephais or Arkham or nighted Khem. I don’t see how hell can be such a bad place since I’d spend most of my time greeting old acquaintances. The mystique of a post-apocalyptic world is easily summed up by Auntie Entity:Do you know who I was? Nobody. Except on the day after, I was still alive. This nobody had a chance to be somebody. Hope that makes some sense. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049/59 "2003-06-17T04:06:28Z")
I would say Dagobah, or Tatooine. The first has too many snakes and the second is way too hot. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049/60 "2003-06-17T04:17:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by well he’s back \* > \*\*I’d hate to live in the fictional world of GONE WITH THE WIND. \*\* The only problem was that it wasn’t that fictional. Sure, Tara and Scarlett never existed, but Atlanta did burn down and the Civil war wasn’t kind to Georgia. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-worlds-youd-least-like-to-live-in/182049.md?page=4)