I was having a discussion about the new Star Trek movie when this topic came up. Personally I’m not a fan of the Star Trek Universe as I find it mundane and unimaginative, the Star Wars Universe is at least fun and who hasn’t wanted a light-sabre or to Force-choke a particularly irritating person?
One friend is a massive Dr Who fan and sings its praises whenever he gets a chance.
Basically what came across is how subjective the subject is.
Personally my favourite is The Culture Universe by Iain M. Banks, it just connected with me from the moment I first read a story set in it (Excession), its so rich and detailed with an endless number of possible stories set within it.
And also possibly because its so optimistic, its the best imagining of a secular Utopia I’ve come across although I have to say I also understand why some people hate it! *(mostly due to the fact that humanity is pre-eminent and true control is ceded to super-intelligent benevolent AI’s called Minds.
Its somewhere I could see myself fitting right in…
The universe from Aldous Huxley’s A Brave New World.
You can’t beat a society that has drugs and sex free from consequences. I’d have to be in the Alpha class though. Wouldn’t enjoy things so much if I was born to a lower class. But if I were born in a lower class in that universe, then I would be brainwashed into being happy anyway. So it wouldn’t matter much.
However, being born a “savage” would defeat the purpose of going into that universe, so I would have to at least be born among the “civilized” people.
Larry Niven’s Known Space would probably be my first choice. Because it seems pretty realistic, in terms of “yeah, it might really be like that someday”. And I’d give almost anything to visit the Ringworld.
Second choice would be David Brin’s Uplift Universe, because it has really cool aliens.
Star Trek, Star Wars, Dr. Who, are all just boring, as far as the universes in which they’re set.
Lexx! Travelling from the Light Universe to the Dark Universe (ours), in the company of the three oddballs who inadvertantly stole the ‘ship’ (a gigantic dragonfly), end up living in the American suburbs (!), and to see the destruction of the planet Earth due to unrequited gay love/rage from a disembodied robot head - what could be more fun???
I like Babylon 5 because it feels more “real” in a way. Lots of big problems, interstellar war, political maneuvering, etc., and lots of little problems, homeless people, drug addiction, alcoholism, trying to date outside your culture, etc.
The Hegemony of Man in Dan Simmon’s “Hyperion” books was definitely an interesting (and plausible if you’re into Singularity events) future.
Walter John William’s The Praxis universe is probably more likely, though: mankind is enslaved into a larger interstellar society ruled by a species who has ruled so long that it is dying off because of ennui.
I also like Peter Hamilton’s universes, especially the Commonwealth in his novels Pandora’s Star and Judas Unchained. Interstellar travel via train: what could be more British?
Hmm…most of mine are kind of obvious pop culture references.
Star Wars: Imperial Rome with Ninjas and Space battles.
Halo: Fanatical alien religious zealots who worship ancient technology, defeated by an upstart race that has the temerity to INNOVATE. One of the best and most plausible explanations as to why humans who start at a disadvantage are nonetheless able to persevere. That and most of last year’s budget came from Halo.
Gene Wolfe’s New Sun: The idea that human civilization follows the vitality of the star: Sol is pretty badass. Also the idea of a book, “The Book of the New Sun” (The Bible) being mythological and providing an ancient esoteric ethical underpinning for the main character is pretty cool.
New Eden in Eve Online: A holistic universe with commerce and player controlled intrigue with political machinations on a broad scale and an embrace of not only interstellar travel but individual immortality is also cool.
Chronicles of Riddick: a broad-based sci fi universe where humans evolve in so many directions that it reflects fantasy settings. Like Warhammer 40k with a more personal face.
Riverworld, as in the “Riverworld” series by Philip Jose Farmer.
In a nutshell, some race has terra-formed a planet into one humongous serpentine river valley and resurrected everyone who has ever lived. What a concept! Jesus and Ghengis Kahn and Einstein and Gertrude Stein. And Mozart and Hitler and so on.
Either Vance’s Oikumene (where his Demon Princes series is set) or the Gaean Reach, which is what it evolved into…
If you can afford to travel, every planet has a different culture, with it’s own quirks and customs.
No literature at all, severely dumbed down art, music and other entertainment? Eh, not for me. I’ll take being a member of the cult in Stranger in a Strange Land. Most of the advantages of BNW, but none of the disadvantages.
I like the C. J. Cherryh’s Alliance/Union universe. It doesn’t have too much magic tech, and the implications of the tech isn’t ignored and in fact explored in depth. The societies are well drawn and the difference between them have real reasons behind them instead of just being hand waved away. Now, I wouldn’t want to live in the universe, but I love visiting it.
I always thought if the implications of Star Trek were carried through (always an iffy proposition with that series), non-Starfleet would be pretty good. Near limitless energy with replicators & holodecks, and there are some weird hobbyists dedicated to protecting Earth from attack? What’s not to like?
Star Trek’s optimism and adventurousness have always appealed to me. A united Earth leading an idealistic, multicultural interstellar democracy with cool starships? Sign me up!
Then again, it’d be a blast to be part of Buckaroo Banzai’s posse, veering between rock concerts, weird experiments, fighting off alien invasions and advising the President.
The Empire of Humanity in Niven and Pournelle’s The Mote in God’s Eye and The Gripping Hand is also pretty cool - essentially a Victorian-era British Empire in space; quaint customs with a hightech overlay.
