Any other fans of The Culture novels?

[Yukaphile]

Still doing more reading and research on The Culture, I have all seven books prior to the eighth, as I'd indicated, and am technically reading the words I transcribe to my Word document with "Matter" (I want all these books on Word documents), and HOLY SHIT, the Culture has Dyson Spheres? And Sursamen is a Shellworld whose layers is made up by and powered by thermonuclear stars? JEEZ. I know Roddenberry stole from Asimov as he had Kirk finding an old document that was the Constitution, without the cleverness Asimov put on the twist, and now, the Tkon Empire kind of sounds like the Culture, just a little. Is it possible he was stealing that for TNG? I mean, the first book was released in 1987, after all.

[Riedquat]

I'll need to re-read that because I don't recall any mention of Dyson Spheres, although the Shellworlds are a decidedly weird new concept. I don't think there's any stealing going on, beyond ideas that have been postulated for a while (Dyson came up with the idea of Dyson Spheres quite a long time ago, although not quite in the same manner usually described in SF, I think).

I just Googled Freeman Dyson and to my shame I was surprised to find that he's still alive (shame because it always is to think someone isn't still alive when they are).

[Eishtmo]

Please, Dyson Spheres are considered a waste by the Culture. Orbitals (fractions of a RING) are most common.

That said, the stats from the Idiran-Culture war are the best part of Consider Phlebas.

Length of war: forty-eight years, one month. Total casualties, including machines . . . 851.4 billion. . . Losses: ships (all classes above interplanetary) - 91,215,660; Orbitals - 14,334; planets and major moons - 53; Rings - 1; Spheres - 3; stars . . . - 6.

[clearspira]

Please, Dyson Spheres are considered a waste by the Culture. Orbitals (fractions of a RING) are most common.

That said, the stats from the Idiran-Culture war are the best part of Consider Phlebas.

Length of war: forty-eight years, one month. Total casualties, including machines . . . 851.4 billion. . . Losses: ships (all classes above interplanetary) - 91,215,660; Orbitals - 14,334; planets and major moons - 53; Rings - 1; Spheres - 3; stars . . . - 6.

I remember a quote I heard once that went ''when humanity becomes advanced enough to build a Dyson Sphere, we won't need to''.

[clearspira]

I think the Culture humans themselves are proof that genetic engineering and designer babies don't actually have to be a bad thing.

[Riedquat]

I think the Culture humans themselves are proof that genetic engineering and designer babies don't actually have to be a bad thing.

Depends whether or not the concept is something you fundamentally disagree with. The Culture isn't a society I'd particularly like to live in.

[clearspira]

I think the Culture humans themselves are proof that genetic engineering and designer babies don't actually have to be a bad thing.

Depends whether or not the concept is something you fundamentally disagree with. The Culture isn't a society I'd particularly like to live in.

May I ask why you wouldn't like to live there? Only for me this would be one of my top fictional universes to visit if I could. Seems like it would be a lot of fun.

[Riedquat]

May I ask why you wouldn't like to live there? Only for me this would be one of my top fictional universes to visit if I could. Seems like it would be a lot of fun.

Oh, visit. Definitely. Just not live - a life where people are fundamentally useless (not that they don't ever do anything, but there's no need to) isn't one for me. I don't go to the extremes of self-sufficiency - having to do every single thing necessary to stay alive by hand with only the most primitive tools is even less appealing, by quite a long way, but the Culture is too far in the other direction for my tastes.

[clearspira]

May I ask why you wouldn't like to live there? Only for me this would be one of my top fictional universes to visit if I could. Seems like it would be a lot of fun.

Oh, visit. Definitely. Just not live - a life where people are fundamentally useless (not that they don't ever do anything, but there's no need to) isn't one for me. I don't go to the extremes of self-sufficiency - having to do every single thing necessary to stay alive by hand with only the most primitive tools is even less appealing, by quite a long way, but the Culture is too far in the other direction for my tastes.

Yeah, I know what you mean.

[ORCACommander]

I actually liked CB apart from the ending and that entire chapter on the cannibal island. the novel was long enough already that entire section could have been cut.

indeed, the problem with living in the culture is how do you find satisfaction with your life? You would need to be really good at setting goals and tests for yourself unless you want to engage in unbridled (or hey bridled i won't judge) hedonism