this post was submitted on 03 Aug 2023
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Science Fiction

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Lemmy World Rules

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Foundation vs Dune (media.kbin.social)
submitted 1 year ago by downpunxx@kbin.social to c/sciencefiction@lemmy.world
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[–] dnzm@feddit.nl 40 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

Iain M. Banks: we're living in an AI-regulated Utopia, but the AI that we totally trust might be doing some light imperialism on the side.

Pratchett / Baxter: we're headed for some bleak imperialist nonsense, and another one, and another one, and another one, and oops, a blank...

Edit: added the Long Earth one.

[–] veroxii@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago

Maybe sometimes there are special circumstances?

[–] tekila@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Fuck I love the Culture series. Such a good read.

[–] 6daemonbag@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 year ago

The Culture is so incredibly fascinating. Banks' death was a loss to science fiction.

[–] eestileib@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

The Culture stuff is great but nothing tops The Algebraist. A near-perfect standalone sf doorstop imo.

Big ideas, some laughs, a mystery that you can solve if you're paying attention, strong characters, interesting aliens...

The last one that hit that sweet spot for me was Mother of Storms by John Barnes.

[–] dnzm@feddit.nl 1 points 1 year ago

Hadn't read The Algebraist yet, so there's a new one on my list. Thanks! I'll make sure to check out Barnes, too.

[–] NuPNuA@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The Culture weren't actually the future of humanity though right? Non-canon stuff has indicated we join eventually in the future but the society formed independent of us and even visit and examine us in one.

[–] dnzm@feddit.nl 1 points 1 year ago

Actually, you're right.

Oh well, a humanity, then, just not ours.