Re: Why Space Empires?

<CharlesRCaplan@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Why is the "Space Empire" so popular in SF? It seems that the vast
majority of all "far future" SF (which I suppose most of which is
Space Opera) have some sort of Monarchy and/or Feudalistic system of
government. Is it just a literary crutch or is it more a reasoned
response to the problem of ruling a large geographically
(astrographically) separated polity? Is it just some sort of
(misplaced?) nostalgia for the forms and protocols that attach to such
a system?

Galactic Empires are cool.

That's why my Cultivator Universe has one that has no particular
positional relationship to any particularly galaxy, and which isn't,
strictly speaking, an empire at all.

But if you *call* it an Empire, then you get to have an Emperor -- and
royalty chasing paparazzi, without whom life cannot truly be considered
complete. >:)



Seriously, though, I think they pop up for the same reason that
fantasies have so many of them. Political systems that bestow huge
amounts of power on just a few people tend to make for good story stuff.

Space Empires are a handy way to raise the stakes, increase the
numinous, accelerate the dangers, and widen the scope. PLUS they come
with really great window-dressing, at no extra charge. What's not to
like?


There are, of course, other ways to get a lot of power into the hands of
just a few people...

.... and, I think if you look, you will discover that a great many
popular genre tropes are examples of doing precisely that: Magic, hidden
knowlege, superior technology, military hierarchies, amazing artifacts,
secret weapons, special talents, super powers...



--
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L. Shelby, Writer http://www.lshelby.com/
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