Re: Why Space Empires?

On Jan 30, 1:40 pm, CharlesRCap...@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?
SNIP: I bet it is because the writers need conflict and if the future
governments evolve along with man towards a truly altruistic
("bonoboid") society then there will be little conflict except from an
outside entity. And romance seems to be a popular inducement necessary
to sell books to the gentler sex. Gotta have princes for romance,
right? More pageantry in monarchies, too. So these writers simply
read a few history books and re-date the plots and subplots and rename
the principal characters. . . .
As for monarchies being stabler, please read history. Yes, there have
been dynasties that lasted incredibly long times - but that is a few
compared to how many crumbled along the way. For a long-term
democratic government, look at Iceland.
Walt BJ
.

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