Re: Why Space Empires?

Brian M. Scott <b.scott@xxxxxxxxxxx> 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.

I'm not at all sure that this is true. In fact, the more I
think about it, the more I doubt that it's true.

I'm positive it isn't.

What happens, though, is the that the empires tend to get higher
billing, because they have a better stage presence.

Take the Vorkosiganverse, for example. You have our hero's culture
"Empire!" and the number one enemy, the Cetagandans, "Empire!" and so of
course that gives you an empire majority... even though the Betans
aren't and the Kromarians weren't and the Jackson Whole people aren't
and the Quaddies aren't and, well, actually the entire rest of the
universe doesn't seem to be.

Numberically speaking the empires are far from a majority, but it's very
unkind of us to be pointing out this dry and dreary factual stuff in the
midst of a good rant on the overwhelming preponderousness of
Monarchy/Feudalistic goverments in future fiction. *Emotionally* the
empires are in the lead.

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