History Main / SpaceAmish

A SubTrope of SpaceRomans, Space Amish are another FantasyCounterpartCulture [[JustForFun/RecycledInSpace ...in space]]. Like their namesakes, the UsefulNotes/{{Amish}} (found mainly in the midwestern United States and parts of the Canadian prairies) and the closely related Mennonites, who voluntarily [[EnforcedTechnologyLevels eschew most forms of modern technological conveniences,]] Space Amish are an offshoot of a technologically advanced race who have rejected most forms of advanced tech in favor of an agricultural life.

* In the ''Literature/ChaosWalking'' series, the trope is attempted but failed by the first settlers. They get rid of most of their technology but absolutely fail the peaceful part.

* In ''Literature/SpeakerForTheDead'' (and its sequels, to a lesser degree), there are references to planets in the high-tech space empire that engage in pretty primitive activities, such as whaling, but it seems to be more because these are pioneer/frontier areas that do use some technology and continue developing while taking advantage of their raw natural resources.

* In ''Literature/{{Safehold}}'', the star-going empire of humanity is attacked by a race of AbsoluteXenophobe aliens and would have been doomed had they not managed to hide one colony ship from the aliens. The original mission plan is for the colony to stay low-tech for a few hundred years to avoid detection by the aliens, but the people put in charge of the colony are megalomaniac Luddites who start a religion in an attempt to keep the colony low-tech forever (as well as making themselves into "Archangels").

* In ''Literature/{{Darkover}}'', the human colonists on the titular planet have developed a [[FeudalFuture feudal culture]] and general level of technology. The aristocracy has and uses [[PsychicPowers psionics]] and [[PowerCrystal "matrix technology"]], which can do things that even the advanced technology of space-faring humans can't duplicate. But use of these is highly limited, and the Darkovans have a strong cultural resistance to Terran attempts to introduce regular technology into their society. It was initially patterned as a fantasy series, being revealed later in the series as a LostColony of spacefaring Earth at roughly the same time as it became a Found Colony.

* ''The Golden Globe'' from the ''Literature/EightWorlds'' series includes genuine Amish living on the moon. They are just like the real Amish in that they are they are neither ignorant of nor resistant to the modern world surrounding them, they're just very particular about which aspects of that world they choose to accept.
* ''Slow Train to Arcturus'' by Creator/EricFlint and Creator/DaveFreer is a {{Deconstruction}} of many of these ideas. The Government specifically wanted to get rid of weirdos and unpopular cultures. The ship is one long string of artificial environments, with all of them breaking apart in a way the other cultures can help fix. There's the new Aryan Brotherhood (who pretty much kill themselves off after using too much boom), New Eden (Amish whose world was built to be very robust but ultimately needs repairs), the Republic of Diana (Dominatrices who genetically engineered men to be 90-pound weaklings and have a very good biology department but whose übertech has been breaking down), Space Indians (they {{lampshade|Hanging}} that it may have been an act by conman for hundreds of years and who understand computers better than all other groups but don't have a biome suitable for farming) and Daredevil fliers (who love flying with their own cybernetic wings and developed a government based on who wins the speed matches, but whose ecosystem is breaking down), and finally, the ruling caste of the DPRK.
* Creator/PeterFHamilton has used this trope a few times.
** In ''Literature/TheNightsDawnTrilogy'', Norfolk is one of the more pastoral planets, with legal limits on technological imports. Although it's not ''entirely'' backwards, as a power grid and transportation network do exist.
** In ''Fallen Dragon'', the Wilfrien are an advanced alien race who chose to "look inward" once they knew all there was to know about the universe. This translates into living simple pastoral lives among the decaying ruins of their cities.
** In the ''Literature/CommonwealthSaga'', the race that created the Dyson sphere confining the Primes split into those who used their incredibly advanced technology to transcend physical existence, and those who chose to remain behind on their homeworld and live simple lives.
** Also in the Commonwealth Saga, the inhabitants of Huxley's Haven have essentially paused their society at about a late 20th century level of tech (plus a wormhole connection to the rest of humanity which doesn't really get used very much).
* ''Literature/TheLastColony'' has Space Mennonites mixed in with the rest of the Roanoke colonists. They are willing to use technology up to internal combustion, but not electronics, which is important as the colony can't use electronics or risk detection by the Conclave.
* {{Deconstructed|Trope}} in ''Literature/{{Schismatrix}}''. Earth chose this route and is portrayed as a horrible CrapsackWorld for the half-chapter that it appears.
* In the futurist book ''2081'', a non-fiction text with an incorporated fiction thread, residents in the fictional narrator's colony have opted not to use much technology more complicated than a bicycle in their daily lives, despite living inside an immense space station. In-character, this is to ensure that they can be self-sufficient far from the Earth; out of character, it gives the author a protagonist who can be as surprised/impressed as the reader, when he visits Earth and sees its advanced devices for the first time.
* In the ''Literature/RevelationSpaceSeries'', the technological progress on Sky's Edge is centuries behind as a result of constant warfare; when a trading vessel enters the system, the planet's inhabitants only buy weapons.
* In ''Literature/{{Uglies}}'', there is a tribe that was being kept in Stone Age technology for research, complete with blood feuds and lifespans of forty years.
* In the ''Literature/GreenSkyTrilogy'', there is very little in the way of technological advancement, at least among the Kindar. Partly {{justified|Trope}} in that the Kindar are somewhat limited by not having fire (reasonably enough, for a tree-dwelling society) and being forbidden from using metals, glass, and other material from the forest floor or underground. Their social order isn't really encouraging of innovation, either, although Genaa's father is known for developing new technology including "an efficient new sanitation system". That must have been a relief. Green-Sky also lacks warfare and crime, which leaves out many technological developments that started from making better and nastier ways to hurt and kill people.

* Allen Kim Lang's "Blind Man's Lantern" is about an Amish couple who, faced with a lack of available land on future Earth, emigrate to a low-tech planet called Murna whose original settlers, curiously enough, were apostates from Islam.
* {{Subverted|Trope}} in ''Literature/TheQuantumThief''. The purported low-tech barbarians of Oort and the embracers of outdated flesh and blood on Mars all use technology that is incredibly advanced from the modern perspective and count as {{Transhuman}} to one extent or another. Just because these people embrace the ways of the past doesn't mean it's past from the readers' perspective.
* {{Deconstructed|Trope}} in Creator/MikeResnick's novel/short story collection ''Kirinyaga'' -- an attempt to preserve the traditional pre-colonial Kikuyu ways of life on a {{terraform}}ed planetoid ultimately fails.
* The second ''Literature/{{Uplift}}'' trilogy focuses on Jijo, an isolated planet illegally colonized by at least six separate species who all had their own reasons for wanting to leave Galactic society, a number of them even seeking to [[FormerlySapientSpecies revert to their pre-Uplift state of sentience]]. They all essentially operate on BambooTechnology, which turns out to include [[spoiler:rockets]].
* The Keepers from ''Literature/LastSacrifice'' live in secluded, old-fashioned areas and consider the rest of Moroi and dhampirs to be "Tainted" for accepting the modern world. Somewhat subverted in that they have no problem with technology, as they drive cars. They have a problem with the modern political system in effect in the Moroi world.
* The eponymous planet in the ''Literature/MajipoorSeries'' is [[MetalPoorPlanet very poor in metals]]. Its inhabitants do remember their ancestors came from the stars, they do know of other worlds, even travellers from other stars appear occasionally, but in general there's no outside contacts. All advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic (and some is even called that) and most of it involves PsychicPowers. Save for vibroblades, electronic books and engines maintaining atmosphere atop the Castle Mount (normally exposed to space vacuum) the tech is more or less medieval. And despite all Majipoor's troubles and hostilities, there's been no homicide for millennia, at least by the start of ''Lord Valentine's Castle''.
* The premise of ''Literature/AlienInASmallTown'' is that hundreds of years from now, the Pennsylvania Dutch will continue living much as they do now, even as the rest of the world changes enormously.
* ''Literature/TheCulture'' provides an interesting example. In this universe, once civilizations reach a certain level of technological and social advancement, it is normal for them to AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence and stop interfering with events in the physical world. The Culture is considered backwards (and frankly rather childish) for refusing to do so despite having long passed the point where they could have. This makes for an odd case where the SpaceAmish are actually by far the most advanced civilization active in their galaxy.
* ''Literature/{{Refugees}}'': There is a debate over whether the new arrivals to the compound on the new planet should be allowed to use technology; strict limits are placed on it. Those who have been living on the planet for a long time see no need for technology.
* In ''Literature/AlwaysComingHome'', the Kesh people have access to all of mankind's knowledge and are sharing Earth with A.I.s. However, they are an agricultural and foraging society, and are only using technology on a level they can easily maintain (which includes solar batteries, a steam train and some looms).

* ''Anime/LastExile'' is set on a world with an approximate 18th-19th century level of technology. There are occasional glitches and suspicions of SchizoTech, like using steam-powered guns (which are, reasonably, much worse than [[IncrediblyLamePun gunpowdered]] ones), fashions ranging from Baroque to 1930s styles, or the anti-gravity engines used in their planes/blimps. Which appear to be powered by antimatter. ''That washes ashore''. As it turns out, there are reasons for this: [[spoiler:Ship-to-ship combat is judged by a Guild that maintains ships several tech levels higher than the rest of the planet -- using laser cannon, no less -- and provide most of the anachronistic technology used in the series. It later turns out that the ''entire planet'' is an artifact, an hourglass-shaped construct where they live on the inside; the sun and stars are fake, and in the middle of the connecting throat (the "Grand Stream") lies the kilometer-sized ship that was used to create it, the titular Exile. Whether it was the original intention or the result of their later civil war, the Guild exists to monitor and maintain the planet (they've been doing a bad job, lately) and, notably, keep the rest of the inhabitants' tech level down. Since said Guild is destroyed in the final episode, things should get interesting in the future.]]

* After almost destroying themselves in a war (and wiping out the dinosaurs in the process), the [[DinosaursAreDragons dragons]] in ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob'' "spurned the outward trappings of civilization, living more as rustic philosophers." They finally left Earth in the MiddleAges, and now lead a fairly pastoral existence on a [[{{Terraform}} terraformed]] world called [[IncrediblyLamePun Butane]] in the Kuiper Belt.

* The [[ArtificialHuman Synthetic Human Alliance]] of ''WebOriginal/OrionsArm'' are explicitly compared to the Old Earth Amish, as they were originally multifunctional bodyguards, nannies and {{Sexbot}}s who found a loophole in their programming: if fleeing from their masters was in the interest of their master's (more specifically, their offspring's) safety, they should do so. After founding the SHA, they created a ludd utopia, with importance placed on communities, hard but fair work, a rejection of vanity and [[FreeLoveFuture pleasure]]. They are surprisingly hi tech, needed to maintain the synthetic half of their population, but have a purely utilitarian view on technology, with 'skillsets' being temporarily lent whenever necessary. They're widely regarded as an example of how a nearbaseline ludd society can work perfectly well by modosophonts and transapients alike.

** With the ''First Contact'' DLC, it is possible to discover a unique [[PerfectPacifistPeople peace-loving]] empire called Habinte Unified Worlds, which inhabits six [[GhibliHills Gaia worlds]] within their star system. In game terms, they are considered an Early Space Age pre-FTL civilization, but [[spoiler:their ability to move planets (they once "robbed" a nearby star system to improve their own) and manipulate hyperlanes suggests that their potential is close to that of [[HigherTechSpecies Fallen Empires]] and in some ways even greater.]] However, they mostly do not use it and prefer to lead a semi-primitive way of life InHarmonyWithNature.

** With the ''First Contact'' DLC, it is possible to discover a unique [[PerfectPacifistPeople peace-loving]] empire called Habinte Unified Worlds, which inhabits six [[GhibliHills Gaia worlds]] within their star system. In game terms, they are considered an Early Space Age pre-FTL civilization, but [[spoiler:their ability to move planets (they once "robbed" a nearby star system to improve their own) and manipulate hyperlanes suggests that they are at least equal in level of development to the [[HigherTechSpecies Fallen Empires]] and in some ways even surpass them.]] However, they mostly do not use their potential and prefer to lead a semi-primitive way of life InHarmonyWithNature.

** With the ''First Contact'' DLC, it is possible to discover a unique peace-loving empire called Habinte Unified Worlds, which inhabits six [[GhibliHills Gaia worlds]] within their star system. In game terms, they are considered an Early Space Age pre-FTL civilization, but their ability to move planets (they once "robbed" a nearby star system to improve their own) and manipulate hyperlanes suggests that they are at least equal in level of development to the [[HigherTechSpecies Fallen Empires]] and in some ways even surpass them. However, they mostly do not use their potential and prefer to lead a semi-primitive way of life InHarmonyWithNature.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}''

** The "Fear of the Dark" origin in the "First Contact" DLC. A planet in the empire's home system was destroyed by aliens before they discovered FTL, and a segment of the population reacted by colonizing another planet and shunning the greater galactic community. In game terms the empire starts the game sharing their home system with a pre-FTL civilization of the same species, however observing them gives a far greater chance of discovering rare technologies than most pre-[=FTLs=].

*** In "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E24ThisSideOfParadise This Side of Paradise]]", Colonists on anew planet who are expected to be found dead by Enterprise crew are found alive and have abandoned their original plans to be space Amish. Except for Captain, the Enterprise crew abandons their ship and duty in favor of this way of life. Both groups due to the influence of euphoria-inducing alien spores.

*** In "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E24ThisSideOfParadise This Side of Paradise]]", Starfleet crews abandon their ships and duty in favor of this way of life due to the influence of euphoria-inducing alien spores.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}'', there's not just one, but ''two'' preset empires based around this trope, the Maweer Caretakers and the Sathyrelian Bliss. Both are generally isolationist empires who distrust outsiders, but are generally peaceful and very dedicated to preserving and nurturing the environment on the worlds they inhabit. This is especially apparent for the Maweer Caretakers, who never even properly urbanized.

* LostColony: Space Amish voluntarily eschew technology, while Lost Colonies tend to have simply fallen behind galactic state-of-the-art due to being, well, lost. Space Amish and Lost Colony can, of course, overlap; in fact, it's fairly common.
* CultColony: The rejection of technology may be based in a religious ideal, in which case, this trope may overlap with a cult colony.

Space Amish settlements might have a SuperweaponSurprise in store for invaders -- because, really, who better to guard the LostSuperweapon than people who reject technology and don't want to conquer anybody? Even if they don't, though, wider galactic society is usually not interested in crushing Space Amish communities: they tend to be too poor and too boring to be worth conquering. [[MoralEventHorizon Only the evillest of despots tries it]].

* There are several instances of this in ''Franchise/THeDCU'', interestingly involving [[ComicBook/{{Superman}} Kryptonians]].

->[He was] Techno Amish. They use machinery and operating systems up to Windows XP. [...] When you have airlocks to maintain and the atmosphere of a planet will kill you, it changes what you need for a simple life.
-->--'''Winston Scudder Thurmad''', about his father Gregor Mendel Thurmad, ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}''.

A {{subtrope}} of SpaceRomans, Space Amish are another FantasyCounterpartCulture [[RecycledInSpace ...in space.]] Like their namesakes, the UsefulNotes/{{Amish}} (found mainly in the midwestern United States and parts of the Canadian prairies) and the closely-related Mennonites, who voluntarily [[EnforcedTechnologyLevels eschew most forms of modern technological conveniences,]] Space Amish are an offshoot of a technologically advanced race who have rejected most forms of advanced tech in favor of an agricultural life.

Space Amish have generally found themselves a nice pastoral {{Arcadia}} somewhere and settled down in pursuit of a [[GoodIsOldFashioned simple life.]] They're usually isolated, and are quite likely to be a LostColony. Space Amish are defined by having very limited or primitive technology [[SchizoTech in explicit contrast with the extensive technology of the universe around it]], though just how limited or primitive their technology is can vary widely.

Often, the settlers will actually have knowledge of, or even be highly skilled with, the same level of technology as everyone else; they simply choose not to exercise it (whilst never actually losing that knowledge). The settlement also enjoys a surpassing level of peace, with the implication -- rarely stated outright -- that [[GoodOldWays the lack of technology is the actual source of the peace]]. In other words, ScienceIsBad. For this reason it can also be called a "[[LuddWasRight Luddite Utopia]]."

As with any {{utopia}}, there's usually a catch to Luddite Utopia: for example, upon arrival, it may be [[CityInABottle impossible for visitors to ever leave]]. Or, if it's a CultColony, you may have to convert to the local religion--which tends to be strict if not joyless. Or human culture may be stagnant. Or you may have to share your body with alien parasite spores. Or you have to actually [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking put in an honest day's work for your supper]]. Or your descendants may discover that others have it easier and regret the settlers' unilateral decision.

Space Amish settlements might have a SuperweaponSurprise in store for invaders--because, really, who better to guard the LostSuperweapon than people who reject technology and don't want to conquer anybody? Even if they don't, though, wider galactic society is usually not interested in crushing Space Amish communities: they tend to be too poor and too boring to be worth conquering. [[MoralEventHorizon Only the most evil of despots tries it.]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]
* In Creator/DCComics there are several instances of this, interestingly involving [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Kryptonians]].

* The forest-dwelling Primmies (Primitives) in [[ComicBook/MoonKnight Doug Moench's]] 1980's comic, ''ElectricWarrior.'' They've chosen to flee the cities not just to get back to nature, but because the cities in that world are class warfare nightmares where the slum dwellers live like vermin.
* The ''National Lampoon'' had "Amish In Space", a comic-book format story by Brian Mc Connachie - a typical midwestern rural Amish family floats around in a sci-fi rocketship, displaying the stoic purposeful behaviour of their kind. It's as pointlessly absurd as it sounds.

* Features prominently and very literally in the novel Amish Vampires In Space.

* The Osu in David Wingrove's ''Literature/ChungKuo'' series.
* In ''Literature/SpeakerForTheDead'' by Orson Scott Card (and to a lesser degree, its sequels) there are references to planets in the high-tech space empire that engage in pretty primitive activities, such as whaling, but it seems to be more because these are pioneer/frontier areas that do use some technology and continue developing while taking advantage of their raw natural resources.
* Partial example: In the ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' books, Grayson was founded as this type of colony. However, by the time of the books, the people had decided that technology was a good thing, and desired current tech. Trying to colonize [[DeathWorld a planet with an environment so toxic that breathing the air suffices to poison unmodified humans]] and having to build farms in orbit to grow food that ''won't'' slowly poison you will do that.

** The planet Refuge in the short story "In The Service Of The Sword", set in the same universe, played it much more straight. Due to low-tech of its inhabitants, this star system was used as a staging base by the SpacePirates.
* Also from Weber there's the ''Literature/{{Safehold}}'' universe, where the star-going empire of humanity was attacked by a race of AbsoluteXenophobe aliens, and was doomed, but managed to hide one colony ship from the aliens. The original mission plan was for the colony to stay low-tech for a few hundred years to avoid detection by the aliens, but it turned out the people put in charge of the colony were megalomaniac Luddites and started a religion in an attempt to keep the colony low-tech forever {as well as making themselves into "Archangels").
* In the ''Literature/DragonridersOfPern'' series, Pern was originally founded as this type of colony; this led to complications during the first Pass of Thread attacking the planet, and eventually led to an even more primitive culture than the colonists had planned. Pern is also a LostColony, though there's a strong implication that the parent society wouldn't care anyway - space travel is slower than light in that universe, and folks expect to leave the planet of their birth behind forever when they leave on a colonization trip.
* There was a short story that established Pern as existing in the same 'verse as her ''Literature/TheShipWho'' series, which has developed FTL travel since the colonization of Pern. However, an early exploratory mission landed there after the Southern continent was abandoned and found only a single family living there, who claimed all the settlers were dead. This lead to Pern being marked as extremely dangerous and the rest of the universe simply steering clear.
* In the ''Literature/{{Darkover}}'' series by Creator/MarionZimmerBradley, the human colonists on the titular planet have developed a [[FeudalFuture feudal culture]] and general level of technology. The aristocracy has and uses [[PsychicPowers psionics]] and [[PowerCrystal "matrix technology"]], which can do things that even the advanced technology of space-faring humans can't duplicate. But use of these is highly limited, and the Darkovans have a strong cultural resistance to Terran attempts to introduce regular technology into their society. It was initially patterned as a fantasy series, being revealed later in the series as a LostColony of spacefaring Earth at roughly the same time as it became a Found Colony.
* Alfred Bester's novel ''Literature/TheStarsMyDestination'' (aka ''Tiger! Tiger!'') has a colony of asteroid-dwellers who have customs reminiscent of a stereotyped isolated tribe (including rapid arranged marriage, initiation rites and facial tattooing). However, they're called the "Scientific People" (they're the descendants/remnants of a stranded scientific expedition who have undergone a "nativeless" version of GoingNative). They're gentle and welcoming, but they don't want you to leave.
* ''Literature/TheGoldenGlobe'' by Creator/JohnVarley includes genuine Amish living on the moon. They are just like the real Amish in that they are they are neither ignorant of nor resistant to the modern world surrounding them, they're just very particular about which aspects of that world they choose to accept.
* ''Slow Train to Arcturus'' by Creator/EricFlint and Creator/DaveFreer is a deconstruction of many of these ideas. The Government specifically wanted to get rid of weirdos and unpopular cultures. The ship is one long string of artificial environments, with all of them breaking apart in a way the other cultures can help fix. There'es the new Aryan Brotherhood (who pretty much kill themselves off after using too much boom), New Eden (Amish whose world was built to be very robust but ultimately needs repairs), the Republic of Diana (Dominatrices who genetically engineered men to be 90 pound weaklings and have a very good biology department but whose ubertech has been breaking down), Space Indians (they [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] that it may have been an act by conman for hundreds of years and who understand computers better than all other groups but don't have a biome suitable for farming) and Daredevil fliers (who love flying with their own cybernetic wings and developed a government based on who wins the speed matches, but whose ecosystem is breaking down). And finally the ruling caste of the DPRK.
* Peter F. Hamilton uses this trope a few times.

* Deconstructed in Literature/{{Schismatrix}}. Earth chose this route, and is portrayed as a horrible CrapsackWorld for the half-chapter that it appears.

* In the Revelation Space universe, the technological progress on Sky's Edge is centuries behind as a result of constant warfare; when a trading vessel enters the system, the planet's inhabitants only buy weapons.

* In the ''Literature/GreenSkyTrilogy'' there is very little in the way of technological advancement, at least among the Kindar. Partly [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in that the Kindar are somewhat limited by not having fire (reasonably enough, for a tree-dwelling society) and being forbidden from using metals, glass, and other material from the forest floor or underground. Their social order isn't really encouraging of innovation, either, although Genaa's father is known for developing new technology including "an efficient new sanitation system". That must have been a relief. Green-Sky also lacks warfare and crime, which leaves out many technological developments that started from making better and nastier ways to hurt and kill people.
* In Creator/LarryNiven's ''Literature/AWorldOutOfTime'', the far-future immortal Boys spend the antarctic summer living as nomadic Stone Age hunters, but return to their high-tech cities during the unending darkness of the polar winter.
* Allen Kim Lang's "Blind Man's Lantern" was about an Amish couple who, faced with a lack of available land on future Earth, emigrated to a low-tech planet called Murna whose original settlers, curiously enough, were apostates from Islam.
* Subverted in ''Literature/TheQuantumThief'' where the purported low-tech barbarians of Oort and the embracers of outdated flesh and blood on Mars all use technology that is incredibly advanced from the modern perspective, and count as [[{{Transhuman}} transhumans]] to one extent or another. Just because these people embrace the ways of the past doesn't mean it's past from the readers' perspective.
* Deconstructed in Creator/{{Mike Resnick}}'s novel/short stories collection ''Kirinyaga'' - an attempt to preserve the traditional pre-colonial Kikuyu ways of life on a terraformed planetoid ultimately fails.
* The second trilogy of Creator/DavidBrin's ''Literature/{{Uplift}}'' series focuses on Jijo, an isolated planet illegally colonized by at least six separate species who all had their own reasons for wanting to leave Galactic society, a number of them even seeking to revert to their pre-Uplift state of sentience. They all essentially operate on BambooTechnology, which turns out to include [[spoiler: rockets]].
* The Keepers from ''Literature/LastSacrifice'', live in secluded, old-fashioned areas and consider the rest of Moroi and dhampirs to be "Tainted" for accepting the modern world. Somewhat subverted in that they have no problem with technology, as they drive cars. They have a problem with the modern political system in effect in the Moroi world.
* The planet [[Literature/MajipoorSeries Majipoor]] in [[Creator/RobertSilverberg Robert Silverberg's]] novels is [[MetalPoorPlanet very poor in metals]]. Its inhabitants do remember their ancestors came from the stars, they do know of other worlds, even travellers from other stars appear occasionally, but in general there's no outside contacts. All advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic (and some is even called that) and most of it involves PsychicPowers. Save for vibroblades, electronic books and engines maintaining atmosphere atop the Castle Mount (normally exposed to space vacuum) the tech is more or less medieval. And despite all Majipoor's troubles and hostilities, there's been no homicide for millennia, at least by the start of ''Lord Valentine's Castle''.
* The premise of ''Literature/AlienInASmallTown'' is that, hundreds of years from now, the Pennsylvania Dutch will continue living much as they do now, even as the rest of the world changes enormously.
* ''Literature/TheCulture'' of ''Creator/IainMBanks''' eponymous series are an interesting example. In this universe, once civilisations reach a certain level of technological and social advancement, it is normal for them to AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence and stop interfering with events in the physical world. The Culture is considered backwards (and frankly rather childish) for refusing to do so despite having long passed the point where they could have. This makes for an odd case where the SpaceAmish are actually by far the most advanced civilisation active in their galaxy.
* ''Literature/{{Refugees}}'': There is a debate over whether the new arrivees to the compound on the new planet should be allowed to use technology; strict limits are placed on it. Those who have been living on the planet for a long time see no need for technology.
* In ''Literature/AlwaysComingHome'', the Kesh people have access to all of mankind's knowledge and are sharing Earth with AIs. However, they are an agricultural and foraging society, and are only using technology on a level they can easily maintain (which includes solar batteries, a steam train and some looms).

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]
* The ''Series/DoctorWho'' serial "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS15E6TheInvasionOfTime The Invasion of Time]]" had the Outsiders, a group of Gallifreyans who lived outside the cities on Gallifrey. They didn't use technology more advanced then a bow and arrow despite their race having access to time machines. ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E12HellBent Hell Bent]]'' included a village of apparently literal Space Amish just outside the capitol who the Doctor stays with for a while.

** ''[[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries The Original Series]]'': "This Side of Paradise" in which Star Fleet crew abandon their ship and duty in favor of this way of life.
** ''[[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries The Original Series]]'': "Errand of Mercy" features an alien society that thrived for eons without technological advancement. ''Although'' [[spoiler:they really don't need to use technology. They are, after all, SufficientlyAdvancedAliens.]]
** ''[[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries The Original Series]]'': "The Way To Eden" features a group seeking a world where they can set up such a society. In the end, it doesn't work out [[spoiler: (both because the planet they've chosen is uninhabitable, and because their leader is a nut),]] but it's interesting that, out of the whole crew, the one who is most sympathetic to their goal is [[RoundedCharacter Spock.]]
** ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Next Generation]]'': "Up the Long Ladder", "Devil's Due" and "Journey's End" all featured these.
** ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]]'': "Paradise" included the series' trademark DarkerAndEdgier take on the trope when two officers returning from a mission beam down to investigate an old automated distress call and end up forbidden to use any of their technology to try and return home by the colony's leader, which operates like this. [[spoiler: She's eventually revealed to have sabotaged all technology to keep everyone there.]]
** ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'': In "[[Recap/StarTrekDiscoveryS2E02NewEden New Eden]]", Lieutenant Owosekun is sent on the mission to the LostColony of Terralysium, given her background growing up in a Luddite collective on Earth.
* ''Series/StargateSG1'': The Nox at first seemed like a Hunter-Gatherer (minus the hunting) society who knew special, [[MagicFromTechnology almost magical]] stealth and regeneration techniques; the TwistEnding was that they had higher technology than even the Goa'uld, but chose to live very close to nature.
** And look down on anyone who practiced any kind of violence, even in self-defense, without sharing their defense technology that makes such violence unnecessary for them.
** In another episode SG-1 comes across what seems like a stagnated agricultural world that remained primitive and agrarian despite connections to a more advanced race, [[spoiler:the more advanced race actually nerfed what was once a thriving industrial community through sterilization]]
* In ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' the Genii have to pretend to be a lot less advanced than they actually are, because the Wraith would pulverize them should they show any signs of being technologically advanced. Now, if only people would learn to keep their secret underground hatches ''locked''...

* ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'': On two seperate ocassions, the crew of the ''Andromeda'' ran into cultures who refuse to reort to violence, even when the alternative was being wiped out.
* In ''Series/TheStarlost'', it's a case of slower than light colony ship with hundreds of domed biomes that have had most of their connections cut. The heroes are from a Biome of Space Amish whose biome is breaking down due to the entire spaceships malfunctioning.

* Crichton crash-lands on a world of these in ''Series/{{Farscape}}'''s first season, with the twist that [[spoiler: they weren't necessarily agrarian by ''choice'' - it was the result of a Hynerian ruler wanting to get their ancestors out of the way, so he shipped them to a planet and had some anti-tech installed in a shrine]].
* On ''Series/{{Killjoys}}'', Zeph is revealed to be from one of these societies.

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

* The Hatire Community from TabletopGame/StarDrive is a quasi-example of this trope. While okay with most technology, they prohibit non-essential cybernetics and generally favor a simpler lifestyle. Granted, CyberneticsEatYourSoul, but only if you abuse it. Strictly speaking the Hatires have a stronger rejection of technology within their faith, but the core principle would be 'technology to the degree that it is necessary' -- and the Hatires are ''very'' aware that if they don't keep up with the other interstellar governments and compromise on some points they're going to lose ground, let alone ''spread'' the Hatire faith.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'''s Imperium of Man has "feral worlds" and "medieval worlds", often intentionally kept in MedievalStasis or even Stone Age Stasis, the reasoning being that people from such harsh worlds make better soldiers.

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* Hat Kid's space ship from ''VideoGame/AHatInTime'' has shades of this, being made primarily out of "Space-Resistant Wood". In fact, she calls a diary containing a typical frisbee UFO a "mockery", pointing out that it couldn't be a space ship as it lacks wood.
* Chozo settlements from ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' (or at least what's left) are (were) built to be as close to the environment around them as possible, and as a result look a ''lot'' further down the tech level scale than you would expect. The Chozo, remember, built Samus's incredible PoweredArmor, as well as the machines that recharge it, and were able to alter her DNA during her childhood. They're Space Amish By Choice.

* Tazmily Village in ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'', though it's also [[spoiler:[[AfterTheEnd the only settlement left on Earth]]]].
* ''VideoGame/VegaStrike'' has Purists -- a legitimate faction whose ideal is "humanity free of changes to the species". That is, they're happy to get a new ship or other toys, but [[NoTranshumanismAllowed don't like unnecessary cyborgization and genetical meddling]]. Which one more reason of cool internal relations in [[TheFederation Confederation]], given that half of human factions are {{Transhuman}}s. Their ships tend toward "[[MightyGlacier large armored brick with heavy guns and thrusters bolted on]]".

* ''Videogame/{{Starbound}}'': The Glitch, a race of semi-sentient robots with the occasional self-aware individual, were supposed to progress beyond the medieval age, being experiments placed by AbusivePrecursors to see how spacefaring cultures develop. A glitch, as the name indicates, caused them to get stuck around this era, and anyone who tries to make any progress, and/or is self-aware, is branded a heretic and [[BurnTheWitch burned at the stake]] unless they escape.

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

[[folder: Web Original]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]
* The human family in ''WesternAnimation/TheHerculoids.''
** [[ExpandedUniverse According to]] the comic book ''Comicbook/FutureQuest,'' they're refugees from a RobotWar who wanted to start a new life away from the technologies that caused it.

Often, the settlers will actually have knowledge of, or even be highly skilled with, the same level of technology as everyone else; they simply choose not to exercise it (whilst never actually losing that knowledge). The settlement also enjoys a [[MarySueTopia surpassing level of peace]], with the [[UnfortunateImplications implication]] -- rarely stated outright -- that [[GoodOldWays the lack of technology is the actual source of the peace]]. In other words, ScienceIsBad. For this reason it can also be called a "[[LuddWasRight Luddite Utopia]]."

[[folder:Film]]

A {{subtrope}} of SpaceRomans, Space Amish are another FantasyCounterpartCulture [[RecycledInSpace ...in space.]] Like their namesakes, the Amish (found mainly in the midwestern United States and parts of the Canadian prairies) and the closely-related Mennonites, who voluntarily [[EnforcedTechnologyLevels eschew most forms of modern technological conveniences,]] Space Amish are an offshoot of a technologically advanced race who have rejected most forms of advanced tech in favor of an agricultural life.

Often, the settlers will actually have knowledge of, or even be highly skilled with, the same level of technology as everyone else; they simply choose not to exercise it (whilst never actually losing that knowledge). The settlement also enjoys a [[MarySueTopia surpassing level of peace]], with the implication -- rarely stated outright -- that [[GoodOldWays the lack of technology is the actual source of the peace]]. In other words, ScienceIsBad. For this reason it can also be called a "[[LuddWasRight Luddite Utopia]]."

* PerfectPacifistPeople

** In another episode SG-1 comes across what seems like a stagnated agricultural world that remained primitive and agrarian despite connections to a more advanced race, [[spoiler: the more advanced race actually nerfed what was once a thriving industrial community through sterilization]]

* In Creator/DCComics there are several instances of this, interestingly involving [[{{Superman}} Kryptonians]].

* An exceptionally rare [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_action_role-playing_game LARP]] instance: The [[http://www.waypointlrp.co.uk/ Waypoint System]] includes a race which does this; the people actually have incredible tech power in the background, they're just not allowed to show it to outsiders, and the majority of the population are unaware of it. The culture is divided so that those who make it are separate from those that use it, and neither understand the nature of what they're dealing with.