I am working on an allegorical, humorous story (not necessarily meant to be realistic) involving a generic Future Earth with FTL starships and a unified world government, and two other planets with distinct cultures:
Ubis is an odd planet. It's culture has been stuck in an equivalent of the mid-twentieth century for some time. Its surface is irradiated from an ancient nuclear war, and most of the Ubisti live in towers to avoid the radioactive mists that shroud the surface. They have faster-than-light travel but no personal computers. Their digital technology is primitive compared to their spacefaring technology. They still use old fashioned phones (no cell phones), listen to Big Band music on vinyl records, and spend money on lots of useless things to support a corporate republic style of government, and to keep up with their neighbors. Patriotism is paramount, and all the adults are scared shitless of the "Fuzz Rag" music their kids are getting into. Because the surface of their planet is inaccessible, cars and utility/military vehicles are all helicopter-like.
The Ubisti appear human, except for some mottled spots on their temples. They have a third lung and more sensitive hearing due to their planet's thinner atmosphere. Also, because their system includes a pulsar orbiting at the rim, they have developed an inner protective eyelid. They don't live as long as humans; after puberty, their accelerated metabolism causes them to age twice as fast, so they usually don't live past their late fifties. There's no sexual or racial discrimination among the Ubisti, however they are politically very conformist. Ubisti teenagers are either boyscouts or beatnicks. The generation gap is a major concern, and when contact is made with their sister planet, Ox-Mong, the developing counterculture becomes a larger part of their cold-war mentality.
Their sister planet, Ox-Mong, is inhabited by shapeshifters called Ox-Mong who have only recently started building small sublight spaceships similar to the Apolla Program designs. Their shapeshifting and ability to generate hive minds when linked together greatly scares the Ubisti adults and fascinates the young Ubisti, who become drawn to the life lessons of these Starfish Aliens. There's a "Red Menace" kind of public scare because the aliens are shapeshifters and have no recognizable government, religion or social hierarchy, which scares the pants off the capitalistic, patriotic Ubisti national culture.
Earth comes into play when human explorers enters this star system, aware of the Ubisti but not initially aware that there's intelligent life on Ox-Mong. When Earth's progressive liberalism causes diplomatic talks with the provincial, insular Ubisti to fall apart, Earth turns its attention to Ox-Mong, whose more primitive but more "fluid" population welcomes the new ideas that Earth people bring.
What other aspects of the mid-twentieth century can I incorporate into the Ubisti society that the Ox-Mong and the Cold War concept can play off of? I'm trying to make Ubisti society "ersatz but familiar."
I am working on an allegorical, humorous story (not necessarily meant to be realistic) involving a generic Future Earth with FTL starships and a unified world government, and two other planets with distinct cultures:
Ubis is an odd planet. It's culture has been stuck in an equivalent of the mid-twentieth century for some time. Its surface is irradiated from an ancient nuclear war, and most of the Ubisti live in towers to avoid the radioactive mists that shroud the surface. They have faster-than-light travel but no personal computers. Their digital technology is primitive compared to their spacefaring technology. They still use old fashioned phones (no cell phones), listen to Big Band music on vinyl records, and spend money on lots of useless things to support a corporate republic style of government, and to keep up with their neighbors. Patriotism is paramount, and all the adults are scared shitless of the "Fuzz Rag" music their kids are getting into. Because the surface of their planet is inaccessible, cars and utility/military vehicles are all helicopter-like.
The Ubisti appear human, except for some mottled spots on their temples. They have a third lung and more sensitive hearing due to their planet's thinner atmosphere. Also, because their system includes a pulsar orbiting at the rim, they have developed an inner protective eyelid. They don't live as long as humans; after puberty, their accelerated metabolism causes them to age twice as fast, so they usually don't live past their late fifties. There's no sexual or racial discrimination among the Ubisti, however they are politically very conformist. Ubisti teenagers are either boyscouts or beatnicks. The generation gap is a major concern, and when contact is made with their sister planet, Ox-Mong, the developing counterculture becomes a larger part of their cold-war mentality.
Their sister planet, Ox-Mong, is inhabited by shapeshifters called Ox-Mong who have only recently started building small sublight spaceships similar to the Apolla Program designs. Their shapeshifting and ability to generate hive minds when linked together greatly scares the Ubisti adults and fascinates the young Ubisti, who become drawn to the life lessons of these Starfish Aliens. There's a "Red Menace" kind of public scare because the aliens are shapeshifters and have no recognizable government, religion or social hierarchy, which scares the pants off the capitalistic, patriotic Ubisti national culture.
Earth comes into play when human explorers enters this star system, aware of the Ubisti but not initially aware that there's intelligent life on Ox-Mong. When Earth's progressive liberalism causes diplomatic talks with the provincial, insular Ubisti to fall apart, Earth turns its attention to Ox-Mong, whose more primitive but more "fluid" population welcomes the new ideas that Earth people bring.
What other aspects of the mid-twentieth century can I incorporate into the Ubisti society that the Ox-Mong and the Cold War concept can play off of? I'm trying to make Ubisti society "ersatz but familiar."
edited 10th Nov '13 9:02:46 AM by fulltimeD