Does money exist in the Culture?
The Culture is a post-scarcity society where most people "work" at creative or beneficial activities because they enjoy it and/or it brings status. But in Excession we see references to a "fabulously expensive" troop of erotic performers. Likewise there must be resources that are in limited supply, such as properties with the best views.
So is there money in the Culture? If so, how does it work?
the-culture
|
show 1 more comment
The Culture is a post-scarcity society where most people "work" at creative or beneficial activities because they enjoy it and/or it brings status. But in Excession we see references to a "fabulously expensive" troop of erotic performers. Likewise there must be resources that are in limited supply, such as properties with the best views.
So is there money in the Culture? If so, how does it work?
the-culture
I haven't read it but from a quick look around I would say yes it does exist as the saying is "money implies poverty" which wouldn't make sense if there was no money. However, I'll leave it to someone more knowledgeable than myself to answer because maybe I'm misinterpreting something.
– TheLethalCarrot
yesterday
3
No. I remember that they only dealt with such concepts when dealing with people who were not part of the Culture. Which is what most of the books were about, since nothing interesting happens within a conflict-free Utopia.
– MikeC
yesterday
1
@TheLethalCarrot, I think Mike is right - from what I remember "money implies poverty" is used to point out that a society that still needs money isn't post-scarcity, and thus is "poor" in the grand scheme of things. That said, the Culture definitely understands money and, in each of the non-Culture economies it interacts with, is shown to be fabulously wealthy.
– DavidS
yesterday
@DavidS Fair enough, like I said I haven't read it so was only implying things from a skim of some articles out there.
– TheLethalCarrot
yesterday
@TheLethalCarrot Worth checking out! Only instance of an actual, god-tier sci-fi Utopia I've ever seen (that doesn't have some grizzly catch that makes it a dystopia).
– DavidS
yesterday
|
show 1 more comment
The Culture is a post-scarcity society where most people "work" at creative or beneficial activities because they enjoy it and/or it brings status. But in Excession we see references to a "fabulously expensive" troop of erotic performers. Likewise there must be resources that are in limited supply, such as properties with the best views.
So is there money in the Culture? If so, how does it work?
the-culture
The Culture is a post-scarcity society where most people "work" at creative or beneficial activities because they enjoy it and/or it brings status. But in Excession we see references to a "fabulously expensive" troop of erotic performers. Likewise there must be resources that are in limited supply, such as properties with the best views.
So is there money in the Culture? If so, how does it work?
the-culture
the-culture
asked yesterday
Paul JohnsonPaul Johnson
4,22111123
4,22111123
I haven't read it but from a quick look around I would say yes it does exist as the saying is "money implies poverty" which wouldn't make sense if there was no money. However, I'll leave it to someone more knowledgeable than myself to answer because maybe I'm misinterpreting something.
– TheLethalCarrot
yesterday
3
No. I remember that they only dealt with such concepts when dealing with people who were not part of the Culture. Which is what most of the books were about, since nothing interesting happens within a conflict-free Utopia.
– MikeC
yesterday
1
@TheLethalCarrot, I think Mike is right - from what I remember "money implies poverty" is used to point out that a society that still needs money isn't post-scarcity, and thus is "poor" in the grand scheme of things. That said, the Culture definitely understands money and, in each of the non-Culture economies it interacts with, is shown to be fabulously wealthy.
– DavidS
yesterday
@DavidS Fair enough, like I said I haven't read it so was only implying things from a skim of some articles out there.
– TheLethalCarrot
yesterday
@TheLethalCarrot Worth checking out! Only instance of an actual, god-tier sci-fi Utopia I've ever seen (that doesn't have some grizzly catch that makes it a dystopia).
– DavidS
yesterday
|
show 1 more comment
I haven't read it but from a quick look around I would say yes it does exist as the saying is "money implies poverty" which wouldn't make sense if there was no money. However, I'll leave it to someone more knowledgeable than myself to answer because maybe I'm misinterpreting something.
– TheLethalCarrot
yesterday
3
No. I remember that they only dealt with such concepts when dealing with people who were not part of the Culture. Which is what most of the books were about, since nothing interesting happens within a conflict-free Utopia.
– MikeC
yesterday
1
@TheLethalCarrot, I think Mike is right - from what I remember "money implies poverty" is used to point out that a society that still needs money isn't post-scarcity, and thus is "poor" in the grand scheme of things. That said, the Culture definitely understands money and, in each of the non-Culture economies it interacts with, is shown to be fabulously wealthy.
– DavidS
yesterday
@DavidS Fair enough, like I said I haven't read it so was only implying things from a skim of some articles out there.
– TheLethalCarrot
yesterday
@TheLethalCarrot Worth checking out! Only instance of an actual, god-tier sci-fi Utopia I've ever seen (that doesn't have some grizzly catch that makes it a dystopia).
– DavidS
yesterday
I haven't read it but from a quick look around I would say yes it does exist as the saying is "money implies poverty" which wouldn't make sense if there was no money. However, I'll leave it to someone more knowledgeable than myself to answer because maybe I'm misinterpreting something.
– TheLethalCarrot
yesterday
I haven't read it but from a quick look around I would say yes it does exist as the saying is "money implies poverty" which wouldn't make sense if there was no money. However, I'll leave it to someone more knowledgeable than myself to answer because maybe I'm misinterpreting something.
– TheLethalCarrot
yesterday
3
3
No. I remember that they only dealt with such concepts when dealing with people who were not part of the Culture. Which is what most of the books were about, since nothing interesting happens within a conflict-free Utopia.
– MikeC
yesterday
No. I remember that they only dealt with such concepts when dealing with people who were not part of the Culture. Which is what most of the books were about, since nothing interesting happens within a conflict-free Utopia.
– MikeC
yesterday
1
1
@TheLethalCarrot, I think Mike is right - from what I remember "money implies poverty" is used to point out that a society that still needs money isn't post-scarcity, and thus is "poor" in the grand scheme of things. That said, the Culture definitely understands money and, in each of the non-Culture economies it interacts with, is shown to be fabulously wealthy.
– DavidS
yesterday
@TheLethalCarrot, I think Mike is right - from what I remember "money implies poverty" is used to point out that a society that still needs money isn't post-scarcity, and thus is "poor" in the grand scheme of things. That said, the Culture definitely understands money and, in each of the non-Culture economies it interacts with, is shown to be fabulously wealthy.
– DavidS
yesterday
@DavidS Fair enough, like I said I haven't read it so was only implying things from a skim of some articles out there.
– TheLethalCarrot
yesterday
@DavidS Fair enough, like I said I haven't read it so was only implying things from a skim of some articles out there.
– TheLethalCarrot
yesterday
@TheLethalCarrot Worth checking out! Only instance of an actual, god-tier sci-fi Utopia I've ever seen (that doesn't have some grizzly catch that makes it a dystopia).
– DavidS
yesterday
@TheLethalCarrot Worth checking out! Only instance of an actual, god-tier sci-fi Utopia I've ever seen (that doesn't have some grizzly catch that makes it a dystopia).
– DavidS
yesterday
|
show 1 more comment
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
There's no money in the Culture, but Tier isn't part of the Culture.
Within the Culture money isn't used and most citizens have largely no conception of how money works beyond various truisms that are taught to young children about 'money implying poverty'. If you want something (within reason), you merely need ask for it. If it's being freely given you can have it. If that person says you can't have it, you can ask the nearest passing AI to make another one for you.
Money is a sign of poverty. This is an old Culture saying I remember
every now and again...
State of the Art: A Gift from the Culture
and
Almost the only aspect of her new life that she adapted to without
pause for thought was the total absence of money in the Culture.
Matter
That all being said, Tier (where the erotroupe are based) isn't part of the Culture. It used to belong to another race and was inherited by the artificial intelligences they designed to run the station. Various races are allowed to use the facilities and some maintain their embassies there.
As such, (not being a Culture world) money is still used to buy things.
This environmental diversity and the civilisational co-dependence it
implied and intermingling it encouraged had been Tier's raison d'être,
the very foundation of its purpose and fame for the seven thousand
years it had existed. Its original builders were, perhaps, unknown;
they were believed to have Sublimed shortly after building it, leaving
behind a species - or model, depending how you defined these things -
of biomechanical sintricate which ran and maintained the place, were
individually dull but collectively highly intelligent, took the shape
of a small sphere covered with long articulated spines, were between
half a metre and two metres in size and had seemed to have an intense
suspicion of anything possessing less of a biological basis than they
did themselves. Drones and other AIs were tolerated on Tier but very
closely watched, followed everywhere and their every communication and
even thought monitored. Minds were immune to this sort of treatment of
course, but their avatars tended to attract a degree of intense
physical observation which bordered on harassment, and so they rarely
bothered entering the world itself, sticking to the outer docks where
they were made perfectly welcome and afforded every hospitality. Tier,
after all, was a statement, a treasure, a symbol, and as such any
small discriminatory foibles it chose to display were considered
perfectly tolerable.
+1 for Tier explanation.
– DavidS
13 hours ago
@DavidS - Since that was what inspired the question in the first place, it seemed wise to address that specifically
– Valorum
12 hours ago
add a comment |
No, the Culture is a "post-scarcity" civilization where pretty much anything an individual could want is available on demand.
The author Iain Banks says in his essay "A Few Notes on the Culture"
In a society where material scarcity is unknown and the only real value is sentimental value, there is little motive or opportunity for the sort of action we would class as a crime against property.
While there is no monetary system this does not mean things don't have value, as Banks mentioned value can still be conferred for sentimental reasons - which one can infer covers things like artistic or cultural merit, artifacts or works that would confer "kudos" or social status to their owner or patron. To my knowledge Banks never goes into detail about how that value might be realised but potentially an informal system based on favours, social status and political influence might exist.
We see this to some extent in the novel The Player of Games, where the character Jernau Morat Gurgeh has accrued a high degree of fame and respect due to his skill at games, this social credit being the measure of his success rather than any financial or material rewards.
add a comment |
The Culture has no money. There are many other civilizations in the galaxy. Many of those do have money, and people from the culture moving there need money.
- The Azad bets in The Player of Games, and the introduction of body bets to "level the playing field" between nobles and commoners.
- The broke Culture citizen in The State of the Art.
- The gamblers on the doomed habitat in Consider Phlebas.
- ...
add a comment |
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3 Answers
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There's no money in the Culture, but Tier isn't part of the Culture.
Within the Culture money isn't used and most citizens have largely no conception of how money works beyond various truisms that are taught to young children about 'money implying poverty'. If you want something (within reason), you merely need ask for it. If it's being freely given you can have it. If that person says you can't have it, you can ask the nearest passing AI to make another one for you.
Money is a sign of poverty. This is an old Culture saying I remember
every now and again...
State of the Art: A Gift from the Culture
and
Almost the only aspect of her new life that she adapted to without
pause for thought was the total absence of money in the Culture.
Matter
That all being said, Tier (where the erotroupe are based) isn't part of the Culture. It used to belong to another race and was inherited by the artificial intelligences they designed to run the station. Various races are allowed to use the facilities and some maintain their embassies there.
As such, (not being a Culture world) money is still used to buy things.
This environmental diversity and the civilisational co-dependence it
implied and intermingling it encouraged had been Tier's raison d'être,
the very foundation of its purpose and fame for the seven thousand
years it had existed. Its original builders were, perhaps, unknown;
they were believed to have Sublimed shortly after building it, leaving
behind a species - or model, depending how you defined these things -
of biomechanical sintricate which ran and maintained the place, were
individually dull but collectively highly intelligent, took the shape
of a small sphere covered with long articulated spines, were between
half a metre and two metres in size and had seemed to have an intense
suspicion of anything possessing less of a biological basis than they
did themselves. Drones and other AIs were tolerated on Tier but very
closely watched, followed everywhere and their every communication and
even thought monitored. Minds were immune to this sort of treatment of
course, but their avatars tended to attract a degree of intense
physical observation which bordered on harassment, and so they rarely
bothered entering the world itself, sticking to the outer docks where
they were made perfectly welcome and afforded every hospitality. Tier,
after all, was a statement, a treasure, a symbol, and as such any
small discriminatory foibles it chose to display were considered
perfectly tolerable.
+1 for Tier explanation.
– DavidS
13 hours ago
@DavidS - Since that was what inspired the question in the first place, it seemed wise to address that specifically
– Valorum
12 hours ago
add a comment |
There's no money in the Culture, but Tier isn't part of the Culture.
Within the Culture money isn't used and most citizens have largely no conception of how money works beyond various truisms that are taught to young children about 'money implying poverty'. If you want something (within reason), you merely need ask for it. If it's being freely given you can have it. If that person says you can't have it, you can ask the nearest passing AI to make another one for you.
Money is a sign of poverty. This is an old Culture saying I remember
every now and again...
State of the Art: A Gift from the Culture
and
Almost the only aspect of her new life that she adapted to without
pause for thought was the total absence of money in the Culture.
Matter
That all being said, Tier (where the erotroupe are based) isn't part of the Culture. It used to belong to another race and was inherited by the artificial intelligences they designed to run the station. Various races are allowed to use the facilities and some maintain their embassies there.
As such, (not being a Culture world) money is still used to buy things.
This environmental diversity and the civilisational co-dependence it
implied and intermingling it encouraged had been Tier's raison d'être,
the very foundation of its purpose and fame for the seven thousand
years it had existed. Its original builders were, perhaps, unknown;
they were believed to have Sublimed shortly after building it, leaving
behind a species - or model, depending how you defined these things -
of biomechanical sintricate which ran and maintained the place, were
individually dull but collectively highly intelligent, took the shape
of a small sphere covered with long articulated spines, were between
half a metre and two metres in size and had seemed to have an intense
suspicion of anything possessing less of a biological basis than they
did themselves. Drones and other AIs were tolerated on Tier but very
closely watched, followed everywhere and their every communication and
even thought monitored. Minds were immune to this sort of treatment of
course, but their avatars tended to attract a degree of intense
physical observation which bordered on harassment, and so they rarely
bothered entering the world itself, sticking to the outer docks where
they were made perfectly welcome and afforded every hospitality. Tier,
after all, was a statement, a treasure, a symbol, and as such any
small discriminatory foibles it chose to display were considered
perfectly tolerable.
+1 for Tier explanation.
– DavidS
13 hours ago
@DavidS - Since that was what inspired the question in the first place, it seemed wise to address that specifically
– Valorum
12 hours ago
add a comment |
There's no money in the Culture, but Tier isn't part of the Culture.
Within the Culture money isn't used and most citizens have largely no conception of how money works beyond various truisms that are taught to young children about 'money implying poverty'. If you want something (within reason), you merely need ask for it. If it's being freely given you can have it. If that person says you can't have it, you can ask the nearest passing AI to make another one for you.
Money is a sign of poverty. This is an old Culture saying I remember
every now and again...
State of the Art: A Gift from the Culture
and
Almost the only aspect of her new life that she adapted to without
pause for thought was the total absence of money in the Culture.
Matter
That all being said, Tier (where the erotroupe are based) isn't part of the Culture. It used to belong to another race and was inherited by the artificial intelligences they designed to run the station. Various races are allowed to use the facilities and some maintain their embassies there.
As such, (not being a Culture world) money is still used to buy things.
This environmental diversity and the civilisational co-dependence it
implied and intermingling it encouraged had been Tier's raison d'être,
the very foundation of its purpose and fame for the seven thousand
years it had existed. Its original builders were, perhaps, unknown;
they were believed to have Sublimed shortly after building it, leaving
behind a species - or model, depending how you defined these things -
of biomechanical sintricate which ran and maintained the place, were
individually dull but collectively highly intelligent, took the shape
of a small sphere covered with long articulated spines, were between
half a metre and two metres in size and had seemed to have an intense
suspicion of anything possessing less of a biological basis than they
did themselves. Drones and other AIs were tolerated on Tier but very
closely watched, followed everywhere and their every communication and
even thought monitored. Minds were immune to this sort of treatment of
course, but their avatars tended to attract a degree of intense
physical observation which bordered on harassment, and so they rarely
bothered entering the world itself, sticking to the outer docks where
they were made perfectly welcome and afforded every hospitality. Tier,
after all, was a statement, a treasure, a symbol, and as such any
small discriminatory foibles it chose to display were considered
perfectly tolerable.
There's no money in the Culture, but Tier isn't part of the Culture.
Within the Culture money isn't used and most citizens have largely no conception of how money works beyond various truisms that are taught to young children about 'money implying poverty'. If you want something (within reason), you merely need ask for it. If it's being freely given you can have it. If that person says you can't have it, you can ask the nearest passing AI to make another one for you.
Money is a sign of poverty. This is an old Culture saying I remember
every now and again...
State of the Art: A Gift from the Culture
and
Almost the only aspect of her new life that she adapted to without
pause for thought was the total absence of money in the Culture.
Matter
That all being said, Tier (where the erotroupe are based) isn't part of the Culture. It used to belong to another race and was inherited by the artificial intelligences they designed to run the station. Various races are allowed to use the facilities and some maintain their embassies there.
As such, (not being a Culture world) money is still used to buy things.
This environmental diversity and the civilisational co-dependence it
implied and intermingling it encouraged had been Tier's raison d'être,
the very foundation of its purpose and fame for the seven thousand
years it had existed. Its original builders were, perhaps, unknown;
they were believed to have Sublimed shortly after building it, leaving
behind a species - or model, depending how you defined these things -
of biomechanical sintricate which ran and maintained the place, were
individually dull but collectively highly intelligent, took the shape
of a small sphere covered with long articulated spines, were between
half a metre and two metres in size and had seemed to have an intense
suspicion of anything possessing less of a biological basis than they
did themselves. Drones and other AIs were tolerated on Tier but very
closely watched, followed everywhere and their every communication and
even thought monitored. Minds were immune to this sort of treatment of
course, but their avatars tended to attract a degree of intense
physical observation which bordered on harassment, and so they rarely
bothered entering the world itself, sticking to the outer docks where
they were made perfectly welcome and afforded every hospitality. Tier,
after all, was a statement, a treasure, a symbol, and as such any
small discriminatory foibles it chose to display were considered
perfectly tolerable.
edited 13 hours ago
answered 15 hours ago
ValorumValorum
406k10929513175
406k10929513175
+1 for Tier explanation.
– DavidS
13 hours ago
@DavidS - Since that was what inspired the question in the first place, it seemed wise to address that specifically
– Valorum
12 hours ago
add a comment |
+1 for Tier explanation.
– DavidS
13 hours ago
@DavidS - Since that was what inspired the question in the first place, it seemed wise to address that specifically
– Valorum
12 hours ago
+1 for Tier explanation.
– DavidS
13 hours ago
+1 for Tier explanation.
– DavidS
13 hours ago
@DavidS - Since that was what inspired the question in the first place, it seemed wise to address that specifically
– Valorum
12 hours ago
@DavidS - Since that was what inspired the question in the first place, it seemed wise to address that specifically
– Valorum
12 hours ago
add a comment |
No, the Culture is a "post-scarcity" civilization where pretty much anything an individual could want is available on demand.
The author Iain Banks says in his essay "A Few Notes on the Culture"
In a society where material scarcity is unknown and the only real value is sentimental value, there is little motive or opportunity for the sort of action we would class as a crime against property.
While there is no monetary system this does not mean things don't have value, as Banks mentioned value can still be conferred for sentimental reasons - which one can infer covers things like artistic or cultural merit, artifacts or works that would confer "kudos" or social status to their owner or patron. To my knowledge Banks never goes into detail about how that value might be realised but potentially an informal system based on favours, social status and political influence might exist.
We see this to some extent in the novel The Player of Games, where the character Jernau Morat Gurgeh has accrued a high degree of fame and respect due to his skill at games, this social credit being the measure of his success rather than any financial or material rewards.
add a comment |
No, the Culture is a "post-scarcity" civilization where pretty much anything an individual could want is available on demand.
The author Iain Banks says in his essay "A Few Notes on the Culture"
In a society where material scarcity is unknown and the only real value is sentimental value, there is little motive or opportunity for the sort of action we would class as a crime against property.
While there is no monetary system this does not mean things don't have value, as Banks mentioned value can still be conferred for sentimental reasons - which one can infer covers things like artistic or cultural merit, artifacts or works that would confer "kudos" or social status to their owner or patron. To my knowledge Banks never goes into detail about how that value might be realised but potentially an informal system based on favours, social status and political influence might exist.
We see this to some extent in the novel The Player of Games, where the character Jernau Morat Gurgeh has accrued a high degree of fame and respect due to his skill at games, this social credit being the measure of his success rather than any financial or material rewards.
add a comment |
No, the Culture is a "post-scarcity" civilization where pretty much anything an individual could want is available on demand.
The author Iain Banks says in his essay "A Few Notes on the Culture"
In a society where material scarcity is unknown and the only real value is sentimental value, there is little motive or opportunity for the sort of action we would class as a crime against property.
While there is no monetary system this does not mean things don't have value, as Banks mentioned value can still be conferred for sentimental reasons - which one can infer covers things like artistic or cultural merit, artifacts or works that would confer "kudos" or social status to their owner or patron. To my knowledge Banks never goes into detail about how that value might be realised but potentially an informal system based on favours, social status and political influence might exist.
We see this to some extent in the novel The Player of Games, where the character Jernau Morat Gurgeh has accrued a high degree of fame and respect due to his skill at games, this social credit being the measure of his success rather than any financial or material rewards.
No, the Culture is a "post-scarcity" civilization where pretty much anything an individual could want is available on demand.
The author Iain Banks says in his essay "A Few Notes on the Culture"
In a society where material scarcity is unknown and the only real value is sentimental value, there is little motive or opportunity for the sort of action we would class as a crime against property.
While there is no monetary system this does not mean things don't have value, as Banks mentioned value can still be conferred for sentimental reasons - which one can infer covers things like artistic or cultural merit, artifacts or works that would confer "kudos" or social status to their owner or patron. To my knowledge Banks never goes into detail about how that value might be realised but potentially an informal system based on favours, social status and political influence might exist.
We see this to some extent in the novel The Player of Games, where the character Jernau Morat Gurgeh has accrued a high degree of fame and respect due to his skill at games, this social credit being the measure of his success rather than any financial or material rewards.
answered 15 hours ago
Nathan GriffithsNathan Griffiths
3,4591428
3,4591428
add a comment |
add a comment |
The Culture has no money. There are many other civilizations in the galaxy. Many of those do have money, and people from the culture moving there need money.
- The Azad bets in The Player of Games, and the introduction of body bets to "level the playing field" between nobles and commoners.
- The broke Culture citizen in The State of the Art.
- The gamblers on the doomed habitat in Consider Phlebas.
- ...
add a comment |
The Culture has no money. There are many other civilizations in the galaxy. Many of those do have money, and people from the culture moving there need money.
- The Azad bets in The Player of Games, and the introduction of body bets to "level the playing field" between nobles and commoners.
- The broke Culture citizen in The State of the Art.
- The gamblers on the doomed habitat in Consider Phlebas.
- ...
add a comment |
The Culture has no money. There are many other civilizations in the galaxy. Many of those do have money, and people from the culture moving there need money.
- The Azad bets in The Player of Games, and the introduction of body bets to "level the playing field" between nobles and commoners.
- The broke Culture citizen in The State of the Art.
- The gamblers on the doomed habitat in Consider Phlebas.
- ...
The Culture has no money. There are many other civilizations in the galaxy. Many of those do have money, and people from the culture moving there need money.
- The Azad bets in The Player of Games, and the introduction of body bets to "level the playing field" between nobles and commoners.
- The broke Culture citizen in The State of the Art.
- The gamblers on the doomed habitat in Consider Phlebas.
- ...
answered 17 hours ago
o.m.o.m.
3,1841116
3,1841116
add a comment |
add a comment |
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I haven't read it but from a quick look around I would say yes it does exist as the saying is "money implies poverty" which wouldn't make sense if there was no money. However, I'll leave it to someone more knowledgeable than myself to answer because maybe I'm misinterpreting something.
– TheLethalCarrot
yesterday
3
No. I remember that they only dealt with such concepts when dealing with people who were not part of the Culture. Which is what most of the books were about, since nothing interesting happens within a conflict-free Utopia.
– MikeC
yesterday
1
@TheLethalCarrot, I think Mike is right - from what I remember "money implies poverty" is used to point out that a society that still needs money isn't post-scarcity, and thus is "poor" in the grand scheme of things. That said, the Culture definitely understands money and, in each of the non-Culture economies it interacts with, is shown to be fabulously wealthy.
– DavidS
yesterday
@DavidS Fair enough, like I said I haven't read it so was only implying things from a skim of some articles out there.
– TheLethalCarrot
yesterday
@TheLethalCarrot Worth checking out! Only instance of an actual, god-tier sci-fi Utopia I've ever seen (that doesn't have some grizzly catch that makes it a dystopia).
– DavidS
yesterday