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<blockquote data-quote="Wombat" data-source="post: 3586238" data-attributes="member: 8447">I have read through TS a couple of times now and find it absolutely fascinating ... and absolutely terrifying.&nbsp; Yes, the mass of humanity is materially better off, with cures for many common diseases, etc., but the wealth and power controlled by a small core of nigh-immortal individuals is unnerving, to say the least.&nbsp; The dividing line between human and not-human is razor thin.&nbsp; And, ultimately, the world feels very crowded, mechanistic, and sterile -- we do well on a collective-material level, but I am not convinced that emotionally or psychologically/spiritually people are doing that well.&nbsp; The setting feels very &quot;cold&quot; to me.&nbsp; It is not the whole cyberpunk run-around-and-bring-down-the-man level, but in many ways I feel this is not a time or place that would develop a Shakespeare or a Picasso.&nbsp; I find it quite dark and disheartening, a world where people are even more tied to simplistic, material answers for happiness than are found right now, with even fewer questions being asked about the underlying structure of society and humanity.Like I said, the book really makes me think.&nbsp; <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink&nbsp; &nbsp; ;)"&nbsp; data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />I suppose that utopia/dystopia is in the eye of the beholder.&nbsp; <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin&nbsp; &nbsp; :D"&nbsp; data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />(Like many books of its ilk, I love TS, but am not fond of GURPS; I own something like 15 supplements, but sold the core books years ago.)</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Wombat, post: 3586238, member: 8447"] I have read through TS a couple of times now and find it absolutely fascinating ... and absolutely terrifying. Yes, the mass of humanity is materially better off, with cures for many common diseases, etc., but the wealth and power controlled by a small core of nigh-immortal individuals is unnerving, to say the least. The dividing line between human and not-human is razor thin. And, ultimately, the world feels very crowded, mechanistic, and sterile -- we do well on a collective-material level, but I am not convinced that emotionally or psychologically/spiritually people are doing that well. The setting feels very "cold" to me. It is not the whole cyberpunk run-around-and-bring-down-the-man level, but in many ways I feel this is not a time or place that would develop a Shakespeare or a Picasso. I find it quite dark and disheartening, a world where people are even [I]more [/I]tied to simplistic, material answers for happiness than are found right now, with even fewer questions being asked about the underlying structure of society and humanity. Like I said, the book really makes me think. ;) I suppose that utopia/dystopia is in the eye of the beholder. :D (Like many books of its ilk, I love TS, but am not fond of GURPS; I own something like 15 supplements, but sold the core books years ago.) [/QUOTE]

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