Spice of Life: Difference between revisions

{{quote|''The spice must flow.''|'''[[Dune]]'''}}

 

 

Spices. ''[[Space X|Space]]'' spices.

 

Also see [[Alien Catnip]].

{{examples}}

 

== Film ==

* In [[Poul Anderson]]'s [[Technic History]], Nick van Rijn heads the Solar Spice and Liquors Company. Of course, Old Nick has his pudgy (but very strong) fingers in a lot of other profitable endeavors, as well.

* Ordinary ginger turns out to be an addictive drug and aphrodisiac to the reptilian Race in [[Harry Turtledove]]'s Worldwar series. The setting isn't [[Space Opera]], but trade ends up developing fast.

 

== Literature ==

* ''[[Dune]]'', the [[Trope Maker]]. Melange is produced only by the [[Sand Worm|sandworms]] of Arrakis, making the planet the most strategically important planet in the galaxy. The spice [[Super Serum|gives]] various psychic organizations their [[Psychic Powers|abilities]], and, as the page quote indicates, is necessary for the setting's manual [[Faster-Than-Light Travel|FTL travel]]. Since it also extends life somewhat, nearly the entire ruling class is addicted to it. And withdrawal is fatal. Painfully. Critics generally see the spice as a metaphor for oil, making the Fremen Space Arabs.

 

* The 1984 ''[[Doctor Who]]'' serial "The Caves of Androzani" featured a textbook example ("spectrox", a life-prolonging substance), with the added twist that the unrefined stuff was extremely toxic.

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

* In ''[[Spore]]'', most of the stuff you trade for sporebucks in the space stage is Spice, in various colors and ranks of rarity. The homage to Dune is obvious, down to the spice blows, although [[All There in the Manual|the Sporepedia]] states that most of the spices are used for food.

** Additionally, the different colors of Spice from different worlds change the speech of the colonist's you put there, and although none of the creatures actually say anything identifiable, the tone and the accent is different. For example: Blue Spice, which is described as a sleep aid, results in colonist with a sort of smooth and relaxed tone. The sour Yellow Spice colonists sound somewhat high strung, and as for Pink Spice... Well, let's just say they sound ..."happy".

* Non-science fiction example: Spice in ''[[Sly Cooper]]'' is [[G-Rated Drug|the equivalent of cocaine]]. Eating it causes the eater to enter an [[Unstoppable Rage]]. {{spoiler|Arpeggio plans to use the rage caused by spice to fuel his transformation into something akin to Clockwerk.}}

* In the [[Backstory]] of ''[[Sword of the Stars]]'', spices are stated to be one of the main trade goods humans sell to the [[Bee People|Hivers]], along with smoked cheeses and other very fragrant foodstuffs. The Hivers have vastly different sensory organs and biochemical makeup than humans, and to them, strongly tasting and smelling food is something of a narcotic.

* In ''[[Kingdom of Loathing]]'', Spices are some of the most values mundane items. They are rather hard to come by unless you are farming for them, and they are a necessary ingredient for most high-quality foods. The only way to reliably get them is if you are a Pasatamancer with one of the two spirits that can give them.

** On the Commonwealth side, we have Stott Spices and Massom Powder.

*** Between the 3 major spice selling powers however, Terran Spices are the most valuable of the flavorings. And the Split and Boron are at war with one to compete as the other dominant spice selling group.

 

== [[Western Animation]] ==

** The whole episode is a parody of Dune and it's sequels, with Mandy as an immortal giant-worm God Empress who has had thousands of Billy clones (one at a time) created over the years to serve as her constant companion and [[Unwitting Pawn]] in her [[Evil Plan]].

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Speculative Fiction Tropes]]

[[Category:Alien Tropes]]