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{{trope}}
Back in the Golden Age of science fiction, a rough outline of the future began to form. It was largely hinted at in various stories that shared many common attributes. Whether or not this was done consciously is unknown, but the fans noticed the trends in the stories and pieced it together. Thus formed the
The Standard Sci
Although the details greatly vary, the outline was basically the same:
# ''Exploration and Colonization of the Solar System'': Humanity explores the Moon, Mars, and the rest of the Solar System. Earth is always a looming presence. While travel times may be immense, [[Casual Interplanetary Travel|space trips are common]] and a message can always reach earth in under a day. Apart from the oldest SF, none of the worlds explored are humanly habitable. Typical plots also include the colonies starting [[The War of Earthly Aggression|Wars of Independence from Earth]].
# ''World War III'': Disaster strikes ([[World War III|often nuclear war]]), and Earth is devastated. When the Apocalypse occurs can actually vary, sometimes after Interstellar Colonization, sometimes before Spaceflight, sometimes during the Decline of the Empire. But often, a devastating war occurs in the beginning of the timeline. No matter how bad it gets, Earth and humanity eventually recovers.
# ''Interstellar Exploration and Colonization'': Superficially similar to #1, only spreading out to the Stars. However, unlike #1, the focus is on inhabitable worlds, and contact with earth is difficult at best. There's no phoning home for advice when the message round trip would take years. [[Lost Colony|Lost colonies]] were typically founded during this phase. This is also the period during which [[Casual Interstellar Travel|faster than light travel is generally invented]].
# ''Alien Contact'': Humanity makes [[First Contact]] with alien life forms. This can happen at any point. It's placed for here for convenience, since the best known Alien Contact tales occur before the Empire forms.
# ''The Cycle of Empire'':
## ''[[Rising Empire|Formation of Empire]]'': At this point, the independent human and/or alien worlds are united for whatever reason. [[The Alliance|Sometimes its for a common defense]], sometimes its by force. The result is the birth and expansion of new government. Note: ''Empire'' doesn't have to mean [[The Empire]] (although it often does). It could be [[The Federation]], or the rise of interstellar civilization. The ''First Empire'' is often [[Earth Is the Center of
## ''Empire at its Height'': Here, civilization is at its apex, showing the best qualities and values. Technology is highly advanced and there is order. During the Interregnum, people will look back to this time as a Golden Age.
## ''Decline and Fall'': The Empire begins to decay, often due to [[Deadly Decadent Court|decadency and corruption]]. Outer provinces begin to revolt, barbarians begin to invade, internal conflict increase. At the end of this phase, [[Vestigial Empire|the Empire is but a shadow of itself.]] Expect this phase to bear at least a passing familiarity to [[The Roman Empire|Edward Gibbon's seminal text]] or Gibbon's own successors, though exceptions have been known to exist.
## ''Interregnum'': Interstellar trade and communication fails, final demise of the [[The Remnant|former Empire]], [[Lost Technology|knowledge and technology is lost]], rise of petty wars and [[Feudal Future|kingdoms]]. Overall, [[Crapsack World|not a great place to live]]. A lot of [[Space Opera]] tales are set in this stage. Rarely, this can end with humanity's extinction.
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{{examples}}
▲== Anime and Manga ==
* Most ''[[Gundam]]'' series are typically set at Stage 1...and sadly jump into Stage 2.
** ''[[Turn
* ''[[Legend of the Galactic Heroes]]'' takes place during the end of the Second Empire and the birth of the Third.
== Film ==▼
* ''[[Star Wars]]'': The trope is invoked in the movies, with the Decline and Fall of the Republic, Interregnum of the Galactic Empire, and with the Empire's end the Formation of the New Republic. Although, in the [[Star Wars Expanded Universe|Expanded Universe]], this doesn't pan out so well {{spoiler|The New Republic ends up collapsing, and although a better government forms, internal problems also show up.}}
==
* ''[[A Canticle for Leibowitz]]'': World War III, the Interregnum, and Renaissance. {{spoiler|However, the trope is subverted. Instead of showing history as Linear (things keep on getting better), history turns out to the Cyclical, history repeats itself again and again.}}
* James Blish's ''Cities in Flight'': {{spoiler|Actually ends at Stage 7, the Rebirth of the universe!}}
* [[Cordwainer Smith]]'s ''Instrumentality of Mankind'': Plays the trope straight, although the Instrumentality appears to have reached its Apex, it stays stuck in an Interregnum of stagnation until it decides to re-diversify humanity.
* ''[[
** Several of Pournelle's ''High Justice'' stories are set during Stage #1. Perhaps thinking of this trope, the publishers had assumed that the stories were prequels to the [[
* [[David Weber]]'s ''[[Empire From the Ashes]]'': Set during the Interregnum following the fall of the Fourth Empire, the story witnesses the formation of the Fifth Imperium. {{spoiler|The reason of the constant Declines and Fall (invasion of Genocidal aliens), may be solved, and may prevent another relapse of history}}
* ''[[Dune]]'': The background history of the Imperium tends to follow this trend. ''The Buterlian Jihad'' serves the role of ''World War III'' by resetting the political and technological situation. The Corrino-led Imperium serves as the First Empire, and the Paul/Leto II regimes as the Second Empire. It's one of the few examples in which the Second Empire follows up the first without an Interregnum.
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* [[Robert A. Heinlein]]'s ''Future History'' follows the trope closely. Heinlein's other works often set their tales during the first few stages: Intra-solar and Interstellar exploration, with some dealing with Alien Contact.
* ''[[The History of the Galaxy]]'' follows this trope for the most part. [[World War Three]] is barely mentioned, followed by the emergence of [[One World Order]]. Then the Solar System is settled. FTL is discovered, which leads to a massive extrasolar colonization effort, during which [[Lost Colony|Lost Colonies]] are created. A devastating [[War Of Earthly Aggression]] follows, resulting in the formation of [[The Federation]] (First Empire). After a millennium of rule and exploration, it collapses due to internal strife and the inherent inequality of the colonies. The official [[First Contact]] happens during the First Empire stage. During the Interregnum period, a surprise attack by a previously-unknown alien race cuts off many worlds from communication and nearly spells doom for humanity. A few brave individuals manage to repel the invaders. This convinces the disparate colonies that [[The Federation]] needs to be reformed (Second Empire stage). At this moment (the author keeps writing), [[The Federation]] shows no signs of weakening. Some races have managed to do step 7, but humans aren't likely to give up their bodies any time soon.
* Keith Laumer's ''[[
** There are a few (very minor) hints that the first government was the Terran Concordiat from Laumer's ''[[Bolo]]'' series, although the tone of the two series' [[Sliding Scale of Silliness Versus Seriousness|doesn't really mesh]]. Said stories are also an example themselves, covering a timespan from the start of World War III up to the collapse of the Concordiat in the [[Apocalypse How|Final War]] with the [[Intelligent Gerbil|Melconians]].
* ''[[Known Space]]'': Often shows the exploration of Solar System and Interstellar Space, as well as Alien Contact.
* [[H. Beam Piper]]'s ''Terro-Human Future History'' is cyclical, going through at least five Empires after the Terran Federation falls. Piper's timeline was a little more detailed than Asimov's, and was also influential in codifying the trope.
* [[
** A second series of his fits this pattern as
* Donald Kingsbury's ''Psychohistorical Crisis'' follows the trope fairly closely and is set during the ''Second Empire'' Phase. It's no surprise, since the books are a [[Homage]]/[[Spiritual Successor]] to Asimov's [[Foundation]] trilogy.
* [[Harry Harrison]]'s ''[[The Stainless Steel Rat]]'': The background of the series follows this closely: Exploration leads to Mars being settled, World War III frags earth, Interstellar Colonization occurs, with the Formation, Apex, and Fall of an Empire. There's a short Dark Age, and the League (in the Second Empire role) forming. Unusually, Alien Contact happens at the end
* [[Alan Dean Foster]]'s ''[[Humanx Commonwealth]]'' universe falls squarely in the idealistic side of this history. Earth unified, started slower-than-light exploration, then developed [[FTL Travel]] that resulted in a three-way [[First Contact]] between them, the [[Bee People|thranx]], and the [[Proud Warrior Race|AAnn]]. As the latter were incurably antagonistic, the thranx and humans formed a reluctant [[Enemy Mine]] arrangement that developed over time into a full-fledged alliance, which eventually became the title [[The Federation|Humanx Commonwealth]]. Atypically, there has been no World War Three scenario or interregnum, and with the vanquishing of the [[Ultimate Evil|Great Evil]] in ''Flinx Transcendent'', no sign that the Commonwealth is headed anywhere but [[Crystal Spires and Togas]].
* Arthur C.Clarke's "Childhood's End" bizarrely jumps from Stage 1 to Stage 4 and then horrifyingly to Stage 7 without any gaps in between. His short story "The Nine Billion Names of God" is even worse, ending at Stage 7 {{spoiler|for the entire Universe}} without any hint that humans have even reached Stage 1.
* In Sylvia Louise Engdahl's [[Enchantress Of The Stars]], [[The Federation]] believes that humans pass through 3 stages: childhood (which would probably be step 1), adolescence (which is probably steps 2-4) and adulthood (which is step 5 on).
* The [[Ur Example]] here would be Edward Gibbon's ''Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'', at least for the Cycle of Empire stages. While Nonfiction, Issac Asimov based [[Foundation]] on the ideas of Gibbon's work. As a result, Gibbon indirectly influenced the genre.
▲== Live-Action TV ==
* ''[[Andromeda]]'': Features the Decline and Interregnum of the Systems Commonwealth. Interestingly, according to the [[All in The Manual|backstory]], the Commonwealth is not the First Empire in this case. The Vedran Empire is this. It's only later that the Vedrans decide that [[The Federation]] is better than [[The Empire]] and reform their government.
** Also humanity was contacted and annexed by the Commonwealth towards the end of step #2, they had just sent out a single relativistic exploration ship when aliens offered them slipstream drive.
* ''[[Babylon 5]]'': Human history pretty much follows the trope: Exploration, followed by a devastating conflict (the Minbari War), which leads to the formation of the Babylon project. It ushers in a brief peace, until the Shadows begin causing problems again. After a brief Interregnum (The Shadow War and the Clark regime), the governments form the Interstellar Alliance, which is hinted to much more lasting. However, {{spoiler|History repeats itself.}} The Centauri were once a great Empire, but have long been in decline. Though this is reversed when [[Unlucky Everydude|Vir Cotto]] become the [[Hidden Depths|greatest Emperor]] in Centaurian history. Babylon 5 is probably one of the few examples in which other civilizations have reached Stage 6 and 7.
* ''[[
* ''[[Stargate SG
* ''[[Star Trek]]'': The background history of Earth. 20th/21st Century humans play the role of the First Empire, World War III occurs and everything collapses. Then following the Interregnum (the aptly named Post-Atomic Horror), First Contact is made. Humanity begins to explore the Stars. Eventually, this leads to the formation of the Federation. There are hints that Humanity may reach Stage 6 and 7 in the far future.
* ''[[
▲== Tabletop Games ==
** Semi-intelligent aliens have shown up twice in the fiction- once as a minor incident in the early novel Sword and Dagger with a primate-like species known as the pinkies that may or may not have had tool using ability, and once as a major plot point of Far Country, with a species of intelligent birdlike aliens that had Stone Age technology. [[The Scrappy|Far Country]] has frequently been criticized over this point, and the head of production for [[
▲* ''[[Battle Tech]]'': The game itself is set during the Interregnum, following the demise of the Star League. Up to that point, humanity had gone through Solar and Interstellar exploration, Formation, Decline, and Interregnum. Currently, the game wobbles between Renaissance and Interregnum. For the most part, Alien Contact has been avoided.
▲** Semi-intelligent aliens have shown up twice in the fiction- once as a minor incident in the early novel Sword and Dagger with a primate-like species known as the pinkies that may or may not have had tool using ability, and once as a major plot point of Far Country, with a species of intelligent birdlike aliens that had Stone Age technology. [[The Scrappy|Far Country]] has frequently been criticized over this point, and the head of production for [[Battle Tech]] has stated repeatedly that the intention is to keep the game about different human empires fighting, not to make it a humans vs aliens game.
* ''[[Fading Suns]]'' pretty much follows this pattern too. Possibly averts the III World War part by going for [[One Nation Under Copyright|corporatocratic period]] instead, though Earth still becomes an [[Insignificant Little Blue Planet]] (with a twist). The game is set at the dawn of the second imperial period (this time an actual [[Empire]], the first one being a [[The Federation|republic]]).
* The timeline for ''[[
* ''[[Traveller]]'' follows this with several cultures. At the default time of the [[GURPS]] version, the Imperium is old and seemingly stable but the frontiers are chaotic and incompletely explored.
** Though the history of Humaniti is a bit different due to the [[Precursors|Ancients]] [[Transplanted Humans|seeding them]] all across the galaxy. The Vilani discovered Jump drive first and founded the First Imperium, as it was just starting it's decline the expanding Terran Federation encountered them, went to war, and took over turning it into the Second Imperium. The Second collapsed into interregnum quickly, and a thousand years later the Third (and current) Imperium emerged.
* ''[[Warhammer
* ''[[
* In ''[[Mass Effect (Franchise)|Mass Effect]]'', this cycle has been continuing for millions of years with many different species in the past, enforced by an extremely ancient species of robotic [[Eldritch Abomination|Eldritch Abominations]], who regularly exterminate ([[Fate Worse Than Death|or worse]]) all intelligent life in the galaxy once it gets advanced enough.▼
* ''[[Escape Velocity|EV Nova's]]'' [http://www.ambrosiasw.com/assets/files/graphics_products/evn/preambles/nova_preamble_1.pdf official timeline] only goes back as far as stage 3. The Colonial Council colonized much of the galaxy. Then it began to crumble due to a string of wars. The deathblow was the Armetis terrorists' destruction of the Sol [[Warp Whistle|hypergate]], which caused many of the others to be destroyed, cutting the member systems off from each other. The Renaissance began when physicists rediscovered how to build hyperdrives, allowing humanity to reform interstellar governments. Things have since solidified into a fairly [[Standard Sci Fi Setting]].▼
== [[Video
▲* In ''[[
* ''[[Orions Arm]]'' has gone through the empire cycle at least once, after the fall of the First Federation Terragen space was divided into several "sephirotic empires". Also the Nanodisaster seems to stand in for WWIII in that it erased all the current nations and drove humanity off Old Earth.▼
▲* ''[[Escape Velocity|EV Nova's]]'' [https://web.archive.org/web/20140802013046/http://www.ambrosiasw.com/assets/files/graphics_products/evn/preambles/nova_preamble_1.pdf official timeline] only goes back as far as stage 3. The Colonial Council colonized much of the galaxy. Then it began to crumble due to a string of wars. The deathblow was the Armetis terrorists' destruction of the Sol [[Warp Whistle|hypergate]], which caused many of the others to be destroyed, cutting the member systems off from each other. The Renaissance began when physicists rediscovered how to build hyperdrives, allowing humanity to reform interstellar governments. Things have since solidified into a fairly [[Standard Sci
== [[Web Original]] ==
▲* ''[[
==
* Like ''Gundam'', ''[[Exo Squad]]'' starts off at Stage 1 and leaps into Stage 2.
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