Automoderated users, Autopatrolled users, Bureaucrats, Comment administrators, Confirmed users, Forum administrators, Interface administrators, Moderators, Rollbackers, Administrators
116,907
edits
Terminally Dependent Society: Difference between revisions
m
boldface on title drop
No edit summary |
Looney Toons (talk | contribs) m (boldface on title drop) |
||
| (One intermediate revision by one other user not shown) | |||
Line 6:
Being doomed isn't always a bad thing, though. Maybe the society simply [[Ascends to A Higher Plane of Existence]], or discover [[The End of the World as We Know It]] means their world has simply ''changed'', not ended. They can survive just fine by giving up the [[Immature Hedonist|wanton hedonism]] of their old existence. Of course, it may turn into an [[Inferred Holocaust]] if no one knows how to plow a field. Or maybe the good guys can use the energy source to conquer all the bad guys who depend on it.
Fantasy and Scifi like to use the '''Terminally Dependent Society''' in conjunction with a [[Fantastic Aesop]] about the dangers in abusing [[Aesoptinum]]. This is often paired by having it created by [[For Science!|foolishly enthusiastic scientist]], you can expect [[Reed Richards Is Useless|its noxious properties to manifest quickly]]. Interestingly, a [[Mad Scientist]] who designs a dependence causing device [[Stock Evil Overlord Tactics|in order to take over the world]] will have it break down/addict him/escape his control as [[Hoist by His Own Petard|punishment]] for his [[Pride]].
In sci-fi, it's almost always a metaphor for the internet. In fantasy, it's generally a metaphor for limited fossil fuel. Generally, these aesops lead to [[No Blood for Phlebotinum]]. Expect two or three characters to escape and become the new [[Adam and Eve Plot|Adam and Eve.]] Mind the inbreeding.
Line 63:
** 3) The Battlestar ''Galactica'' itself; from the water filtration system that according to Commander Adama doesn't waste so much as a drop of water while cleaning a ship's supply of water to the ship's DRADIS that allows early warning of Cylon attacks or its squadrons of Vipers and its powerful weapon systems or the simple fact that none of the surviving civilian leaders are smart enough to keep the fleet together without Adama. This is proven early in Season 2 when the fleet is divided and the civilian fleet that left ''Galactica'' is prone to suicidal plans as dictated by their civilian leaders.
* ''[[Star Trek]]'' has a fondness for this trope in its various series.
** ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' episode [[Star Trek: The Original Series/Recap/S3/E01 Spock's Brain|"Spock's Brain"]]. An underground civilization is coordinated by a [[Brain In a Jar|humanoid brain]] called the Controller. When it fails, the inhabitants go looking for a replacement and acquire the title object.
** ''TOS'' adored this trope, especially combined with a [[Master Computer]]. Cue the James T. Kirk patented [[Logic Bomb]]!
** ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' had a society dependent on cloning run into [[Clone Degeneration]]. They were forced to do it the old fashioned way with a neighboring society of Luddites.
| |||