Thinking about Arcologies
Sep. 23rd, 2013 07:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
valarltdAs I write a cyberpunk future, an arcology is THE place to live.
An arcology is a giant enclosed system. A terrarium for humans, if you will. It has work spaces and living spaces, recreational facilities and everything the dwellers need. They never have to go outside. Indeed, the building is so large, there are parks inside it, with solar geodesic panels that feel like the out-of-doors.
The air is clean. You can walk out of your front door without a breather mask. The climate is always comfortable, no freeing in the winter or sweltering in the summer.
The water is pure and drinkable and always on. No coming home filthy at midnight and having to wait until 8 AM for a tepid shower. You can have hot running water through your whole shower, and drink straight from the tap.
There is food. Every living quarter (house, apartment, townhouse, etc) has a food synth that works on soyamix, shaping and flavoring it. There is also real food, vegetables from the hydroponic farms and vat-grown cloned meats.
The place is secure. No vermin, from the smallest flea to the human variety, enter in. Those among the population who turn criminal (save in direct service of the arcology) are dealt with swiftly. Due process is observed, and lesser offense are subject to rehabilitation but those deemed threats are sent to the recycling vats.
There is entertainment: all units come with a direct pipeline into the main computer: every movie, every book, every bit of recorded music, is available at a person's fingertips. Live music, beautiful parks, thrill rides, live theater, art galleries and classes are all available to the residents.
There is work. The denizens of an arcology have work to do. From the maintenance tech in the recycling vats to the personal assistant to the CEO, everyone has a job they are well suited to do, competent at and find fulfilling. Much work is done by people instead of more efficient automation in order to provide work.
A child born in the arcology would have a mother who got pre-natal care and vitamins. It would most likely come to term, unlike 75% of pregnancies outside which miscarry from enviro-toxins. Should our little one arrive early, there are NICU hospitals to help.
Mama will have a support system of other mothers, visiting nurses and possibly even her own mother, to help her through the trials of baby care, especially if this is the first. She can call at any time to ask why the poop looks like sand or what to do when baby has discovered climbing. Mama has maternity leave, with full benefits.
Preschool starts at three. It is skill-building play, as are the best programs.
Schooling runs as high as Kidlet is capable of taking it. Not terribly interested in school, but make things grow like Gaia herself? Have a gardner's apprentice program in the parks. Complete bookworm, loves to learn, here, have two or three PhDs. There is no wasted potential. No geniuses flipping clone-beef burgers because they couldn't get enough education to do more.
Work is tailored to the worker. Batteries of aptitude tests have guided the schooling, and now find exactly the right niche for the adult.
Relationships are conducted among a large pool of compatible people. Most people end up partnered to one or more people from this group.
Life expectancy is about 80 years, unlike the 57-60 outside.
All religions have a place (within reason, no human sacrifice faiths), with ablution rooms next to saint shrines, and maypoles in the parks.
So, is this a dream, or a nightmare?
People I know say they should be horrified by it, but the prospect of having all the Maslow pyramid covered is rather tempting. They worry about complacency.
I considered writing about arcology dwellers, but so much conflict has been engineered out of their lives, there isn't much worth writing about.
Me? I want my living quarters, please.
An arcology is a giant enclosed system. A terrarium for humans, if you will. It has work spaces and living spaces, recreational facilities and everything the dwellers need. They never have to go outside. Indeed, the building is so large, there are parks inside it, with solar geodesic panels that feel like the out-of-doors.
The air is clean. You can walk out of your front door without a breather mask. The climate is always comfortable, no freeing in the winter or sweltering in the summer.
The water is pure and drinkable and always on. No coming home filthy at midnight and having to wait until 8 AM for a tepid shower. You can have hot running water through your whole shower, and drink straight from the tap.
There is food. Every living quarter (house, apartment, townhouse, etc) has a food synth that works on soyamix, shaping and flavoring it. There is also real food, vegetables from the hydroponic farms and vat-grown cloned meats.
The place is secure. No vermin, from the smallest flea to the human variety, enter in. Those among the population who turn criminal (save in direct service of the arcology) are dealt with swiftly. Due process is observed, and lesser offense are subject to rehabilitation but those deemed threats are sent to the recycling vats.
There is entertainment: all units come with a direct pipeline into the main computer: every movie, every book, every bit of recorded music, is available at a person's fingertips. Live music, beautiful parks, thrill rides, live theater, art galleries and classes are all available to the residents.
There is work. The denizens of an arcology have work to do. From the maintenance tech in the recycling vats to the personal assistant to the CEO, everyone has a job they are well suited to do, competent at and find fulfilling. Much work is done by people instead of more efficient automation in order to provide work.
A child born in the arcology would have a mother who got pre-natal care and vitamins. It would most likely come to term, unlike 75% of pregnancies outside which miscarry from enviro-toxins. Should our little one arrive early, there are NICU hospitals to help.
Mama will have a support system of other mothers, visiting nurses and possibly even her own mother, to help her through the trials of baby care, especially if this is the first. She can call at any time to ask why the poop looks like sand or what to do when baby has discovered climbing. Mama has maternity leave, with full benefits.
Preschool starts at three. It is skill-building play, as are the best programs.
Schooling runs as high as Kidlet is capable of taking it. Not terribly interested in school, but make things grow like Gaia herself? Have a gardner's apprentice program in the parks. Complete bookworm, loves to learn, here, have two or three PhDs. There is no wasted potential. No geniuses flipping clone-beef burgers because they couldn't get enough education to do more.
Work is tailored to the worker. Batteries of aptitude tests have guided the schooling, and now find exactly the right niche for the adult.
Relationships are conducted among a large pool of compatible people. Most people end up partnered to one or more people from this group.
Life expectancy is about 80 years, unlike the 57-60 outside.
All religions have a place (within reason, no human sacrifice faiths), with ablution rooms next to saint shrines, and maypoles in the parks.
So, is this a dream, or a nightmare?
People I know say they should be horrified by it, but the prospect of having all the Maslow pyramid covered is rather tempting. They worry about complacency.
I considered writing about arcology dwellers, but so much conflict has been engineered out of their lives, there isn't much worth writing about.
Me? I want my living quarters, please.
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no subject
Date: 2013-09-24 01:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-09-24 02:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-09-24 02:15 am (UTC)“Last Days At Coconino Seven”
Date: 2013-09-24 03:50 am (UTC)The D-Man Replies...
Date: 2013-09-24 08:29 am (UTC)There is food.
Yes, but probably rationed. The State can realistically only produce and/or provide so much, as it would only have limited physical space to generate and/or store provisions, even if or when it can import from the outside. In the end, it's gonna be a numbers game. Rations can be generous, but ultimately there still can only be just so much per denizen (social elites being entitled to more than to common worker).
The place is secure. It has work spaces and living spaces, recreational facilities and everything the dwellers need.
Yes, but the same can be said for any labor camp or prision, where there is also (usually) ample food & work & shelter for all the residents, plus the guards & warden.
There is entertainment.
Yes, but likely screened & censored before it is ever put out for public consumption. Communist China, North Korea, and Cuba also have entertainment (books, movies, and music, plus celebrities), as does every hardline Muslim country. The public just ain't never gonna see nor hear anything the social elites who are in charge do not want them to take in.
There is work.
Yes, but work chosen for you depending on the needs of The State. True, your work shall be geared--more or less--to your proven aptitudes, but in the end, what you do shall be decided by somebody else of greater social rank, and you shall only advance in your career up as far as your social/political connections will allow.
Children & new mothers are well looked after and taken care of.
Yes, but so are those of any ant, bee, or termite colony. The new/next generation of workers and soldiers to serve & protect & promote The State? Of course they are well looked after; the young are the future of the hill, hive, or nest... and the breeders are the ones who spawn that future, ever provinding new gryst for the mills as needed, and fresh meat-shields to fill uniforms & carry The State's banner to foreign fields.
Relationships are conducted among a large pool of compatible people. Most people end up partnered to one or more people from this group.
Yes, but just who determines compatibility? The State will guide those it favors to those others whom The State favors. It is possible The State has a newborn babe's life already mapped out by genetic markers, beginning to end. Free choice is an illusion. You do as The State tells you, right down to whom you associate with, and most certainly when it comes to whom you shall be partnered with for breeding. Granted you may be presented with a list of likely prospects, but the choice of who made it onto that list was in somebody else's hands. An archology only being so big, population is likely closely monitored & controlled, not too unlike China's One Child Per Family policy.
You've considered writing about archology dwellers, but fear a dull read because most all the conflict has been engineered out of their lives? Maybe write about a denizen who has come from the outside, and who is now too useful/valuable to The State to be allowed to leave. Everything seems like paradise found upon arrival/acceptance, but after a while the invisible chains begin to be felt and grow heavier, and the invisible bars on all the doors & windows begin to show. On paper, the Communist & Nazi (national-socialist) & Caliphate state each sounds & looks wonderful; truly an ideal... Then reality hits once you're locked inside one.
Re: The D-Man Replies...
Date: 2013-09-25 03:07 pm (UTC)There is functionally NO outside. All the food, all the materials are from inside the arcology. Outsiders are not allowed in, because the talent pool is already there. Denizens don't leave, because Outside is a radioactive toxic wasteland filled with junkie cannibal gangs. They don't know anyone who has been outside. They have stories of "My friend has a friend whose cousin left. He never came back, but a messenger brought three teeth and an armbone home to his folks. And there were teeth marks on the armbone!" type urban legends.
You and Richard both go on and on about the "State." Nation-states are passe in this era. These are corporate creations, run by corporations who have learned some valuable lessons: healthy, happy workers are much more productive. Hunger may be a great motivator, but it also impairs judgement and functioning.
News is slanted to reflect the corporate ideals, but entertainment isn't censored. They have Shakespeare, but nobody really understands the stuff any more. It's the scene in "Brave New World" where the little girl, having just heard the tale of Romeo and Juliet for the first time says, "They can't have each other so they kill themselves? That's stupid." They have access to every movie ever made, but things like Braveheart and Charge of the Light Brigade seem not only dated, but very ridiculous. Not to mention nausea-inducing with all the out-of-doors stuff.
Of course arcologies are ZPG, it only makes sense.
The D-Man Checks In
Date: 2013-09-24 09:09 am (UTC)Suppose The State determines that you are best suited to being a writer, only The State does not acknowledge gay literature. You shall therefore write only het' romance and adventure, and all your endings will be as The State determines, which is to say pretty much all the same... as are most of your cookie-cutter characters, all of whom The State must approve of. YOu will crank out one complete novel every 3 months, and each will be up to State standards. Fail to comply and you may have your career downgraded to writing tech' manuals, or burger-flipper, as The State has also determined you have an aptitude for food service.
You husband is determined best at engineering. He shall therefore work on The State's new missile delivery system. Nevermind that your husband does not wish his work to be used to hurt and/or destroy others. That is what The State needs; that is what he is going to do. He refuses? The State plants a little chip in his head that makes him more... agreeable. Fail to comply and your husband may have his career downgraded to computer programming (which will be used for missile guidance systems as opposed to the actual delivery system itself)... or he shall be confined to a re-education block where his chip will be "adjusted" until he complies.
Your eldest daughter is paired through the Relationships Compatibility Board with abusive but well-positioned social elites. She cannot say no. When she is not working in cypto-linguistics, she's an exclusive breeder. Fail to comply and she disappears (into an off-the-grid harem).
Your sons are both shunted to military service. The State is planning for war, so it shall need frontline oldiers. Very few civilian jobs do not have an exact match in the military or Department of Defense, and no matter how brilliant you are, when the shooting starts, everyone in uniform is issued a gun & expected to use it. Fail to comply and they are accused of treason and sent to the recycling vats. NOBODY says no to The State military when it taps you for service.
Your youngest daughter is determined to have a way with animals. She is fast-tracked into the bio-research & cloning division for foodstuffs. She will get to create meat for a career. Fail to comply and she will have her career downgraded to collecting & analyzing animal droppings for a living.
You all have reasonably comfortable living quarters, adequate work stations, and enough food & water to live on... plus entertainment as The State wants you to be exposed to. Medical & dental all provided. Safe neighborhoods. Creature comforts. Excellent public transit (the better to get you to & from work). Security everywhere--likely even around if not (cameras or listening devices) in your living quarters, and certainly on your computer(s) so you don't go looking at stuff or contacting people The State doesn't like.
You still think archology life is great?
Granted, I went to extremes here, but the point is that an archology is just a fancy word for police state. The State controls who gets in, and who stays, and not everyone necessarily stays by choice.
Re: The D-Man Checks In
Date: 2013-09-25 03:23 pm (UTC)1) 4 novels a year is doable, if I'm not having to earn a living. Arcologies are about profit, so banning stuff that sells (and same-sex romance sells) is ridiculous. Cookie cutter characters and endings...When did I go to work for Harlequin? Let me be blunt, if I was told tomorrow I couldn't write same-sex romance, I would anyway. Then I would change a name, change half the pronouns and make sure the sexual mechanics work (don't forget the tits, no second blow job) and send in the same story. It really doesn't make a big difference.
Also, for the record, I've written tech manuals. The Operating Procedures for an experimental nuclear reactor back in college.
She had 3218 people in her compatible mate pool and she picked him? No sympathy for stupidity here. Besides, abusers require privacy. There is none in an arcology. Not to mention, everyone is tracked and monitored and tested from birth, so deleterious personality traits are corrected at a young age. Besides, any system that designated someone in our family as a breeder is deeply flawed. We're more chemical-based crazy than most systems can handle. Also, remember, ZPG.
Militaries are obsolete. Remember the whole "No Outside" part, above. An arcology does not use its limited, hand-picked population to fight wars. Wars against other arcologies are fought in cyberspace, using data and viruses. Wars against nation-states are silly wastes of man-power and arcology resources. Much easier to simply buy all the local food, water and mineral resources and possibly the local politicians as well. When actual physical fighting is necessary, and ABC weapons cannot be deployed (these people don't care about nuking some upstart country, all in a day's work), purchased mercenaries from the local dispossessed populations, supplemented with trainers and possibly press-ganged Outsiders from the city where the arcology stands (recruitment through gang-networks and video arcades?) would be much more the order of the day.
If the youngest has a way with animals, then she would be sent to dealing with actual animals, such as the birds and squirrels in the parks. Let the chemists deal with the meat. There are no actual food animals anymore. Wasteful of pace and resources.
I've noticed arcologies appeal greatly to those of us who are tired of struggling for everything we get, tired of fighting an uphill battle to meet the baseline needs.
no subject
Date: 2013-09-25 03:25 am (UTC)