[an earthlike planet is floating in space]
The needlessly complicated real life planet:
- Too many biomes
- Annoyingly varied climates
- Distinct cultures??
- Multiple governments???
- No world capital???

[an orange-brown bland planet is floating in space]
The humble sci-fi planet:
- SIMPLE
- One biome
- Unified climate
- Worldwide culture
- Planetary government
- Huge capital city

https://thebad.website/comic/planetary_essentialism

  • AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    2·
    5 hours ago

    - Worldwide culture - Planetary government - Huge capital city

    This is actually understandable, since if the planet was colonised by a single group that would be the likely result for a long time.

  • nocturne@slrpnk.netEnglish
    10·
    18 hours ago

    Take the sci-fi planetary capital one step further where the entire planet is a single city, may I introduce Corusant.

    • BadOPMEnglish
      4·
      16 hours ago

      That would be Asimov’s Trantor, such planets have become one of my favorite silly scifi tropes.

      • nocturne@slrpnk.netEnglish
        2·
        15 hours ago

        I forgot about Trantor. We watched, I think the first two seasons of the show, but have never read the books.

        • alpine_jim@piefed.socialEnglish
          2·
          7 hours ago

          i only watched a couple of episodes of the tv show, because it seemed to be going for “a single person’s talents are necessary to change the course of the galaxy’s destiny”, which is just like so many other shows and absolutely the opposite of the whole point of the books.

          • AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
            2·
            5 hours ago

            While I agree with you about both the books and the TV series, the 2nd foundation definitely seemed to be taking the opposite philosophy.