Five Thinly Veiled Versions of Rome in SF

[james_davis_nicoll]

For some science fiction authors, all roads really do lead to Rome.

Five Thinly Veiled Versions of Rome in SF

Comments

[james_davis_nicoll]

Tor dot com article 522, 2024 article 66.

478 articles to go to article 1000

[shipperslist]

The Myriad's cover looks like it was written in the 1970's and not 2005...

[patrick_morris_miller]

Eh, I'd say 80s, maybe early 90s.

I am surprised to see a book from that publisher (who will never see another penny from me). Sunk cost, I guess.

Obligatory RPG comment.

[rdm]

And of course Traveller's Third Imperium bears not the slightest resemblance, no, none at all.

Ahem.

[dragoness_e]

And then there's Ranks of Bronze for literal Romans in space.

Getting away from Romans and the Roman Empire, the "Empire of Man" series starting with March Upcountry is a thinly-disguised SF retelling of Xenophon's Anabasis.

[ba_munronoe]

I seem to have accidentally informed Tor I am in my teens.

" It seems some Romans spent 1800 years hiding amongst the post-Imperial barbarians until the opportunity arose to re-establish Rome. Surprisingly, that is not the most implausible element of the novel."

The mind boggles. Science, plot, or both?

Re: Obligatory RPG comment.

[patrick_morris_miller]

I read it as more like Aubrey and Maturin told by Gilbert and Sullivan, at least by 1105.

[patrick_morris_miller]

Getting away from Romans and the Roman Empire, the "Empire of Man" series starting with March Upcountry is a thinly-disguised SF retelling of Xenophon's Anabasis.

"Warriors, come out to play-aaay..."

Re: Obligatory RPG comment.

[roseembolism]

I ran it like this, especially as there didn't seen to be dedicated intelligence agencies, so the whole matter of identifying save dealing with threats to the Imperium feel into interested Nobles, of varying levels of competency.