Don’t recall it being taboo, just that people eventually get bored and end it out of ennui, in universe. Granted it’s been ages since my last readthrough.
I’m in the middle of my first! In Use of Weapons, they talk about how the character Zakalwe (not culture) has chosen to be modified to a fixed age, and how contrary that decision is the cultures philosophies.
IIRC they think it’s weird, but importantly they still do it. He’s an agent so there’s Special Circumstances but they still value the choice to do it more than they do sticking to norms.
The Culture. Which is all of the above plus friendly superintelligent AI to run it for us.
Ding ding ding. The Culture is Star Trek ++.
Gene manipulation that’s so effective you can just will yourself to change sexes, get stoned, be performance-enhanced, whatever
You never have to work if you don’t want to.
It’s so utopian most of the stories have to take place outside it, because paradise gets boring.
And that’s why it’s the best place to live.
Oh absolutely, The Culture would be my answer too.
This was my thought as well. Star Trek still has people dying of old age. I’m pretty sure the culture let’s you go as long as you want.
It’s a bit taboo, but I believe permitted. “Typical” lifespans are on the order of a few hundred years.
Don’t recall it being taboo, just that people eventually get bored and end it out of ennui, in universe. Granted it’s been ages since my last readthrough.
I’m in the middle of my first! In Use of Weapons, they talk about how the character Zakalwe (not culture) has chosen to be modified to a fixed age, and how contrary that decision is the cultures philosophies.
IIRC they think it’s weird, but importantly they still do it. He’s an agent so there’s Special Circumstances but they still value the choice to do it more than they do sticking to norms.
Hmm I definitely need to do a reread. Do you have the text of that bit handy?
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