What would a realistic reconstruction of For All Time have to do to make it *dystopian but not overwhelmingly grimdark, or at least add plausibility?
Perhaps an earlier POD would help accumulate dystopianess over time (e.g more colonized countries or earlier world wars), like @Ephraim Ben Raphael’s Separated at Birth while giving enough divergences to make TTL feel alien, not just dystopic. A POD in the early 19th or even 18th centuries could help “set” the dystopic tone for literal centuries.
Also, in regards to plausibility, there at least has to be temporary pushback in regards to major catastrphes like the SinoSoviet War, much like how the devastation of WW1 lead to the LoN even though that failed, and *some sort of global communications to prevent things from going pearshaped is essential.
The lack of coverage of the economy and culture in general in the original grates me- the cultural changes caused by migration and the constant conflict could be interesting to read about?
Also new ideologies like *Liberationism (Ba'athism but for the third world mixed with Liberation Theology) could add value
Perhaps an earlier POD would help accumulate dystopianess over time (e.g more colonized countries or earlier world wars), like @Ephraim Ben Raphael’s Separated at Birth while giving enough divergences to make TTL feel alien, not just dystopic. A POD in the early 19th or even 18th centuries could help “set” the dystopic tone for literal centuries.
Also, in regards to plausibility, there at least has to be temporary pushback in regards to major catastrphes like the SinoSoviet War, much like how the devastation of WW1 lead to the LoN even though that failed, and *some sort of global communications to prevent things from going pearshaped is essential.
The lack of coverage of the economy and culture in general in the original grates me- the cultural changes caused by migration and the constant conflict could be interesting to read about?
Also new ideologies like *Liberationism (Ba'athism but for the third world mixed with Liberation Theology) could add value
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