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Looking for a Title

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2003 5:44 pm
by Zahir
This will seem kinda off topic but if you'll wait a moment you'll see it isn't. Really. Honest.

At one time or another I was fiddling/planning on two space opera universes. The first was tied in directly to a pair of characters and situation that was to become a series of stories. The other was just some fun I had dreaming up a space opera background with some friends.

I've realized I want to fuse these two ideas together. Ultimately, what I hope to do is invite others to share (and flesh-out/play with/finish creating) this space opera universe for their own stories, rpgs, etc. Online publishing gives this the potential (in my mind at least) of becoming something like a scifi franchise a la STAR TREK or BABYLON 5.

Cool possibilities, eh? But I'm looking for an overall title of the world/universe like STAR WARS or FARSCAPE.

The essential time period is one thousand years from now, a time when mankind has found some way of going to the stars. A hitch is that said way involves a specific network of paths to specific systems--wormholes, existing lanes in hyperspace, something. It has turned out to be a closed loop, but one that includes literally thousands of stars. Earthlike worlds are uncommon, rare even, but several centuries of terraforming have resulted in dozens more becoming available. A few alien races are around, but they are very few, and in general so different from us there's not a lot of trade or communication. Many centuries ago, attempts at creating new breeds of human proved a disaster. Tinkering with the human genome is taboo, but several subspecies still exist culled and cross bred into a few types (a "warrior" and a "worker" for example). Very much a minority, they are also prevelant. How they're treated depends on where you go and who you ask. At least two major alliances/superpowers exist in competition with each other. The Mutual Allignment is very Apollonian, priding itself on smooth sophistication and enlightenment. The Five Sisters is a female-dominated empire that's Dionysian, dynamic and growing, prone to ritual and passion. Both superpowers are so mighty that war between them is/would be devastating beyond words.

Been wracking my brain for a name. Any suggestions? Please?

Thanks in advance!

Zahir :)

Re: Looking for a Title

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2003 10:16 pm
by Fist and Faith
Zahir wrote:This will seem kinda off topic but if you'll wait a moment you'll see it isn't. Really. Honest.
Hey, you started your own thread, so it's perfectly on topic. :D
Zahir wrote:The essential time period is one thousand years from now, a time when mankind has found some way of going to the stars. A hitch is that said way involves a specific network of paths to specific systems--wormholes, existing lanes in hyperspace, something. It has turned out to be a closed loop, but one that includes literally thousands of stars.
So this loop is naturally-occurring? Or was it made by one of these rare alien species?

It all sounds pretty darned cool to me!!

As for a name for the universe... The first thing that comes to mind is The Loop, since it makes it all possible.

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2003 5:19 am
by TRC
Wow I love the premise !
I will give this a lot of thought and continue to send responses until told to do otherwise .

1st up- Concentris

Names & things...

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2003 7:12 am
by Zahir
As far as anyone knows, the "loop" is natural. Been getting some interesting suggestions using a few words that simply hadn't occurred to me.

Like Sphere. Hmmmm..."Sphere of Man" or "Humanity's Sphere." I had thought of something with Web in it--StarWeb, SpaceWeb, SkyWeb, etc.

Honestly, "Loop" doesn't do much for me. Thanks, though! And I look forward to any more ideas! ;)

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2003 12:05 pm
by Fist and Faith
Bah! Everything happens on The Loop! ;) :) Or The Circuit, The Pathway, stuff like that.

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2003 1:45 pm
by Kinslaughterer
Eden 3066 or some proper date. Given the clear male/female based hostilities I think something along that line could be appropriate. However it could be a bit cliche...

Or to use a literary title Paradise Regained, referring to the terraforming and such.

Or Arcturus referencing the brightest star visible in the Northern Hemisphere

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2003 11:59 pm
by [Syl]
Silver Path... Silverway
The Golden Mean
Chaomatic
Fractal Stream (who knew there was such a thing as fractal stream chemistry... not me 'til just now)
Space Chase (kidding... original title of Farscape)

Title

Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 5:40 pm
by Zahir
Methinks I'm probably going to go for Spheres of Man.

It suggests the physical locale as well as the social/political factions, while also hinting at different areas of endeavor--exploring what other possibilities might exist.

What do folks think? What sorts of stories would you expect with such a title? :?:

Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2003 6:44 am
by TRC
A real Ballsy Title, suggests a Lot of substance within.

Remember you can only make 1 first impression.

Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2003 6:30 am
by Zahir
*sigh*

I've no idea why the...er...obviously risque...meaning escaped what passes for my mind.

Back to the drawing board...

Spheres of Empire? The Web of Man? Hmmmm

Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2003 7:38 am
by TRC
Sorry, didn't mean to burst your bubbles, but someone would have definately mentioned it once it was in print and sitting in a bookstore window somewhere.

I THink you should Focus on Something Eluding to the Loop, something more karmic implications. Still running around my mind but can't offer anything new to you.

Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2003 8:16 am
by TRC
TRC wrote: 1st up- Concentris
2nd up-I'm stumped maybe something tomorrow

Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2003 12:37 am
by danlo
I still like METAVERSE (as I suggested b4 on the Hangar) and no, I checked, it is not a Tony Daniel title...

Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2003 3:06 am
by Fist and Faith
The Loop






















:mrgreen:

New Play on words

Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2003 5:41 am
by TRC
Centri City
Concentri City

Wow I have something close to these stuck in my head that seems idyllic but haven't been able to hit my head on the desk hard enough to knock them out.....

Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2003 12:12 pm
by Dragonlily
Centri City sounds awfully familiar, but I can't place it. Unless it's one of those locations the train was going to, in ST Next Gen: Emergence?

Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2003 9:12 pm
by Fist and Faith
hmmm, Vertiform City?

Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2003 3:01 am
by Dragonlily
That, too. :)

Actually, it was just a wild stab. It may be an ad for a computer store, for all I know.

Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2003 3:09 am
by Fist and Faith
Isn't there a song called Century City? Something like that.

Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2003 8:03 pm
by Clarkesworld Books
Without much thought... here are a few:

Mankind Encapsulated
Loopholes
The Embraced Worlds
Accessible Worlds
The Expanse
Wormholes Inc.
Polis