On 6/9/2012 7:21 AM, Onno Meyer wrote:
Family Ships:
* Johannes mentioned the idea of families on board, with plots
based on the dynamics within the crew. Who needs an Alien if
the Old Man is just as scary, and refuses to retire in peace?
* When we talk about families, does that mean a generation ship
where people are born, raised, live and die? It doesn't have
to be a ship which spends centuries between ports, as in the
usual sublight generation ship meme. You could have a
situation where voyages take a year or two, and a 'triangle
trade' takes a decade. Would you leave your family at home
that long? Cf Cherryh's merchanters in the Alliance/Union
universe.
* How large is the crew? If each ship is one closed society, you
need a decent gene pool. If different ships meet and there is
an exogamy tradition, each individual crew can be smaller.
* What is the minimum size to retain technology? Are the kids
taught by apprenticeship, or is there a college/university?
How many students, how many faculty?
* There could be family ships where young professionals are hired
at a port and live on a ship until retirement. Children would
be born, and raised on the ship until they go to a boarding
school college in port. The ship might have a primary school
teacher or two, and crew take turns at teaching middle school
classes (the astrogator teaches maths, the engineer teaches
physics, the commo officer teaches languages, etc.).
* Is the ship trading to support the family, or does it carry
the family to allow trade? Cf the Stargate Atlantis episode
Travelers.
If you can find a local copy of "Midshipman's Hope", by David Feintuch,
that might be inspiration for family aboard ships. The story covers a
three year voyage (one way) and the people and politics on the ship.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midshipman%27s_Hope
--
Kurt Feltenberger
[email protected]/[email protected]
“Before today, I was scared to live, after today, I'm scared I'm not
living enough." - Me
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