Tales of the Eugenics Wars?

[MichaelJCO]

^Of course. The idea isn't that the Eugenics Wars stayed a secret forever, just that our own generation wasn't aware of them. Obviously they were known by Kirk's time, so there's no reason they couldn't have been known by Archer's time, over 150 years after the event.

Or maybe they were known about in the 1990's as TOS And ENT indicate.

Neither one indicates anything about American public awareness.

Right they both indicate worldwide public awareness.

 

[Sci]

Or maybe they were known about in the 1990's as TOS And ENT indicate.

Neither one indicates anything about American public awareness.

Right they both indicate worldwide public awareness.

No. "Space Speed" indicates widespread public awareness throughout Asia and other affected populations. ENT makes no reference to any region's public awareness whatsoever.

Neither one contradicts the idea of the American public remaining ignorant of a major war affecting much of the developing world (which has, of course, happened in real life).

 

[Endgame]

I have not read any of "The Eugenics Wars" books but very much intend doing so. Am interested in 'social union' policy (labour market, health & health care, disability) and am interested in the 'disability rights' critique of society. Eugenics could consist of public discussions and secret experiments (both by states and private people). It is a broad theme. After the wars there would be a 'universal declaration' or a 'crime against diversity' or some such. Contemporary governments avoid family policy and abortion like the plague. Genetic testing and family response would need to be addressed. Infinite diversity in infinite combination could include many handicapped people paired with machines without Borg issues becoming too important.

There was perhaps an alien group set on controlling whole sectors of the galaxy by eliminating certain genetic strains then dominating over the remnants. There was the perhaps alien group that is reputed to have seeded the various humanoid planets. Eventually policy statements and eugenic science would develop.

I am interested in Political Science Fiction and in Environmental Science Fiction. Are these all that popular in the Star Trek mythos?

I recently read the "Double Helix" series. The idea of a super alien group conducting breeding on humanoid populations would seem unlikely after each of these populations have experienced some kind of eugenics war and have taken control over their reproductive technologies. "The Prometheus Design" did not apparently succeed as a paradigm for other novels.

The idea of 'cannister births' and advanced reproductive ethics (as in Lois McMaster Bujold's series) is implicit in the ST universe but not often openly discussed -- is it a taboo? Half-breeds? Like Spock. Yet IDIC is a celebrated doctrine.

I suppose I shall have to read the EW books to find out more. But it is very relevant today. There actually could be eugenics wars in our real future. All the more reason to cover in science fiction.

 

[Endgame]

I forgot to add that I recently acquired a copy of "The Biology of Star Trek" and hope I may find useful information in that source. There is a bit about eugenics I think.

 

[Christopher]

Was it Archer's grandfather, or great-grandfather? Because if it's the former, I don't see how he could have even been alive at the time.

From "Hatchery":

ARCHER: My great grandfather was in North Africa during the Eugenics Wars. His battalion was evacuating civilians from a war zone when they came under attack.

^Of course. The idea isn't that the Eugenics Wars stayed a secret forever, just that our own generation wasn't aware of them. Obviously they were known by Kirk's time, so there's no reason they couldn't have been known by Archer's time, over 150 years after the event.

Or maybe they were known about in the 1990's as TOS And ENT indicate.

Look, how many times do I have to explain that I have nothing against the idea of an overt Eugenics Wars? This isn't an argument. There's no point in claiming that one version is more "right" than the other, because they're both equally imaginary. Of course it's possible that the Wars were publicly known in the 1990s. I have said over and over again that I have no problem with that idea. I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, arguing against it. I'm simply pointing out that the version in Greg's novels could ALSO work.

That's the beauty of fiction. There doesn't have to be only one answer to the question of how something happened.

 

[21Spike65]

Was it Archer's grandfather, or great-grandfather? Because if it's the former, I don't see how he could have even been alive at the time.

From "Hatchery":

ARCHER: My great grandfather was in North Africa during the Eugenics Wars. His battalion was evacuating civilians from a war zone when they came under attack.

Heck, unless there was more than that line (can't really remember the whole conversation anymore), we don't even know in what capacity his great-grandfather served. This sounds like his role could have been merely a humanitarian or peacekeeping one. Granted, the term battalion might be a bit unusual in that context, but still...

 

[BrotherBenny]

^Do you mean Ralph Offenhouse?

And the O'Neill habitats date from somewhat later than the 1990s, surely.

Yes, I meant Offenhouse.

The reason I mentioned the O'Neill habitats is that Offenhouse, Starling and NicholCorp had supposedly bought habitats or used them for experiments. I just reread the article on Memory Beta and it mentions 2031, my bad. It's the TLE novel The Sundered that gave the year.