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The Best of Science Fiction's Oppressed Species
The Greatest Depressions (and Economic Recoveries) of Science Fiction

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joetato
08/20/09

In reply to The Best of Science Fiction's Oppressed Species
This Island Earth? Anyone . . . Anyone . . .

Mutants? Anyone . . . Anyone . . . Beuller?
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karpar
08/19/09

In reply to The Best of Science Fiction's Oppressed Species
Robotech's Invid bear mention (though they do a great job of oppressing humans once they get the chance). They were initially peaceful, and gladly welcomed the Tirolian scientist Zor, who quickly discovered that the Flower of Life, their primary food source (and narcotic of choice) could be converted into an incredible source of energy. After he reported this back to his masters (the Masters, heh), they happily snatched up as much of the Flower as they could and eradicated the rest, leaving the Invid without their main food and suffering from serious withdrawal. The Masters went on to use Zor's energy source (Protoculture) to subjugate all sorts of other races, while the Invid basically went nuts and became a massive war machine intent on destroying the Masters. They got their own chance to do some oppressin' when they took over Earth, though.
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Klebert L. Hall
08/19/09

In reply to The Best of Science Fiction's Oppressed Species
If you're going to use an example from Known Space, it should really "everyone except for the Bandersnatch", under the Masters...

Or Possibly "everyone except the Puppeteers".
-Kle.
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tetracycloide
08/19/09

In reply to The Best of Science Fiction's Oppressed Species
that is quite possibly the worst rendering of a kzinti i have ever seen. why not just put up a lolcat picture instead, would be roughly as fearsome.
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The Curse of Millhaven
08/19/09

@tetracycloide: It is from the old Star Trek cartoon, in which the Kzin are given a place in the Star Trek universe. Truly, it is an abomination.
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Delphinus100
08/19/09

@The Curse of Millhaven: Specifically, it's from 'The Slaver Weapon,' an adaptation of Niven's 'The Soft Weapon.'

I didn't think it was so bad as an example (assuming you know the above), but almost any cover from the 'Man-Kzin Wars' series would've been far preferable...
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The Curse of Millhaven
08/19/09

@Delphinus100: The abomination of which i speak is crossing Known Space with Star Trek. Then again, a well-executed Puppeteer communications officer would be awesome.
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Dimbo_Sama
08/19/09

In reply to The Best of Science Fiction's Oppressed Species

[cache.gawker.com]" rel="lytebox" class="commentImageWhat about the Narns?

[cache.gawker.com]

Held in a position of slavery for a hundred years by the Centauri, treated like cattle, "Civilized" and then after losing the War in 2259, being constantly exicuted.

There's also the Telepaths, the Hyach-do, the Centarui themselves selling off their lower-classes as slaves.

The Minbari Worker Caste being constantly superseeded by the other two castes

Not to mention every race in the galaxy being opressed by the Shadows and the Vorlons into choosing one of their ways for thousands of years.

Babylon 5's rife with opression.
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icy_one promoted this comment Edited by Dimbo_Sama at 08/19/09 2:50 AM Dimbo_Sama was starred Dimbo_Sama was unstarred

Torley
08/18/09

In reply to The Best of Science Fiction's Oppressed Species
Also in the artificial beings category: Blade Runner/DADOES' android Replicants, who were called "skin jobs" before the humanform Cylons.
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Edited by Torley at 08/18/09 11:06 PM Torley was starred Torley was unstarred

♥AntiSocialSocialite♥
08/18/09

In reply to The Best of Science Fiction's Oppressed Species

Great list, but no Thermians?

"[Sarris] has tortured our scientists, put us to work in the gallium arsenide mines, captured our females for his own demented purposes..."
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Roklimber
08/19/09

@♥Anti-SocialSocialite♥: Ah, yes, yes, the Thermians. I love Galaxy Quest. Such a hilarious movie.
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DozertheDozarian
08/19/09

@♥Anti-SocialSocialite♥: captured our females for his own demented purposes..."

The scary part is... Have you seen their females? Whoa... Guy must love him some calimari...
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B
08/18/09

In reply to The Best of Science Fiction's Oppressed Species
What about the Wookies?
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Stueymon
08/18/09

In reply to The Best of Science Fiction's Oppressed Species
Glad to see the vortigaunts made it on here, makes me wonder about other enslaved aliens in games... hmm.

do the Gelf count from Mass effect? or for that matter, any covenant who isn't a Prophet or a Brute? (halo)
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tetracycloide
08/19/09

@Stueymon: strictly speaking the brutes aren't really 'free' either.

@TheDarkWayne: systemic cultural brainwashing could be interpreted as a form of opression. i would be inclined to interpret it that way at any rate.
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Edited by tetracycloide at 08/19/09 6:09 AM tetracycloide was starred tetracycloide was unstarred

Stueymon
08/19/09

@Stueymon: damn, i meant geth, not gelf... thinking of red dwarf again
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gods-n-clods
08/18/09

In reply to The Best of Science Fiction's Oppressed Species
Did I not see Skrill form Earth: Final Conflict? Call me dumb, but I did NOT see that one coming (organic arm-lazer symbiotes as highly evolved sentient life forms that live in swamps, domineered and genetically altered to serve the totalitarian race).
It's like having a miniature poodle genetically altered into a hat. A living hat, that can smell food and other poodle-dog-hat-butts, or whatever you need a poodle-dog-hat to do.
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lava
08/18/09

@gods-n-clods: you are forgetting that EFC does not exist on Io9, and is never mentioned. Agents of big brother will be wiping these comments from the blog..
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disatess
08/18/09

In reply to The Best of Science Fiction's Oppressed Species
that x-men poster had one of the best team rosters .
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Hamslicer
08/18/09

@disatess: pure gold
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Bill-Lee
08/18/09

In reply to The Best of Science Fiction's Oppressed Species
No one enslaves humans better than other humans. My favorite example from fiction are the conscripted soldiers from Joe Haldeman's Forever War.
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AcceleratedDragon
08/18/09

In reply to The Best of Science Fiction's Oppressed Species

A Classic from Star Trek

[memory-alpha.org]

"their skin was exactly half-black and half-white, with some white on the right side and black on the left, and others the opposite. Those who were "black on the right side" considered those "white on the right side" to be inferior. They subjugated their brethren in what they thought was a gesture of mercy and compassion, but the "whites on the right side" considered it nothing but slavery and oppression."
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Starlionblue
08/18/09

In reply to The Best of Science Fiction's Oppressed Species
I can't believe you used a Kzinti from the Star Trek Animated Series. That is not quite what they look like. The covers of the Man-Kzin wars books are far more accurate.
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disatess
08/18/09

@Starlionblue: very true ,and in those books they try to enslave us .
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OW-Holmes:Bringer of Fear
08/18/09

In reply to The Best of Science Fiction's Oppressed Species
Shoggoths. Of course they weren't oppressed for too long.
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