I find myself being more and more tired of “empires” in SF & F.

I ask myself why.

Why do we read what we do?

I ask myself how.

How does story serve whatever function it has?

I ask myself what.

What is the function?

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Empire stories serve a powerful function for some people.

Myself, I’m tired of them.  Maybe I’m wrong.  Maybe empires are cool.  Maybe that’s the future & I should quit whining about it.

That’s what I always liked about America: they threw off the empire.  But what the hell would they know… that was over two hundred years ago.  Bunch of rubes living in the woods.