For the majority of the story, the fallen-empire setting of the ring is dystopian. Earth itself is a utopia, which bores the main character and is their motiva

For the majority of the story, the fallen-empire setting of the ring is dystopian. Earth itself is a utopia, which bores the main character and is their motivation to explore the ring to begin with. So both? Even if they don't follow the main plot, the ring presents a great backdrop for exploration and the freedom for some pretty interesting stories.