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Holy crap the universe is massive. It occurred to me the other day that there's barely any science fiction that even occurs outside our own galaxy (Star Wars b

Holy crap the universe is massive. It occurred to me the other day that there's barely any science fiction that even occurs outside our own galaxy (Star Wars being the exception that proves the rule). And if it does it's usually something from Andromeda right 'next door'. Even Star Trek only leaves the galaxy maybe one time, and that requires the help of Q.

m463 6y ago
Too bad it's so far away. There's that saying... too young to explore the world, too old to explore the universe. When our children's children learn to extend their life, or figure out some sort of suspended animation, or pload their brain... what wonders they will see.
- jonplackett 6y ago
  Even with extended life span ain't nobody ever going to another galaxy. Even if we could travel at the speed of light, it would take 2.5 million years just to get to the nearest galaxy.
  - kvetching 6y ago
    There has to be a hack.
    - jonplackett 6y ago
      Wormholes, maybe?
  - ninkendo 6y ago
    If we could travel appreciably close to the speed of light, the journey could be close to instantaneous for the traveler. (Depending obviously on how close to light speed we’re talking about.) Time dilation is a nice property.
    - Calamity 6y ago
      Indeed - something often misunderstood as always recorded from the perspective of a third party observer. Quick follow up question. If you did depart and travelled at near-ligth speed to another galaxy, arrived there in a few seconds and then looked back at the earth - would it appear as only a few seconds have passed for the earthlings back home as well? By the same token, if you are actively watching another galaxy as you travel at near-light speed towards it - will you be watching that galaxy "age" at an extremely fast pace throughout the journey?
      - m463 6y ago
        that's an interesting question. If you traveled one light year at the speed of light, when you looked back you would see light from right after you left. But since you were traveling at the speed of light, your relativistic time for the journey would be zero. So the light you observed would be proportional to your subjective time.
        Calamity 6y ago
        So, by the same token, do you observe the galaxy you're approaching age quickly? On "fast-forward" if one could imagine that?
      - jonplackett 6y ago
        I think the downside is that for earth, time is passing by at 'normal' speed. So as soon as you get up to speed you're leaving behind, possibly the entire human race. Weird to think that too if aliens show up. Their entire civilisation is probably already gone (unless it's VERY stable over hundreds of thousands of years).
    - jonplackett 6y ago
      It might make more sense to take off in your near-light-speed ship, do a few laps of the galaxy, then return home for a thousand-years-in-the-future ship upgrade, then head on to another galaxy.
groby_b 6y ago
Wait, what? In what universe is there "barely any science fiction" outside our galaxy? Lensman. The entire Revelation Space series. Beyond the Aquila Rift. Player of Games. Algebraist. Sirens of Titan. Perry Rhodan. And that's off the top of my head. There's quite a bit of SF (both good and trash, and I think the above list has both :) happening outside our galaxy.
- flukus 6y ago
  > The entire Revelation Space series Fantastic series and probably my favorite writer, but because it mostly sticks within known physics nearly all of it takes palce within about 20 light years of earth with the exception of Galactic North and maybe a few other side stories. Earth doesn't get much of a mention, but the main character is from Mars.
  - groby_b 6y ago
    Damn it. I only remembered "Andromeda", but you're right, that isn't where the story takes place. Same goes for "Sirens of Titan" I guess I need to start re-reading :)
- jonplackett 6y ago
  Thanks I'll check these out! I guess I was thinking more about ones that have intergalactic travel. Do any of these actually have travel between galaxies or are they just set in an alt galaxy? Sorry, I din't really explain that thinking very clearly.
  - efreak 6y ago
    There's a few books here: https://www.reddit.com/r/scifi/comments/27i3y8/are_there_any_booksmoviesshows_that_tackle/ https://www.reddit.com/r/scifi/comments/27i3y8/are_there_any... Daily science fiction has a few very short stories, including this one: https://dailysciencefiction.com/science-fiction/science-fiction/robert-douglas-friedman/intro-to-intergalactic-conflicts-101-a-course-summary https://dailysciencefiction.com/science-fiction/science-fict...

m463 6y ago

Too bad it's so far away. There's that saying... too young to explore the world, too old to explore the universe. When our children's children learn to extend their life, or figure out some sort of suspended animation, or pload their brain... what wonders they will see.

jonplackett 6y ago
Even with extended life span ain't nobody ever going to another galaxy. Even if we could travel at the speed of light, it would take 2.5 million years just to get to the nearest galaxy.
- kvetching 6y ago
  There has to be a hack.
  - jonplackett 6y ago
    Wormholes, maybe?
- ninkendo 6y ago
  If we could travel appreciably close to the speed of light, the journey could be close to instantaneous for the traveler. (Depending obviously on how close to light speed we’re talking about.) Time dilation is a nice property.
  - Calamity 6y ago
    Indeed - something often misunderstood as always recorded from the perspective of a third party observer. Quick follow up question. If you did depart and travelled at near-ligth speed to another galaxy, arrived there in a few seconds and then looked back at the earth - would it appear as only a few seconds have passed for the earthlings back home as well? By the same token, if you are actively watching another galaxy as you travel at near-light speed towards it - will you be watching that galaxy "age" at an extremely fast pace throughout the journey?
    - m463 6y ago
      that's an interesting question. If you traveled one light year at the speed of light, when you looked back you would see light from right after you left. But since you were traveling at the speed of light, your relativistic time for the journey would be zero. So the light you observed would be proportional to your subjective time.
      - Calamity 6y ago
        So, by the same token, do you observe the galaxy you're approaching age quickly? On "fast-forward" if one could imagine that?
    - jonplackett 6y ago
      I think the downside is that for earth, time is passing by at 'normal' speed. So as soon as you get up to speed you're leaving behind, possibly the entire human race. Weird to think that too if aliens show up. Their entire civilisation is probably already gone (unless it's VERY stable over hundreds of thousands of years).
  - jonplackett 6y ago
    It might make more sense to take off in your near-light-speed ship, do a few laps of the galaxy, then return home for a thousand-years-in-the-future ship upgrade, then head on to another galaxy.

groby_b 6y ago

Wait, what? In what universe is there "barely any science fiction" outside our galaxy? Lensman. The entire Revelation Space series. Beyond the Aquila Rift. Player of Games. Algebraist. Sirens of Titan. Perry Rhodan. And that's off the top of my head. There's quite a bit of SF (both good and trash, and I think the above list has both :) happening outside our galaxy.

flukus 6y ago
> The entire Revelation Space series Fantastic series and probably my favorite writer, but because it mostly sticks within known physics nearly all of it takes palce within about 20 light years of earth with the exception of Galactic North and maybe a few other side stories. Earth doesn't get much of a mention, but the main character is from Mars.
- groby_b 6y ago
  Damn it. I only remembered "Andromeda", but you're right, that isn't where the story takes place. Same goes for "Sirens of Titan" I guess I need to start re-reading :)
jonplackett 6y ago
Thanks I'll check these out! I guess I was thinking more about ones that have intergalactic travel. Do any of these actually have travel between galaxies or are they just set in an alt galaxy? Sorry, I din't really explain that thinking very clearly.
- efreak 6y ago
  There's a few books here: https://www.reddit.com/r/scifi/comments/27i3y8/are_there_any_booksmoviesshows_that_tackle/ https://www.reddit.com/r/scifi/comments/27i3y8/are_there_any... Daily science fiction has a few very short stories, including this one: https://dailysciencefiction.com/science-fiction/science-fiction/robert-douglas-friedman/intro-to-intergalactic-conflicts-101-a-course-summary https://dailysciencefiction.com/science-fiction/science-fict...