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what would you suggest as a prime example for some utiopian future?

Good question, there aren't many these days.

First thing that springs to mind is Iain M Banks "Culture" series.

Thanks! I will check them out.

Its hard to have a plot in a utopia, so most of the books are about Contact between the Culture and other societies. Some of it is 30 years old now so perhaps my enthusiasm for the early ones is because I was 30 years younger when I read them. But still they stick in my head as a positive vision of future society. I can't think of that many other futures that have stuck with me in the same way.

You can read them in any order. The earliest one (Consider Phlebas) I never much liked. Use Of Weapons was my favourite. Player Of Games was good too. If you were only going to read one, probably Excession - it is the most sweeping, epic one. Some of the later ones are good. If you just want the overarching ideas, they are explained in an essay called A Few Notes On The Culture which he posted to newsgroup rec.arts.sf.written in 1994. Copied here: http://www.vavatch.co.uk/books/banks/cultnote.htm

Thank you!

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