Transhuman Space
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| Transhuman Space | |
|---|---|
 Transhuman Space core rulebook cover |
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| Designer(s) | David L. Pulver |
| Publisher(s) | Steve Jackson Games |
| Publication date | 2002 |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction |
| System | GURPS (3rd edition) |
| Part of the Powered by GURPS line | |
Transhuman Space is a role-playing game published by Steve Jackson Games as parts of the "Powered by GURPS" (Generic Universal Role-Playing System) line. Set in the year 2100, humanity has begun to colonize the Solar System. The pursuit of transhumanism is now in full swing, as more and more people struggle to reach a fully posthuman state.
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[edit] Synopsis
The game assumes that no cataclysm - natural or human-induced - swept Earth in 21st century. Instead, constant developments in information technology, genetic engineering, nanotechnology and nuclear physics generally improved condition of the average human life. Plagues of 20th century (like cancer or AIDS) have been suppressed, the ozone layer is being restored and Earth's ecosystems are recovering (although thermal emission by fusion power plant poses an environmental threat—albeit a much lesser one than previous sources of energy). Thanks to modern medicine humans live biblical timespans surrounded by various artificially intelligent helper applications and robots (cybershells), sensory experience broadcasts (future TV) and cyberspace telepresence. Thanks to cheap and clean fusion energy humanity has power to fuel all these wonders, restore and transform its home planet and finally settle on other heavenly bodies.
Human genetic engineering has advanced to the point that anyone--single individuals, same-sex couples, groups of three or more--can reproduce. The embryos can be allowed to be developed naturally, or they can undergo three levels of tinkering: genefixing, which corrects defects; upgrades, which boost natural abilities (Ishtar Upgrades are slightly more attractive than usual, Metanoia Upgrades are more intelligent, etc.); and full transition to parahuman status (Nyx Parahumans only need a few hours of sleep per week, Aquamorphs can live underwater, etc.) Another type of human genetic engineering, far more controversial, is the creation of bioroids, fully sentient slave races.
What if your better-than-human body gets damaged, though? No problem, you can upload yourself, recording the contents of your brain on a computer disk. Now you're a ghost, a type of infomorph, and very easily confused with sentient artificial intelligence. Any informorph, regardless of its origin, can be plugged into a cybershell, or a biological body, or bioshell. And if you're feeling like spitting in the face of Earth laws, you can make multiple copies of yourself, or xoxes, and scatter them throughout the system, exponentially increasing the odds that at least one of you will live for centuries more, if not forever.
This is also a time of space colonization. First, humanity (namely China, followed by the USA and others) colonized Mars in a fashion resembling that outlined in the Mars Direct project. The Moon, Lagrangian points, inner planets and asteroids soon followed. In the late 21st century even some of Saturn's moons have been settled as a base for that planet's Helium-3 scooping operations.
This is no utopia however as several problems arise from this otherwise beneficial developments. The Generation gap has become a chasm as lifespans increase. No longer do the elite fear death and no longer can the young hope to replace them. While it seemed that outworld colonies would offer accommodation and work for those young ones, they are being replaced by genetically tailored bioroids and AI-powered cybershells. The concept of humanity is no longer clear in a world where even some animals speak of their rights and the dead haunt both cyberspace and reality (in form of neural implants in bioshell). Also, fusion plants, albeit cheap, warm up the atmosphere [1]
And of course wonders of high science aren't universally shared - some countries merely struggle with informatization while others suffer from nanoplagues, defective drugs, implants and software tested on their populace. In some poor countries high-tech tyrants oppress their backward people. And in outer space all sort of modern crime thrives, barely suppressed by military forces.
[edit] Books
- Transhuman Space (core rules)
- Broken Dreams (areas of poverty, crime and oppression)
- Changing Times (contains rules update for GURPS 4th edition, a player's guide, and help for the Game Master)
- Deep Beyond (the Asteroid Belt and beyond)
- Fifth Wave (the many nations of the homeworld)
- High Frontier (Earth orbit and the Moon)
- In the Well (Mercury, Venus and Mars)
- Orbital Decay (scenario book)
- Personnel Files (non-player characters)
- Singapore Sling (scenario book)
- Spacecraft of the Solar System (self-explanatory, also describes an experimental bioship)
- Polyhymnia (scenario book)
- Toxic Memes (strange ideas and popular fads)
- Under Pressure (submarine habitats on Earth and elsewhere)
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Transhuman Space Official web site
- Feedback from Transhuman Space Some thoughts about the book, with reactions from David Pulver
- Old Yahoo! Mailing-list (still active)
- New Yahoo! Mailing-list
