Beta Colony
Encyclopedia
Beta Colony is an important planet (although rarely the setting) in Lois McMaster Bujold
's science fiction series the Vorkosigan Saga
. The planet's biome
is almost entirely desert, described as "screaming hot," and the colony itself exists primarily underground.
The concept of Beta Colony was first created and introduced in "Dreamweaver's Dilemma." The idea was later expanded upon in Shards of Honor when Bujold needed a homeworld for Cordelia Naismith.
and liberal attitude towards all varieties of sexuality; a number of practices considered immoral on many other worlds, such as prostitution
(in the form of paid sex therapy) and recreational drug
use, are legal and accepted on Beta Colony. Beta Colony is also highly advanced, relative to most other planets, in many areas of technology and medicine. Many innovations mentioned in the Vorkosigan Saga originated on Beta Colony. For this reason, Betan dollars are considered one of the most stable and valuable currencies.
Due to its restricted habitats, reproduction is tightly regulated. After a girl has her first menstrual cycle, she receives a contraceptive implant, has her hymen cut, and has her ears pierced; it's considered a coming of age ceremony and a signal of young adulthood. In order to have children, the two prospective "co-parents" must take a course together and pass a number of physical, psychological
and economic
tests before being issued parents' licenses. Very few families are authorized to have more than two children. Three-fourths of all Betan children are gestated
in artificial wombs, although co-parents who prefer to have their children through old-fashioned pregnancy
are free to do so. Genetically engineered Hermaphrodite
s form a significant minority of the Betan population.
As another ramification of Beta Colony's inhospitable climate and underground development, Betans do not have any noteworthy works of architecture, but are very proud of feats of grand interior design and enclosed public spaces, and consider natural materials such as wood to be almost ludicrously extravagant. Cordelia Naismith
is astounded that Barrayar
ans would use an intricate, antique parquet
wooden floor as a dance-floor; on Beta, it would have been preserved and safeguarded as a great work of art.
Beta Colony does not have a large military, but what is does have is one of the most technologically advanced in the nexus. Beta Colony is a major arms supplier for other worlds, but they usually only sell weapons that have been made obsolete by their own most recent developments. The civilian Betan Astronomical Survey, which serves a largely exploratory and scientific purpose, also acts as a reserve military force.
Many place names on Beta Colony are derived from geological substances and phenomena, such as the city of Silica, and its attendant university. Another notable settlement is the town of Quartz.
. Shortly thereafter, a world war destroyed much of America and effectively ended their space program, among others. As a result, Beta Colony, with its emphasis on personal freedom and tolerance, technological innovation, economic stability and influence, and racial and cultural diversity, came to hold a place in the political landscape reminiscent of an idealized version of America, specifically California (according to Bujold).
Lois McMaster Bujold
Lois McMaster Bujold is an American author of science fiction and fantasy works. Bujold is one of the most acclaimed writers in her field, having won the prestigious Hugo Award for best novel four times, matching Robert A. Heinlein's record. Her novella The Mountains of Mourning won both the Hugo...
's science fiction series the Vorkosigan Saga
Vorkosigan Saga
The Vorkosigan Saga is a series of science fiction novels and short stories set in a common fictional universe by American author Lois McMaster Bujold. Most of these were published between 1986 and 2002, with the exceptions being “Winterfair Gifts” and Cryoburn...
. The planet's biome
Biome
Biomes are climatically and geographically defined as similar climatic conditions on the Earth, such as communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms, and are often referred to as ecosystems. Some parts of the earth have more or less the same kind of abiotic and biotic factors spread over a...
is almost entirely desert, described as "screaming hot," and the colony itself exists primarily underground.
The concept of Beta Colony was first created and introduced in "Dreamweaver's Dilemma." The idea was later expanded upon in Shards of Honor when Bujold needed a homeworld for Cordelia Naismith.
Culture
Beta Colony is noted for being a remarkably egalitarian state. Betan culture is also well-known for its toleranceToleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
and liberal attitude towards all varieties of sexuality; a number of practices considered immoral on many other worlds, such as prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
(in the form of paid sex therapy) and recreational drug
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
use, are legal and accepted on Beta Colony. Beta Colony is also highly advanced, relative to most other planets, in many areas of technology and medicine. Many innovations mentioned in the Vorkosigan Saga originated on Beta Colony. For this reason, Betan dollars are considered one of the most stable and valuable currencies.
Due to its restricted habitats, reproduction is tightly regulated. After a girl has her first menstrual cycle, she receives a contraceptive implant, has her hymen cut, and has her ears pierced; it's considered a coming of age ceremony and a signal of young adulthood. In order to have children, the two prospective "co-parents" must take a course together and pass a number of physical, psychological
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and economic
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
tests before being issued parents' licenses. Very few families are authorized to have more than two children. Three-fourths of all Betan children are gestated
Gestation
Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. Mammals during pregnancy can have one or more gestations at the same time ....
in artificial wombs, although co-parents who prefer to have their children through old-fashioned pregnancy
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
are free to do so. Genetically engineered Hermaphrodite
Hermaphrodite
In biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...
s form a significant minority of the Betan population.
As another ramification of Beta Colony's inhospitable climate and underground development, Betans do not have any noteworthy works of architecture, but are very proud of feats of grand interior design and enclosed public spaces, and consider natural materials such as wood to be almost ludicrously extravagant. Cordelia Naismith
Cordelia Naismith
Cordelia Naismith is the name of two fictional characters by Lois McMaster Bujold. One is the titular character from a Victorian era Sherlock Holmes short story entitled "Adventures of the Lady on the Embankment" included in her anthology Dreamweaver's Dilemma...
is astounded that Barrayar
Barrayar
Barrayar is a science fiction novel by Lois McMaster Bujold. It was first published as four installments in Analog in July–October 1991, and then published in book form by Baen Books in October 1991. Barrayar won both the Hugo Award for Best Novel and the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel...
ans would use an intricate, antique parquet
Parquetry
Parquetry is a geometric mosaic of wood pieces used for decorative effect. The two main uses of parquetry are as veneer patterns on furniture and block patterns for flooring. Parquet patterns are entirely geometrical and angular—squares, triangles, lozenges. The most popular parquet flooring...
wooden floor as a dance-floor; on Beta, it would have been preserved and safeguarded as a great work of art.
Beta Colony does not have a large military, but what is does have is one of the most technologically advanced in the nexus. Beta Colony is a major arms supplier for other worlds, but they usually only sell weapons that have been made obsolete by their own most recent developments. The civilian Betan Astronomical Survey, which serves a largely exploratory and scientific purpose, also acts as a reserve military force.
Many place names on Beta Colony are derived from geological substances and phenomena, such as the city of Silica, and its attendant university. Another notable settlement is the town of Quartz.
Famous Betans
- Cordelia NaismithCordelia NaismithCordelia Naismith is the name of two fictional characters by Lois McMaster Bujold. One is the titular character from a Victorian era Sherlock Holmes short story entitled "Adventures of the Lady on the Embankment" included in her anthology Dreamweaver's Dilemma...
(later Cordelia Vorkosigan) was born on Beta Colony and served in its military until, falsely accused of several crimes, she sought asylum on Aral VorkosiganAral VorkosiganAral Vorkosigan is a fictitious character from Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga series. Known throughout this science fiction universe as “The Butcher of Komarr,” he dominates the imagination of the two main point-of-view characters in the Vorkosigan Saga, Cordelia , who becomes his wife,...
's homeworld of BarrayarBarrayarBarrayar is a science fiction novel by Lois McMaster Bujold. It was first published as four installments in Analog in July–October 1991, and then published in book form by Baen Books in October 1991. Barrayar won both the Hugo Award for Best Novel and the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel...
. They married, and their son Miles VorkosiganMiles VorkosiganMiles Naismith Vorkosigan is the hero of a series of science fiction novels and short stories by Lois McMaster Bujold known as the Vorkosigan Saga. In an article in The Vorkosigan Companion, Bujold acknowledged several real-life inspirations for the character: T. E...
is 5/8 Betan; his paternal great-grandmother was also from Beta Colony. - Admiral Naismith Miles VorkosiganMiles VorkosiganMiles Naismith Vorkosigan is the hero of a series of science fiction novels and short stories by Lois McMaster Bujold known as the Vorkosigan Saga. In an article in The Vorkosigan Companion, Bujold acknowledged several real-life inspirations for the character: T. E...
has dual citizenship, through his mother, and uses his Betan name of Miles Naismith when with the Dendarii MercenariesDendarii MercenariesIn Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga, the Dendarii Mercenaries are the mercenary organisation founded by Miles Vorkosigan in The Warrior's Apprentice.-Formation:The mercenary fleet begins almost by accident...
. - Bel Thorne Betan hermaphrodite who was originally involved with the Dendarii Mercenaries. In the novel Diplomatic Immunity, it has become a Port Master at Graf Station. It was one of the few Dendarii MercenariesDendarii MercenariesIn Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga, the Dendarii Mercenaries are the mercenary organisation founded by Miles Vorkosigan in The Warrior's Apprentice.-Formation:The mercenary fleet begins almost by accident...
who knew Miles Naismiths's true identity and his relationship with ImpSec. It maintained its relationship with ImpSec even after leaving the Dendarii Mercenaries.
Background
According to the author, Beta Colony was one of the first two colonies founded by Earth, both by American efforts; the other, Alpha Colony, vanished in a manner likened to RoanokeRoanoke Colony
The Roanoke Colony on Roanoke Island in Dare County, present-day North Carolina, United States was a late 16th-century attempt to establish a permanent English settlement in what later became the Virginia Colony. The enterprise was financed and organized by Sir Walter Raleigh and carried out by...
. Shortly thereafter, a world war destroyed much of America and effectively ended their space program, among others. As a result, Beta Colony, with its emphasis on personal freedom and tolerance, technological innovation, economic stability and influence, and racial and cultural diversity, came to hold a place in the political landscape reminiscent of an idealized version of America, specifically California (according to Bujold).