There's this city state in one of my ideas (a futuristic fantasy which may or may not be this years nano) that produces art as its primary export - by art I mean everything from music and paintings to perfume and clothes design. The place is a bit weird but it's the people who live there have decent housing and food. It's not a Utopia by any stretch but there's nothing more obviously wrong with it than with its neighbours.
But must be since the place produces a constant stream of refugees fleeing relative comfort for life in a shanty town around its nearest neighbour.
Trouble is I'm not sure what it is... it can't be anything blatently obvious like your average dystopia but it does need to be dark.
Any thoughts?
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50,002 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2007 - 16 35
Maybe people get "burned out" creatively and then it's just too uncomfortable living surrounded by other artists.
0 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2007 - 18 52
Art is the main export.
The economy depends on art.
Those with the most artistic talent enjoy the highest social status and the highest pay.
Those with little or no artistic talent - but with practical talents such as engineering and creation of the raw materials for art, or with abstract talents such as philosophy or theoretical physics - are treated as second-class citizens and marginalized.
This marginalization can look like "benign" racism, or it can look like the undercity of Fritz Lang's Metropolis.
The marginalized leave, for a better life elsewhere.
70,129 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2007 - 19 56
Like serotonin said. The economy depends on Art exports.
This would work if there are many trading partners all interested in art.
But in an area where their entire market was with a food producing empire - their lives depend on the favour of the opposing empire. Who's going to get hungry first, the artist or the farmer?
Being cut off (by bad weather or war) from most of their export markets, would plunge the city into chaos. They would have no bargaining power.
To be saved and sacked again at your whim.
----------2006 Nano - Waiwari - completed
2007 SocNoc - Waiwari Atoll - Editing
2007 Nano - Waiwari Papa - plotting
274 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2007 - 21 35
Censorship. Nothing to cause a better stream of artists than being quietly censored.
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Does not read and follow label directions.