Given the planet's terraformed nature and the explosive technological capabilities of a species-wide Group Mind, I think it makes sense you would need to keep them at a relatively low level of development, lest they become a threat to other worlds. Indeed, it might be that these were humans, but they've been infected/uplifted with the trait that causes musical psychic storms, and the rest of Humanity banished them to this planet to contain the mutation.
But this history has obviously been lost. The Thneedvillians seemed content with their strange society and limited understanding of the wider universe, until a new invention showed them the possibility of technological change and they over-optimized on it. Rather than let them develop OR admit they are on a prison planet, the ASI Warden comes up with a plausible story of why they need to live in a static society. Enter the Lore-Axe, who cuts off all stories of the distant past or future and replaces them with simple dictates that leave Thneedville in a content and perpetual now.
Given the planet's terraformed nature and the explosive technological capabilities of a species-wide Group Mind, I think it makes sense you would need to keep them at a relatively low level of development, lest they become a threat to other worlds. Indeed, it might be that these were humans, but they've been infected/uplifted with the trait that causes musical psychic storms, and the rest of Humanity banished them to this planet to contain the mutation.
But this history has obviously been lost. The Thneedvillians seemed content with their strange society and limited understanding of the wider universe, until a new invention showed them the possibility of technological change and they over-optimized on it. Rather than let them develop OR admit they are on a prison planet, the ASI Warden comes up with a plausible story of why they need to live in a static society. Enter the Lore-Axe, who cuts off all stories of the distant past or future and replaces them with simple dictates that leave Thneedville in a content and perpetual now.
I’m so angry I didn’t pick up on Lore-Axe. It was right there in front of me!
Wow.
Now I'm going to have to reassess all those Hollywood musicals of the 50s & 60s that I grew up on 🫣
Musical hive minds are everywhere
Whose painting is that? I love it.
Alas, I had a lot of conversations with ChatGPT to get it.
Wasn’t there a vastly better animated version of this in the ‘70s?
It looks like the whole thing is here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_tG-RE88EQ
I respect the chutzpah of the guy who just does that all by himself for the whole thing.