Galactic empire

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Galactic empires are a fairly common theme in science fiction. Many authors have either used a galaxy-spanning empire as background, or written about the growth or decline of such an empire. The capital of a galactic empire is frequently a core world or home world. Some of these empires are clearly based on the Roman Empire; the Galactic Empire of Isaac Asimov's Foundation series (which inspired empires of later writers and film-makers) being an obvious example, as is the Terran Empire of Poul Anderson's Dominic Flandry. The best known to the general public today is probably the empire from Star Wars, which was formed in turn from the Galactic Republic.

Most of these galaxy-spanning domains depend on some form of transportion capable of quickly or instantly crossing vast cosmic distances (usually measured in light-years), many times faster than could a beam of light. These invariably require some type of propulsion or displacement technology not forbidden by Einstein's Theory of Relativity, or that otherwise rely on theories that circumvent or supersede relativity. (See: warp drive; Alcubierre drive.)

There was also a turn based strategy game called "Galactic Empire" for the Commodore C64, which had nothing to do with any of the science fiction themes mentioned above.

The term "galactic empire" has, no doubt because of association with the Empire from Star Wars, gained a less-than-favorable reputation. This, however, is not always deserved; the Galactic Empires from Foundation and the CoDominium universe are relatively benign organizations.

1 Galactic empires in science fiction
2 Galactic empires in religion
3 Galactic empires in computer games
4 See also

[edit] Galactic empires in science fiction

Dune - Padishah Empire
CoDominium - First and Second Empires of Man
Foundation Series - Galactic Empire (Asimov)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Author Douglas Adams refers to a "former Galactic Empire" as having ruled the Milky Way Galaxy years before the setting of his novels. In the television adaptation, another name for this empire, the "Imperatala Galacticon" is seen briefly on screen.
Star Wars - Galactic Empire (Star Wars)
Warhammer 40,000 - Imperium (Warhammer 40,000)
Legend of the Galactic Heroes - Galactic Empire
Klingon Empire , Romulan Empire , and Dominion in Star Trek
Honorverse - Solarian League, the largest of political units of human diaspora can be considered such an Empire; from the late novels in the series it also becomes apparent, that the League is at the beginning of its fall.
Terran Empire in the Star Trek series, an alternate form of the United Federation of Planets glimpsed in the Mirror Universe.
The Terran Empire (unconnected with the previous one,and far more benign) of Poul Anderson's Dominic Flandry.
The Terran Empire (still a third one) of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover series, which mainly maintains trading stations on numerous planets rather than seeking to rule them directly (roughly analoguos to the Portuguese empire in the Far East).