Can any human domestication guide fans confirm whether this is accurate?
this post was submitted on 23 Dec 2025
115 points (96.0% liked)
196
5075 readers
3161 users here now
Community Rules
You must post before you leave
Be nice. Assume others have good intent (within reason).
Block or ignore posts, comments, and users that irritate you in some way rather than engaging. Report if they are actually breaking community rules.
Use content warnings and/or mark as NSFW when appropriate. Most posts with content warnings likely need to be marked NSFW.
Most 196 posts are memes, shitposts, cute images, or even just recent things that happened, etc. There is no real theme, but try to avoid posts that are very inflammatory, offensive, very low quality, or very "off topic".
Bigotry is not allowed, this includes (but is not limited to): Homophobia, Transphobia, Racism, Sexism, Abelism, Classism, or discrimination based on things like Ethnicity, Nationality, Language, or Religion.
Avoid shilling for corporations, posting advertisements, or promoting exploitation of workers.
Proselytization, support, or defense of authoritarianism is not welcome. This includes but is not limited to: imperialism, nationalism, genocide denial, ethnic or racial supremacy, fascism, Nazism, Marxism-Leninism, Maoism, etc.
Avoid AI generated content.
Avoid misinformation.
Avoid incomprehensible posts.
No threats or personal attacks.
No spam.
Moderator Guidelines
Moderator Guidelines
- Don’t be mean to users. Be gentle or neutral.
- Most moderator actions which have a modlog message should include your username.
- When in doubt about whether or not a user is problematic, send them a DM.
- Don’t waste time debating/arguing with problematic users.
- Assume the best, but don’t tolerate sealioning/just asking questions/concern trolling.
- Ask another mod to take over cases you struggle with, if you get tired, or when things get personal.
- Ask the other mods for advice when things get complicated.
- Share everything you do in the mod matrix, both so several mods aren't unknowingly handling the same issues, but also so you can receive feedback on what you intend to do.
- Don't rush mod actions. If a case doesn't need to be handled right away, consider taking a short break before getting to it. This is to say, cool down and make room for feedback.
- Don’t perform too much moderation in the comments, except if you want a verdict to be public or to ask people to dial a convo down/stop. Single comment warnings are okay.
- Send users concise DMs about verdicts about them, such as bans etc, except in cases where it is clear we don’t want them at all, such as obvious transphobes. No need to notify someone they haven’t been banned of course.
- Explain to a user why their behavior is problematic and how it is distressing others rather than engage with whatever they are saying. Ask them to avoid this in the future and send them packing if they do not comply.
- First warn users, then temp ban them, then finally perma ban them when they break the rules or act inappropriately. Skip steps if necessary.
- Use neutral statements like “this statement can be considered transphobic” rather than “you are being transphobic”.
- No large decisions or actions without community input (polls or meta posts f.ex.).
- Large internal decisions (such as ousting a mod) might require a vote, needing more than 50% of the votes to pass. Also consider asking the community for feedback.
- Remember you are a voluntary moderator. You don’t get paid. Take a break when you need one. Perhaps ask another moderator to step in if necessary.
founded 11 months ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
I don't think HDG can be both serious science fiction and kink. Kink can indulge in portrayals of sexual assault or abuse that would never be ok in science fiction. That does not mean it is uncritically exploring those topics, but allowing readers to sublimate their own experiences into the story. People can explore fears like threats of genocide or loss of autonomy in a safe and controlled manner.
I don't know much about The Culture, but calling it anarcho-communism doesn't follow from what you describe. The humans might be able to come and go as they please, but do they have any say in the order that affects them? A pet in the real world might live a post scarcity life while their humans live in a capitalist dystopia. Is there dangerous infrastructure that can accidentally kill the pet or roaming threats? Is it just one upper class area where the pets are treated well, or is are they safe throughout the entire society? Are there bad owners, or is every alien just magically good to their pet?
Long rant about domestication:
Also, the idea of dogs not being able to live free range like cats is a myth. The majority of dogs on earth are not domesticated, while I've personally met domesticated dogs who roamed freely. Dingos were brought to Australia by people and became more independent with time, but for a real chunk of time they were more village dogs rather than wild animals. I currently know a dog that was given to a group of people as a puppy by her wild mother so she could live a better life.The line between a pet and a wild animal is permeable rather than a clear cut distinction. The animals we are closest to did not get plucked up by people and made into pets, but gradually grew closer to humans through a process of natural selection that favored those who could better survive beside us. We coexist so well through natural processes, not eugenics or mind control.
The plant mommies came to earth and forced people to be their pets rather than give them the choice to be pets. A more grounded version would see humans gradually becoming pets because it was the best option rather than by the aliens turning those that fight them the hardest into slaves.
The more fundamental problem with HDG is how its entire understanding of domestication is based on an outdated worldview that assumes humans have more control than they do. The very idea is rooted in eugenics and imperialism. I doubt it's even possible to detangle HDG from authoritarianism.
Calling the Culture anarchocommunism is somewhat accurate. Humans do have say in what goes on in the Culture, there are humans in high ranking roles in the Culture making decisions. Humans aren't pets in the Culture, and Minds don't own humans. Humans are only pets in the sense that Minds are superintelligent AI that largely do all the work to run society while humans live post-scarcity easy lives, but they are ostensibly equals.
Here's some background from the author: http://www.vavatch.co.uk/books/banks/cultnote.htm
HDG is kind of like what anti-Culture propaganda portrays the Culture as, but more rapey.
That makes more sense. I just wasn't familiar with The Culture or the story they're a part of.
Sometimes someone will ask a Rapid Offensive Unit why it, a fully automated warship, keeps a human crew. Many ROUs don't, but those who do say that having humans around is nice. They're good company on long voyages, and fun at parties. Fellow Minds contacted over hyperspace comm channels may make for faster and more erudite conversational partners, but there's just something nice about having a bunch of little guys inside you. Humans are always up to something interesting.
That's what I thought HDG was before today! That's what I wanted, not apolitical subslop. I've been seriously misled by my friend who's into this fandom!
Also, the name sucks. A human domestication guide would be a resource for affini. The name implies an affini point of view. I was so shocked when I learned florets are almost always the point of view character and there's nothing in this setting for people who want to keep humans as pets. What's the point of the name then!