Good news! I have unpacked enough moving boxes to locate all of my recording equipment, which means I can now share the following blog post. Do not listen to the audio on your best headphones, though. I'm still looking for the perfect new recording spot.

Barbary Station, the place, came to me almost fully formed. The next two books in the trilogy challenged me to create more interesting settings where people chose to live and work. As Wired has shown us in its Future of Work series, what needs doing and who does it should look a lot different in the future. Might be better for us, might be worse.

But one occupational change I do not see us gravitating toward is this generalist, "back to the land" nonsense that both the extreme American left and right are espousing right now. I've lived on a working ranch. Do you have any idea what goes into just keeping one flock of chickens happy, healthy, and safe from predators, never mind cows, dogs, horses, elderly neighbors, pond fish, and the plants in the garden?

At least the elders and critters try to take care of themselves. Have you ever grown enough veggies to feed yourself? Weeding and watering are so boring. Even with sprinklers, if you're counting on your garden for food you have to look at every plant to make sure it's getting the right amount of water, sun, and nutrients, and hasn't been infested or infected by some other hungry lifeform. In America, if you don't keep your defenses solid (and I do mean defenses. Fences aren't enough), then deer, birds, squirrels, and wild boars will eat more of your veggies than you will. And that's in a friendly area where everybody is armed and everybody knows everybody is armed, so you don't have local humans in enormous trucks chasing your cows or stealing from you (but damn their rude, littering, cow-hassling guests). Yes, I have a complex relationship with violence in general and ranged weaponry in particular. That's a whole different post.

The combination of tedium and danger is why we have specialists. For example: a farmer who doesn't make their own fertilizer or medicine. Maybe they don't even gather their own seeds at the end of harvest or keep animals for breeding (the ones which only make sperm, noise, and destruction).

The time this example farmer saves by not doing all that lets them raise as much food as the land will support, and then sell the excess to somebody who will sell to you. In addition to fertilizer, pharmaceuticals, and seeds, a specialized farmer may also rely on police or neighbors to (theoretically) protect the farm. If the farmer spends hours patrolling their own land, then they can't spend that time growing food and taking care of critters.

Oh, and automation is expensive to get started and tricky to keep working right now, no matter what you're automating. That's not an option for everyone. I'm not even talking about seasonal farm labor here, but that's a separate kettle of fish.

So there's one example of the advantages of dividing up labor, and here's another: Do you think a bunch of "back to the land" Instagrammers or militia members (not exclusive categories, I know) could have developed a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine? Can you imagine the researchers who did it (yes they did) developing vaccines while they also grew their own food, designed and repaired their own equipment, made sterile supplies, and took care of their personal lives (childcare, health, pets, weather-appropriate clothing upkeep, stopping their homes from falling apart around them, etc.)?

They didn't have to do most of that by themselves. Your favorite writers, musicians, inventors, game designers, and artists outsource or ignore some of that too, so they can focus on making nice things for you. I am so tired of hearing about how "society is the problem" (different from "this system in society is the problem," which is often true) and the "solution" is to be entirely self-sufficient.

Take it from someone who's had to figure out likely ways for human life to function in the future: If you had no choice but to do everything yourself, you'd be tired, malnourished, and basically useless to anybody you like. And as soon as you have a health problem, you'd probably be dead. Did you take any time out of all your farming and self-defense to learn first aid and how to make sterile medical supplies? I keep harping on sterile medical supplies because it's easy to give yourself a deadly infection by putting germy medical supplies on open wounds, which you will get in the course of growing plants and raising critters at a survivable scale.

Living on a ranch was a wonderful experience to have, but I got tired of being covered in shit and dirt and sunburns. I am a terrible (if enthusiastic) gardener. I'm happy to buy from local specialists while I specialize in making things they can enjoy in the evenings after long days of doing important activities I am bad at.

And now, bonus trivia: The song that's playing in Iridian's head whenever she's executing a plan Adda thought of is something like "She's My Pusher" by The Crystal Method. Updated for her time, of course.

References

• Jordan, K. & Kirkland, S. (2006). She's my pusher [Recorded by Jordan, K. & Kirkland, S. (The Crystal Method)]. On Vegas (10th Anniversary Edition). Los Angeles, CA: Outpost Recordings.
• Maragakis, L. L. & Kelen, G. D. (2021, January 8). Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe? Johns Hopkins Medicine.
• Mayo Clinic. (2021, February 10). COVID-19 vaccines: Get the facts.
• National Institute of Health. (2021, January 12). Experimental coronavirus vaccine highly effective.
• Wired.com Future of Work tag.