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flower-cage · 1 year

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flower-cage's personal library

Welcome to my library! Here you will find my absolute favorite fics and authors, the ones that really stand out to me in one way or another and that I go back to often. Check out flower-cage's writings for my own work!

Reading Guide

currently reading Aemond Targaryen x Reader/OC, only, but that doesn't mean the authors listed here stick to this fandom/character;

works are organized, respectively, by type and reading timeline, with the most recent at the bottom;

summaries (from the og works), warnings, tags, and word count to help you choose :) but please heed the warnings in each work;

Tags explained: how I personally categorize each work (angst, smut, etc).

Types explained:

blurbs: < 1k words, stand-alone works;

one-shots: > 1k words, stand-alone works;

chaptered: longer works divided into sections that should be read in a specific order;

series: one-shots that belong to the same storyline or universe, or read better in a specified sequence, but can ultimately be enjoyed as stand-alone works;

masterlists: an author's entire work because I love everything they put out!

Please enjoy, but only if you are 18+. Minors do not interact. If you are an author listed here and would like me to remove you, just message me!

Last updated on 27.08.2023. Updated every Friday, on Flower's Fic-Rec Friday :)

masterlists

UPDATED @marthawrites's masterlist

I love everything she writes. Top-tier smut, with a style very unique to her! My favorites are the Midnight Passage series and the Darkened Corridors one-shot. Tags: top-tier smut, Dark!Aemond, several kink checks. Warnings: 18+ only, explicit sexual content.

@softcoreparadise's masterlist

Very distinct author. To me, her works are dark, beautiful, and melancholic. Her writing style is by far one of the most beautifully poetic I've come across in any kind of literature. When it's sad - and it often is - it will gut your heart out in the most delicious way. My favorites are bloodletting, aftertaste, and give peace a chance one-shots, and the Flesh Without Blood series. Tags: angst, dark themes, sadness, beautiful imagery, AUs, Dark!Aemond. Warnings: 18+ only, non-con, gore, and other dark themes.

chaptered

@mllemarianne's Deserving

My take: This fic is my everything. Strong!Reader is almost an OC and she is a fantastic character. Aemond is deep and emotional, yet as rigid as we know him to be. Both are extremely well-rounded characters. All the feelings in the book. Long sexy scenes for all tastes! Chapter count: 3/3 Summary: When you are betrothed to another, Aemond doesn’t want to address it strangely. Annoyed by his reaction, you reminisce about your whole relationship and everything that led to this very night, during the storm, in a tiny inn room with only one bed… Tags: angst, fluff, smut, all the feelings, some mildly dark themes, purity culture. Warnings: 18+ only, explicit sexual content, darkish themes.

@hamatoanne's Survivor

My take: I've shared this work a bunch of times recently but it's worth reinforcing. It is insanely entertaining and insanely sexy. Deliciously torturous slow burn and a little dark. Chapter count: 8/8. Summary: In an abrupt turn of events, you are taken prisoner in the Red Keep. With no family and nothing to fight for, will you lose hope? Tags: enemies to lovers, pining, slow burn, dark themes, angst. Warnings: 18+ only, forced marriage and other dark themes.

@arcielee's She Walks In Starlight

My take: Beautiful imagery, poetic without being overly complicated, a little dark and melancholic. Everything you never knew you needed. Chapter count: 3/3 Summary: A goddess comes to ask for help to save her friends. Tags: Greek Mythology AU, Hades!Aemond, Persephone!OFC, dark themes. Warnings: 18+ only, incest.

@oneeyedvisenya's A Dragon Without Wings

My take: Sexy, fun, and just a little angsty. Unique plot! Chapter count: 5/5 Summary: In the year 130 A.C., Prince Aemond Targaryen narrowly escapes the Battle above God’s Eye with his life. Wounded and desperate, he is found by a common girl of the Riverlands who cannot bear to watch someone die, knowing that she could have changed that outcome. She rescues him, the Dance of Dragons comes to an end not long after, and the Targaryen prince finds himself a fugitive in the country he so recently ruled. Tags: angst, gore/violence, fluff, smut. Warnings: 18+ only, explicit sexual content, gore/violence.

@sapphire-writes's Down In Flames

My take: One my favorite things I've ever read! SO much fun. Aemond is too fucking sexy in this work, it's almost too much. Delicious soap-opera-level drama and delicious smut. Chapter count: 10/10 + a lil prequel Summary: Dracarys is the next big thing, and you have followed the band to the top. But tensions rise as the band grows into fame. Will you make it out in one piece, or are you destined to go down in flames? Tags: Modern!AU, RockBand!AU, enemies to lovers, angst, smut, drama, some dark themes. Warnings: 18+ only, explicit sexual content, violence, irresponsible drinking, addiction, and other dark themes.

@dulcewrites's Fool Me Once

My take: I love FMO with all my heart. A part of me really wants this to be endgame Aemond x Reader but I don't want to ask and ruin the surprise. We all love this OC, she's the best. Aemond is a shitty husband and there is a lot of angst. Chapter count: 10/10 Summary: After learning about Aemond’s indiscretions, you decide to take matters into your hands. Tags: angst, violence/gore, cheating, smut, war. Warnings: 18+ only, explicit sexual content, violence/gore, and other dark themes.

@its-actually-minicika's Dragon Sickness

My take: This fucked me up. It's the only thing on my mind. And holy shit I have never wanted two people to fuck more. Chapter count: 2/4. Prompt: Hi, love your works so much! Can't wait for more updates 🥰🥰 I was wondering maybe you'd like the idea where book!Aemond and Velarion!(Strong?)Reader are in an arranged marriage. But Reader just knows what to say and how to act so that Aemond is wrapped around her finger (kinda thought of Margaery and Joffrey situation, she was such a talented schemer, worthy of winning the Throne 😭). I don't really know about the setting, like if it's before, during or after the Dance... just thought it'd be interesting to see this kind of plot with our beloved Prince 🤴🏼🐉 Tags: enemies to lovers, smut(ish) so far, heart-clenching, Aemond is so fucking hot. Warnings: 18+ only; sexual themes, violent themes.

@sylas-the-grim's Deep Rivers Run Quiet

My take: This is by far one of the best things I've read recently. The way the author paints Aemond's trauma and internal turmoil is brilliant yet simple, effortless, and without making the story too dark. The way his wife helps him work through it is beautifully realistic. I've been through a similar struggle and was surprised how much I resonated with it. Beautiful, lovely, sexy - a must-read. Chapter count: 3/3. Summary: Aemond's first experience at a brothel left him scarred and with deep-seated performance anxiety, because it takes him a long time to climax. After a disastrous wedding night, his wife and him work on ways to build up his confidence and finally consume their union. Tags: smut, arranged marriage, hurt/comfort, heartwarming, first time, fluff, OC Baratheon female character. Warnings: 18+ only; explicit sexual content, sex/intimacy trauma.

@humanpurposes's My Heart Belongs to Daddy

My take: I was SO hooked on this, the plot is so intriguing and unique! The sneaking around, the love triangle, the infidelity (not with Reader), the... questionable morals... will have you on edge and biting your nails until the very end. The smut, the angst, and the fluff are 10/10. Chapter count: 7/7. Summary: She loves this little game of theirs, taking what they can from each other with the brief moments they have. Tags: smut, angst, fluff, infidelity, Modern!AU, Modern!Aemond x Step-daughter reader, daddy kink, power dynamics, misunderstandings for days. Warnings: 18+ only; explicit sexual content, infidelity, some power imbalance.

@targaryenrealnessdarling's Consequences

My take: I loved reading this. It broke my heart and stole my breath away. The author paints his internal turmoil and what drives him to commit this sexual violence and you are sucked in to his crazed mind. It's entirely captivating in its every gruesome detail. Mind, this story can be extremely triggering so heed the author's warnings before you proceed. Chapter count: 8/8. Summary: Only nine and ten, she does not know much about the world and when she acquires a job at the Red Keep as a maidservant, she catches the dark and ominous attention of the One-Eyed Prince. Unsure if she even wants it, she may realise that the realm is not so kind to lowborn women, regardless of the situation they find themselves in. Tags: smut, heartbreaking angst, non-con, hate/love(?), sad ending, sad sad sad. Warnings: rape, power imbalance, sexism, abortion, sexual violence, gore, blood.

@targaryenrealnessdarling's A Perfect Score

My take: WE HAVE A FIGURE SKATING AU. I REPEAT: WE HAVE A FIGURE SKATING AU. I'm so excited about this work! I'll be eating those long chapters up as they come out because the very first one is already a master piece. Enemies to lovers? Check. Reluctant skating partners? Check. Unavoidable physical touch? Check. Hate turns into thick sexual tension? Check. There is not a reason for anyone not to read this. On top of that, we dive into the sexism and nepotism of the sports industry. Chapter count: 10/10 + Epiloque Summary: Striving for a place in the Olympics, Aemond desperately needs to find another partner to step in when his becomes injured. With little experience in couples figure skating as well as Aemond’s closed-off and antisocial nature, it will be a challenge to work with him. Tags: Figure Skating!AU, Modern!AU, enemies to lovers, reluctant skating partners, bedrooms across form one another. Warnings (so far): sexism, nepotism, explicit language, injury.

@giorno-plays-piano's House of Chains

My take: Holy shit this is amazing. I am so excited to have such a wonderful new writer in the fandom! I can't wait to see what else you'll write. Plot is very engrossing, reader is such an interesting character, and Aemond is *chef's kiss* dark and shy and messed up. Highly recommend you read the one shot, Unsteady, also featured in this library in the one shot section, which led to this incredible series. Chapter count: 7/7. Summary: In return for help to come back to your home world, you have been faithfully supporting the Greens to put Aegon on the throne. But when your promise is fulfilled, neither Otto nor Aemond are keen on letting you go. Tags: Mage!Reader, different words collide, dimension (?) traveling, frenemies to lovenemies (?), ambiguous ending, angst, sexual content. Warnings: 18+ only; some violence, sexual abuse/rape/nonconsensual sex, explicits sexual content, mentions of blood and death, dark themes.

@arabellasleopardcoat's MAD

My take: Absolutely LOVING this! I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it. It has a bit of dark themes, nothing too far off what we see in canon, but the way the author tells it makes it light-hearted and so much fun. Every turn of it is so unexpected, I'm surprised I really can't tell what's coming next in a genre where we read for comfort, which usually means we at least generally know what to expect. Wonderful. Also a very unique portrayal of Aemond. Just love the way you tell it! Chapter count: 3/3. Summary: Caught in the crossfire of your familiy's ploys, you never expected to catch the eye of the enemy. Tags: angst, fluff, pining, funny, Beesbury/Beekeeper!Reader. Warnings (so far): mentions of noncon, mentions of sex, manipulation.

@targaryenrealnessdarling's No Pain, No Gain

My take: Really spamming your notes lately but holy crap... that was so freaking hot. Top-tier sexual tension will drive you insane. Personal trainer Aemond is so freaking sexy. Chapter count: 4/4. Summary: The personal trainer your roommate Baela recommended to you is rude, condescending but also hot as hell. Tags: enemies to lovers, sexual tension, smut, fluff, summer vacation loving, so much sexiness. Warnings: 18+ only; explicit sexual content, toxic/misogynistic ex, mentions of infidelity.

series

@oneeyedvisenya's Education

My take: Top-tier smut and it feels like slow burn even though it isn't. Parts count: 3/3 Summary: Aemond's betrothed is consumed by feelings of guilt for the lust she feels for her husband-to-be. She is soon to discover, however, that those feelings are mutual. Tags: top-tier smut, betrothal, newly-weds, first time, fluff. Warnings: 18+ only, explicit sexual content, purity culture.

@arcielee's Call It Dreaming

My take: Insanely sexy stuff, with a delightful sprinkle of dark (and simp) Aemond. Though I see it as a series of one-shots, I highly recommend reading it in order so the plot makes more sense! Parts count: 5/5 Summary: You have a delightful sex dream. Tags: top-tier smut, Modern meets Canon, obsessive Aemond, heartwarming. Warnings: 18+ only, explicit sexual content, dark themes.

blurbs

@warmfieldofgrass's by your side

My take: A tiny little thing that I want to put in a jar and keep close to my heart. So lovely, so sweet. Word count: 975. Summary: aemond is reminded that you will be by his side through anything. Tags: hurt/comfort, married, a tiny bit of angst, fluff, heartwarming. Warnings: mentions of pain and violence.

DEACTIVATED @jasonsmirrorball's HIGH INFIDELITY

My take: This one gets its own jar too. Lovely and a little angsty. Beautiful writing. Word count: 903. Summary: he watches the white of your clothing flutter in the wind and thinks he doesn’t mind so much being a glorified babysitter. Tags: unrequited love, melancholy, heart-clenching. Warnings: 18+ only, mentions of sexual content.

DEACTIVATED @blayresmuses's invisible string

My take: This one is so lovely, just a tiny bit (suggestive) smutty, yet leaves you wanting so much more. If I give you my firstborn, will you give me a part 2? Word count: 893. Summary: you recklessly put your betrothal to aemond at risk but he proves he’s willing to have you anyway, no matter what. Tags: heartwarming(ish), smut(ish). Warnings: 18+ only, suggestive sexual content.

@daenysx's unnamed little blurb

My take: Just a sweet little thing that is now part of my "I need a hug but can't get one right now" routine. Sweet, sweet, sweet. Prompt: Hi! Just saw that you're in need of requests, and I was thinking about how Aemond would react if he was sick, like he's got that flu that is so intense he can't get out of bed for days. I can imagine him being grumpy and needy, but idk. Thank you!! Tags: hurt/comfort, sick Aemond, fluff, Modern!AU. Warnings: 18+ only; suggestive content.

@aemondavenue's allure

My take: Wonderful, gripping little thing - I could feel the longing, the allure, and makes me want to read so much more. Word count: 900. Summary: N/A Tags: Siren!Reader, a little angst, heart-clenching. Warnings: mentions of pain.

one-shots

@wackapedia's Just One Day

My take: I'm gonna have to collect tiny jars to keep close to my heart and one of them is for this work. It is angsty, sweet, and the right amount of dark. I would give you my firstborn for a part 2. It will make your heart clench. Beautiful writing style too. Word count: 1,871. Summary: Aemond gets his oh moment when his betrothed gets really ill and is at the brink of death. Tags: angst, fluff, hurt/comfort, heartwarming, heart-clenching. Warnings: mentions of death and some dark themes.

@aemxnd's the thrill of the chase

My take: YES. PLEASE. YES PUH-LEASE. yes... please. Word count: 5,2k. Summary: Aemond has a plan, whether you like it or not. Tags: smut, real hot stuff, kinky, married. Warnings: 18+ only; dark(ish) themes, explicit sexual content, consent play.

@jasonsmirrorball's SMALL SPACES

My take: So so so so sweet! The kind of fic that'll have you coming back whenever you're in need of comfort. Lives in my heart rent-free. Beautiful writing. Word count: 1,764. Summary: requested by anon for the 777 follower celebration: comforting him when the pain in his eye gets too much. Tags: hurt/comfort, a bit of angst, heartwarming, fluff, married. Warnings: mentions/thoughts of violence, pain, and infidelity.

@themotherofhorses's his handmaid's tales

My take: I've said it before, I'll say it again - this has royally fucked me up. It's my favorite part of the series by the same name (so far). It's SO fucking hot. Aemond has the dirtiest mouth AND is a dom AND is total simp. Kinks for the whole family! Word count: 1,239 (and several parts to the series). Summary: cassandra baratheon dreams of prince aemond. the same cannot be said for prince aemond himself. Tags: top-tier smut, all the kinks, power play, breeding kink, voyeurism(ish), infidelity. Warnings: 18+ only; explicit language, explicit sexual content, infidelity.

@hamatoanne's over and over again

My take: Sorry I'm always spamming your notes! But I am obsessed! With how you write smut! Aemond says the most unbelievably hot stuff and it catches me off guard every time. If you like forbidden, sinful love (sex), this is for you. Word count: 1,512. Summary: You want to resist. Why is it so hard? Tags: top-tier smut, Targcest/incest, infidelity, puritan guilt (?). Warnings: 18+ only; explicit language, explicit sexual content, infidelity, incest.

DEACTIVATED @silverwinged's Experience teaches

My take: I sometimes skip warnings because I Iike living on the edge and this... really did... take me... to the edge. No but this is so chin-dropping. It's super hot but it like- creeps on you. I don't know what I was expecting going in but wow. P.S.: please don't be like me and do heed warnings. Word count: 4.4k. Tags: hurt/comfort, top-tier smut, Targcest/incest, heartwarming. Warnings: 18+ only; explicit language, explicit sexual content, incest, purity culture.

@theromanticegoist's play your part through to the end

My take: Beautifully written, melancholic story that will make your heart clench. Incredibly sweet yet tragic, but what stands out of course is the prose - reads like poetry. Word count: 1,087. Prompt: "I’d like to request a fic where Aemond’s wife helps him get dressed before he goes into his first battle." "i see this & i raise you (a heartbreaking) aemond’s wife helping him get dressed before he goes into his final battle" Tags: hurt/comfort, angst, fluff, heart-clenching, ambiguous ending. Warnings: allusions to violence, allusions to character death.

@arcielee's dōna mandia

My take: I'm not usually into the "sharing is caring" trope, but this really turned me. I think because the romantic relationship is still between Aemond and reader - and how sweet it is -, the kink creeped on me by appealing to my poor, unexpecting heart. 10/10 smut with inappropriateness from incest, purity culture, and innocence kink. Oof. Word count: 4,085. Summary: Her brothers convince her to play a game of hide-and-seek. Tags: Older brother!Aemond, Older brother!Aegon, threesome, innocence kink, first time, possessive brothers. Warnings: 18+ only; explicit sexual content, dubious consent, incest, purity culture.

@fidelias's dragon's blood

My take: So so so sweet and lovely. The kind of story you go back to when you need a hug. Word count: 3,479. Summary: you and aemond have always been close. but when your brother is killed, the ensuing rift threatens to tear you apart for good. Tags: hurt/comfort, married, angst, fluff, targcest, Aemond x Niece!Reader. Warnings: 18+ only; character death, physical violence, derogatory language, allusions to explicit sexual content.

@giorno-plays-piano's Unsteady

My take: BRAND NEW BRILLIANT WRITER IN THE HOTD FANDOM ALERT. This wonderful short story, that has spun off into a series that will most definitely make its way here, has an intriguing plot, a mystic, powerful reader from another universe, vulnerable yet dark Aemond, and, above all, incredibly captivating, lyrical, somber prose that paints the set up of the plot like a dystopian movie. Read at your own risk of being enchanted. Word count: 2k. Summary: Quiet, you stand together, leaning on the balcony and watching the dead sea, each left to your own thoughts. The silence between you is not strained but comforting, an indication of peace and, perhaps, some sort of unity. In the end, you are on his side. Tags: magic, different universes coming together, dark, shy, vulnerable Aemond, Mage!Reader, hurt/comfort, fluff, angst. Warnings: dark themes, pain, mentions of death, mentions of gore, mentions of violence.

@arabellasleopardcoat's Last Man On Earth

My take: Oof. This is just one of those things you never knew you needed until you read it and are completely awestruck by it. Beautiful, dark, and poetic in its simplicity. An understanding of the trauma and complexity of these characters told with incredible ease, in incredibly engrossing, touching imagery. Just go and read and enjoy. Word count: 12,644. Summary: No one told King Aemond about the Song of Ice and Fire. As the daughter of Rhaenyra, you have one last mission left. Tags: heart-clenching, bittersweet, dark themes, Targcest, arranged/forced/dubious consent marriage, angst, fluff, smut. Warnings: 18+ only; explicit sexual content, dubious consent, toxic dynamics, codependency, violence, mentions of blood, mentions of death.

#this is a continuous WIP!#fic recs #hotd fic #hotd fics #hotd fic recs #hotd fanfiction #aemond targaryen #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen fanfiction #aemond targaryen fic #aemond targaryen fanfic #hotd

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takenews-blog1 · 6 years

Text

Why a number one political theorist thinks civilization is overrated

New Post has been published on https://takenews.net/why-a-number-one-political-theorist-thinks-civilization-is-overrated/

Why a number one political theorist thinks civilization is overrated

The takeaway from a brand new e book by James Scott, a professor of political science and anthropology at Yale College, is that the reply to the primary query is sure but it surely’s difficult, whereas the reply to the second query is, nicely, much more difficult.

In In opposition to the Grain: A Deep Historical past of the Earliest States, Scott explores why human beings determined to shift from a hunter-gatherer life-style to a extra sedentary, agrarian life-style roughly 12,000 years in the past. The accepted narrative is that people deserted looking and gathering as quickly they found agricultural know-how, as a result of it made life simpler and safer.

However Scott argues that this isn’t fairly proper. People, he says, spent 1000’s of years attempting to protect their hunter-gatherer life-style. Positive, settling down in agrarian societies supplied the idea for the fashionable state by permitting giant numbers of individuals to dwell in a single place for prolonged intervals of time, but it surely additionally led to the unfold of ailments and compelled folks to surrender the liberty of an itinerant life-style for the affluence of a contemporary one.

The story we inform ourselves about human historical past is one in every of linear progress, fueled largely by ethical and technological growth. There’s some fact to this, and on an extended sufficient timeline it is smart, however Scott says the sacrifices made alongside the best way are not often understood.

I spoke to him not too long ago about these sacrifices, and what we are likely to get incorrect about early civilizations. For Scott, the worth of civilization — for the person and the surroundings — has been greater than we expect.

Our dialog, calmly edited for readability, follows.

Has civilization been good for humanity?

A lot of what I assumed I had understood about early civilizations and pre-modern women and men was simply incorrect. I’ve tried to supply one thing of a counternarrative that implies the domestication of grains centuries in the past didn’t lead on to people dwelling in giant teams in a single place for lengthy intervals of time, as we now do.

It seems that the type of agriculture that early people practiced was onerous and concerned an incredible quantity of labor. The primary civilizations have been very onerous and unhealthy locations that gave us most of our first infectious ailments, lots of that are nonetheless with us. In addition they produced the primary coercive states that took slaves and oppressed giant numbers of individuals.

Now, that does not imply that the fashionable state for the reason that French Revolution is just not the bottom of each our freedom and our oppression, but it surely does imply that the early states have been under no circumstances a easy advance in leisure, freedom, emancipation, or assist.

We will circle again to that final level about what we misplaced by way of leisure and freedom, however first inform me what you initially bought incorrect about early civilizations — and presumably what numerous us get incorrect.

A few issues. One is that I believe the usual narrative is that after we had domesticated vegetation, then we instantly shifted to an agricultural society in order that we might keep in the identical place. Folks additionally assume that earlier than the agricultural revolution, people needed to wander round as foragers and hunter-gatherers. However that’s not fairly proper. 4 thousand years handed between the primary agency proof of domesticated vegetation, cereals, and the start of actually agrarian communities which might be dwelling largely by agriculture.

The opposite mistake, which I had by no means considered, was this assumption that we couldn’t wait to calm down, that this was a part of the inevitable progress of humanity. That’s not true in any respect, and it definitely might have gone one other approach.

The reality is that staying in a single place, which is what civilization roughly pressured us to do, wasn’t all that wholesome for us, and our human ancestors resisted [it] strongly for a really very long time.

So the delivery of agriculture, which successfully laid the inspiration for contemporary civilization, was not welcomed by most people on the time. What have been they resisting? What did they see?

Nicely, you must do not forget that in locations like Mesopotamia, folks lived in a type of wetland paradise, with water ranges a lot greater than they’re in the present day and with various migrations of mammals and birds and fish that created an awfully wealthy set of ecosystems. These early people had a wide range of plant and animal and fish sources of subsistence, and it really required little or no of the 12 months for them to get all of their protein wants.

So the hunter-gatherers have been more healthy than those that converted to the extra sedentary agricultural life-style — no less than initially.

That’s proper. Their weight loss plan was extraordinarily different, which is to say extraordinarily wholesome. In order that while you discover the bones of people that died on the identical time and also you need to know whether or not they have been part of an agrarian state or whether or not they have been hunters and gatherers and foragers, you possibly can inform as a result of the hunter-gatherers’ skeletons are a lot bigger as a result of that they had fewer interruptions in development, and their bones present virtually no indicators of malnutrition, whereas the folks within the agricultural civilizations are each shorter and their bones and enamel are much less sturdy. You see proof of development interruptions which might be principally because of protein deficiency of 1 form or one other.

It is clear that individuals outdoors these grain civilizations have been more healthy than the folks inside.

Folks have a tendency to think about human historical past as a narrative of regular progress, which is basically true, but it surely’s additionally extra difficult than that.

Even in the present day, there’s this concept that life with civilization is simpler and affords extra leisure, however hunters and gatherers spend solely about 50 p.c of their time producing or looking for what they wanted to outlive. The concept that hunters and gatherers and foragers have been dwelling hand to mouth and someday away from hunger is nonsense, even for these in fairly marginal areas the place there’s much less entry to pure migrations of fish and animals and the fruiting seasons of timber and so forth.

Hunters and gatherers solely spent half of their time working, and the remaining was spent in play or leisure. In contrast, these early agrarian civilizations concerned way more labor and drudgery. [They] additionally concerned a narrower weight loss plan that turned out principally carbohydrates. And that’s why folks resisted this transition, and why many needed to be pressured into this modification.

You’re not arguing — and I’m definitely not arguing — that we’d be higher off if all of us returned to this pre-modern world. Nobody desires to swap lives with somebody from 10,000 years in the past.

In fact. From our perspective in the present day, it’s inconceivable that we’d need to return like that. However I believe it’s nonetheless vital to grasp that this was not a alternative between looking and gathering and foraging on the one hand and the Danish welfare state on the opposite.

At this level in historical past, this was a alternative between looking and gathering and foraging on the one hand and an agrarian state by which all the first epidemic ailments developed because of the focus of animals and human beings in a concentrated house. This was not as clear-cut a alternative as lots of people suppose.

Sure, issues are higher now, but it surely’s actually solely within the final 200 years or in order that we’ve loved the well being and longevity that we do in the present day. However this preliminary interval after we assume civilization was created was, in truth, a extremely darkish interval for humanity.

What have the calls for of recent civilization performed to the person? We get pleasure from extra abundance and larger consolation, however on the identical time many people are much less completely satisfied, much less free, and extra reduce off from our pure surroundings. Isn’t this the actual worth of civilization?

It’s an vital query. Trendy industrial life has pressured virtually all of us to concentrate on one thing, typically in mundane, repetitive duties. That is good for financial productiveness however not so good for particular person self-fulfillment. I believe this has created a narrowing of consideration to the bigger world. Transferring from looking and gathering to engaged on an meeting line has made us extra machine-like and fewer attuned to the world round us as a result of we solely must be expert at one factor.

I need to press you a bit on this query of whether or not we’re any happier now. We dwell principally remoted lives in a tradition that prizes development over sustainability. We’re inspired to personal extra issues, to purchase extra issues, to outline and measure ourselves towards others on the idea of standing and wealth. I believe this has made us much less completely satisfied and extra self-conscious. How do you see it?

I’d say two issues. The primary is that after we had sedentary agriculture, we then had funding in land and subsequently property that might be taxed. We then had the idea for inherited property and thus the idea for passing wealth from one era to a different.

Now, all that issues as a result of it led to those embedded inequalities that have been enforced by the state safety of property. This wasn’t true for hunter and gatherer societies, which regarded all property as frequent property to which everybody within the tribe had equal entry. So the early agricultural societies created the idea for systematic class distinctions that might be perpetuated between generations, and that’s the way you get the sorts of huge hierarchies and inequalities we see in the present day.

You talked about earlier that human historical past might have gone one other approach. I preserve questioning what the options have been. Might we have now developed or progressed in a approach that might have left us happier than we’re in the present day?

Historical past unfolded the best way it unfolded, and it’s onerous to know the way it might have been. My sense is that after the fashionable state was created, issues have been roughly destined to go the best way they did.

That’s an fascinating level. What do you imply?

In the long term, states have been at all times going to be militarily and technologically superior to hunter-gatherer societies, and states have been in a position to improve their populations in methods hunter-gatherer societies couldn’t handle. So it appears inevitable that we’d finally find yourself with one thing like the fashionable state system we have now in the present day.

You’re not as crucial of recent civilization as I appear to be, although we’re each in settlement that it’s higher to be alive now than 1,000 years in the past, however I ponder should you assume the world we’ve constructed is sustainable.

Nicely, I believe we’ve gotten ourselves right into a repair with our pure surroundings. We preserve constructing and destroying and rising, and I fear that we’d jeopardize every thing if we are able to’t decelerate and reexamine what we’re doing. A part of why I’m thinking about finding out these misplaced cultures is to grasp how people have lived for 95 p.c of our existence, and to remind myself that issues might be in any other case.

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