Science-Fiction and Nudism

[Dario Western]

Hi,

Do we have any science-fiction or fantasy readers here who have read novels that deal with nudism or at least feature nude scenes in them?

I have been reading Robert Heinlein's "Stranger In A Strange Land" and it's very interesting, as well as looking to buy C.S. Lewis' "Perelandra".

http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Nudity+in+science+fiction
http://www.naturistplace.com/nudesf.htm

[Stuart]

I remember vaguely a sci-fi story in which a base on a planet had a problem with an alien that could turn into any object and then eat you, for example it would become a shoe, then when you put it on it would dissolve and digest your foot.

The only way to escape was for everyone to be evacuated naked. Some people didn't want to do it because they were embarassed, but everyone did in the end.

In the end, the ship they all went into was an alien...

[Karla]

Why would anyone be naked in the future when they have nice shiny silver jump suits to wear instead?

[Fitz1980]

The movie version of "Starship Troopers" featured a nude co-ed shower scene.  It depicted a future where men and women serve together in the military and even shower together in the same locker room.  It's a fun scene because the men and women are naked in the shower, chatting and joking around like friends in any other situation.

The original book did not because it depicted a future where the ships were crewed by all females, the infantry was all male and the two never met.  They even divided the ships so that the infantry men travailing on board would not interact with the female crew.

[Stuart]

I remember vaguely a sci-fi story in which a base on a planet had a problem with an alien that could turn into any object and then eat you, for example it would become a shoe, then when you put it on it would dissolve and digest your foot.

The only way to escape was for everyone to be evacuated naked. Some people didn't want to do it because they were embarassed, but everyone did in the end.

In the end, the ship they all went into was an alien...

A little research suggests this might have been a short story called "Colony" by Philip K Dick.

[Fitz1980]

One of the best "Star Trek: The Next Generation" spin off novels Imzadi, by Peter David was about Commander Riker and Councilor Troi's  ill fated romance years before their time on the series.  As referenced on the show Troi's people, the Betazoids, traditionally conduct weddings where everyone (guests and all) is nude.  The two of them first meet at such a wedding and both are nude.  It's really cool how they treat nudity in the whole book.  The wedding itself is for some important Betazoid and Riker's superior office was going to attend it with his daughter.  For whatever reason Riker ends up attending in his place, with the officer's daughter as his date.  Meaning that his superior was cool with attending an event where he and his daughter would be required to be naked (it's said that they had attend several other state weddings together) and than was even cool with another guy and his daughter going and getting naked.  

[Stuart]

In "The Naked Sun" Issac Asimov dealt with nudity in a society where contact with other people was a taboo, so much so that some people would kill themselves rather than actually meet another person. They communicated by video screens and were unconcerned by nudity.

[Dario Western]

In "The Naked Sun" Issac Asimov dealt with nudity in a society where contact with other people was a taboo, so much so that some people would kill themselves rather than actually meet another person. They communicated by video screens and were unconcerned by nudity.

The scary thing is that has become the case for some people whose only means of communicating with other people now has become the internet and they hardly give themselves the time to meet new people. 

[Luke M]

In "The Naked Sun" Issac Asimov dealt with nudity in a society where contact with other people was a taboo, so much so that some people would kill themselves rather than actually meet another person. They communicated by video screens and were unconcerned by nudity.

The scary thing is that has become the case for some people whose only means of communicating with other people now has become the internet and they hardly give themselves the time to meet new people. 

I was thinking the same thing. I'm going to have to check that out!!

[Alex]

I remember vaguely a sci-fi story in which a base on a planet had a problem with an alien that could turn into any object and then eat you, for example it would become a shoe, then when you put it on it would dissolve and digest your foot.

The only way to escape was for everyone to be evacuated naked. Some people didn't want to do it because they were embarassed, but everyone did in the end.

In the end, the ship they all went into was an alien...

Sounds like a voyage aboard the...

[TheSeane]

Why would anyone be naked in the future when they have nice shiny silver jump suits to wear instead?

LOL!!!! 

[Turtlejosh]

I do remember reading some stories where a tribe of elves went completly naked because thier form was perfect as it was.  Sounds big headed but in a way it was also true.

Also the Eldest in eragon had the nude elves again, without any shame, because it was nessasary, and I believe they liked it. At one point there was one nude shaman type girl dancing for the crowds and nobody cared.

[Eric]

All of Heinlein's novels featured it to some degree.

At the end of "The Puppet Masters", everyone has to go naked all the time because it's reasoned that it's the only way to ensure a mind controlling bug isn't attached to someone's body. There was one portion in his "Time Enough for Love" where (if I'm recalling correctly) the central character spent quite a few years living on a colony with two lovers sans clothing. Especially in his later novels he had this thing for depicting characters going against social taboos - not just nudity, but polyamory, incest, homosexuality (at the time much more taboo than today), transsexuality, stuff like that.

[sunnysarah]

The nakedness in Zardoz is handled really interestingly if anyones seen the film

[Stuart]

The nakedness in Zardoz is handled really interestingly if anyones seen the film

I've seen it, but all I can remember is Sean Connery in a nappy & kinky boots: