The SF writers I've known well avoided the word
Terra as a substitute for
Earth for the simple reason that no one was likely to say
Terra unless the culture actually became stodgier, which, in their view, was extremely unlikely. Language seemed to them to constantly evolve toward shedding all mannerisms which diluted direct communication.
They were part of a generation that shunned ornament in the same way that mainstream writers like Raymond Carver and Dennis Cooper did. The influence came from rock culture, semiotics (Barthes by way of Gibson) and a cultural return to the relative minimalism of Hemingway.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GlenBarrington
Please tell us why you have done what you did.
Personally, I've come to the conclusion that people just don't think about it much any more! It's a convention that a lot of people just accept.
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