Time of Isolation

The Time of Isolation was a period of time on the planet Barrayar in Lois McMaster Bujold's sci-fi series, the Vorkosigan Saga.

Duration

The Time of Isolation lasted around 700 years on Barrayar. It started some time after Earth colonists first found Barrayar, and ended when the wormhole to Komarr was discovered on the Komarr side. The Time of Isolation ended largely with the first Cetagandan Invasion.

Cause

Originally, colonists from Earth took a wormhole to Barrayaran local space. They started to settle the planet. Then, the wormhole collapsed. As far as anyone knew, the only way into Barrayar had just disappeared. This is believed to be a natural phenomenon.

Eventually, a new wormhole was found that led from Komarr to Barrayar, thus ending the Time of Isolation.

Effects

The Time of Isolation is a sizable chunk of Barrayar's history. It affected the evolution of culture on Barrayar and consequently affected the current state of affairs on Barrayar.

Effects of Isolation on the formation of Barrayaran Culture

*Imperial Government - the natural evolution of government is to start at a totalitarian state ruled by the strongest and then gradually cede power back to the people. Eventually, it ends with democracy. Since Barrayar's history was truncated, it never evolved all the way, but contained many elements of social responsibility because the initial population had exposure to democratic governmentOr|date=September 2007.
*Anti-Mutant Mindset
**"Infanticide" - Due to the limited genetic pool from the original colonists, and the poisonous native biology, mutations became very frightening. Eventually, infants showing signs of mutation were killed to prevent the spread of the mutation to the gene pool as a wholeFact|date=June 2007.
**"Predjudice against mutation" - It is deeply ingrained in most Barrayarans minds that any mutation is terrible, even beneficial and intentional mutation. Betan Hermaphrodites and Quaddies are notable examples of people Barrayarans are bothered by. Even the gengineered Haut race of Cetaganda bothers the Barrayarans because they are intentional mutations.
*Transportation - Barrayaran transport went almost immediately from horses to air cars. Thus the ground based infrastructure is lacking, but travel by lightflyer or aircar is not difficult.

Effects of Isolation on the current state of Barrayar

*Komarr - Barrayar conquered Komarr to make sure that they controlled the only gateway to their homeworld at all times. Thus, Komarr is an integral, though occasionally unwilling, part of the Barrayaran Imperium.
*Politics - With the influx of galactic ideas and beliefs, much of Barrayar (mostly the plebes, or proles, not Vor), wants to move more towards a galactic-style constitutional government. Much of the Vor naturally want to maintain the Vor system and keep the Imperium alive.

Notable Events during the Isolation

*Vorloupulous's 2000 '"cooks"