How far is enough for science fiction.
The Dune franchise takes place in the late 25th millennium, Warhammer 42K – as it says – takes place even further, during the 42nd millennium. Do these numbers even matter, what gain are they to a consumer in terms of appreciating the narrative of the franchises. Would it make either of them less futuristic or great if they were set 10.000 years less? Not really. The solution is of course due to the intricate chronology within the series’ mythos.
Dune’s story makes reference to a far, almost forgotten, past where the origins of the series’ various events and characters occur. The appendices for the first books hinted at this, but the posthumous prequel series cemented it as a fact. Advanced robots brought about the near extinction of humanity, but they prevailed and their descendants became members of a vast network of empires and communities.
Warhammer’s own internal timeline has an even deeper prehistory apart from his future setting only rendering things even more unfathomable with the Emperor of Mankind being some manner of immortal from the depths of neolithic Europe.
In the following I will provide a short, but by no means total or exhaustive list of all fiction that is set in a distant future that results in a fantasy-esque setting – this will inevitably be spoiler filled.
Timeline:
Key: CE = Common Era, i.e. a secular mode based off the Gregorian one; R = Rationale.
2067 CE – Interstellar – R: In-universe.
2071 CE – Carole and Tuesday – R: ?
2071 CE – Cowboy Bebop – R:?
2077 CE – Cyber Punk – R: Eponymous.
2085 CE – Shadow Run (2nd version) – R: ?
2128 CE – Metallic Rogue – R: Unknown.
2179 CE – Alien – R: In-universe.
2180 CE – Guilty Gear – R: In-universe?
2199 CE – Blaze Blue – R: Deductive.
2263 CE – Star Trek (original series) – R: In-universe.
2263 CE – The Fifth Element – R:?
2330 CE – Starfield – R?
2348 CE – Space Gladiator – R: Manual.
2448 CE – Fire Force
2552 CE – HALO
2700 CE – Gekkabijin
2732 CE – Hyperion Cantos
2796 CE – Matrix
2800 CE – WALL-E
3000 CE – Star Wars (original 70s advert) – R: See brackets.
3060 CE – Adventure Time
3248 CE – Soul Eater
3780 CE – Nausica
4092 CE – The Sword of Shannara
5042 CE – The Fall of Shannara
12067 CE – Foundation (Asimov)
21286 CE – Dune – R: Appendices.
40987 CE – Warhammer 42K – R: Eponymous.
70000s CE – Skies of Arcadia
150000 CE – Battle Star Galactica