History Main / FreeLoveFuture

** Secondly, she calls on her parents, an alternate Tom and Dhalua: an African-American Tom and a white Dhalua. Like Tamla, they are also naked, save for some accoutrements, like Tom's leg holster and Dhalua's necklace. They sight a dressed Tesla, and commment that people in Tesla's dimension only wear clothes to "estimulate their jaded appetites".

->''Crossing through into a fuckin worm hole beyond the Milky Way''
->''Thaaaaaaat shit's farrrrrrrrr''
->''To a time of Earth so far in the future where everyone gets laid''
->''Twiiiiiiice as haaaaaard!''
-->--'''Music/NinjaSexParty''', ''6969''

** His 1951 novel ''Literature/ThePuppetmasters'' has a downplayed version where couples can sign marriage contracts for set periods of time ranging from months to the rest of your life together (which the protagonists choose). Given that at the time Heinlein wrote the novel couples were expected to get married before having sex, this is clearly meant to imply this trope.

* In Creator/AnneMcCaffrey ''Literature/DragonridersOfPern'' series, dragonriders consider it detrimental to their dragons to be strictly monogamous and will sleep with whichever rider is bonded to the dragon that mates with their own. It makes sex literally a way of promotion among dragonriders. You want to be a Weyrleader? Get a senior queen's rider into your bed and make sure she stays there long enough. Even if dragon mating isn't involved, the dragonriders have a habit of taking multiple lovers and most (heterosexual/bisexual) riders will have many children by several different partners. In a bit of a RuleAbidingRebel moment though, the "best" of the characters -- such as F'lar and Lessa -- are all in exclusive partnerships. A DoubleStandard is involved here -- most ''women'' are monogamous, and those that aren't were either [[GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex unpleasant]] (Kylara), [[RapeAsDrama raped]] (Tai) or romantically unfulfilled (Moreta). In-universe, non-dragonriding women can sleep with who they like until they marry, while men (particularly Lord Holders) retain this privilege even after marriage.

* ''WebAnimation/MundoUltimateNewsCp'' shows a futuristic liberal civilization where the population is mostly bisexual. Heteronormativity was broken after consecutive and accelerated advances in genetic engineering and sexual reassignment surgeries.

[[caption-width-right:292:[[Main/FridgeHorror And then]] you realize this also means every family member''.]]

Occasionally, FridgeLogic will creep in. Contraception and sexual protection is rarely mentioned, and as any [[PublicServiceAnnouncement government information advert]] is quick to tell you, if you're sleeping with more than one person you better demand a full medical certificate from every partner or take the appropriate precautions. This might be explained by the author if they claim that this has been specifically enabled by science wiping out [=STDs=] and developing foolproof, convenient stealth contraception that everyone in the population uses.

Less easy to [[HandWaving handwave]], though, is the one issue technology isn't likely to fix: jealousy. In the present day, many people would take a very dim view of their partner sleeping with ''one'' other person, never mind having sex with ''anyone'' who took their fancy. Idealistic views of love often include ideas of one, single soul mate. Conversely, in its more negative incarnations, love is commonly [[LoveMakesYouCrazy associated with jealousy]] (or even, [[LoveMakesYouEvil possession]]). While a few stories will make a real attempt at explaining the decline of jealousy (since we already [[YoureJustJealous acknowledge]] it as one of the more [[GreenEyedMonster negative emotions]]), a more common tactic is to demonise or mock anyone who expects a partner to be exclusive to them. They will probably be regarded as backward, repressed or selfish in a Free Love Future. They don't have to go AxCrazy or [[Film/FatalAttraction bunny-boiler]] to be labelled a jealous nutcase -- even asking a partner to be faithful will probably be seen as a laughable expectation at best, and a selfish demand that infringes on the other person's rights at worst. It could, however be explained as [[ValuesDissonance everyone being raised that way,]] and therefore most everyone not caring because it's been ingrained in them since birth. There are also the cases where sex is entirely separated from romance, allowing the characters to have a single ''soul''mate, but considering that sleeping with someone else is perfectly normal because there's just no correlation between the two, from their point of view. On the other hand, works depicting a {{dystopia}}n free-love society will emphasize [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove depersonalization of sex]].

* PlayedForLaughs [[FelonyMisdemeanor and mock horror]] in ''Manga/MyMonsterSecret''. Rin (Asahi's [[KidFromTheFuture future grand-daughter]]) comes from a BadFuture where sluts and perverts rule the world, due to the actions of the Charismatic Pervert II. The resistance comprises [[AllWomenAreDomsAllMenAreSubs the ten percent of men who are not masochists, and the thirty percent of women who are not sadists]].

* In ''VideoGame/CulpaInnata'', the Union society has been restructured to be based on purely scientific principles. One of which completely dissolves the traditional family unit and the concept of marriage... sorry, of "[[YouKeepUsingThatWord nuptual agreement]]". People are expected to have multiple sexual partners, although you can have a primary sexual partner, which has no legal status. Also, for some reason, men are no longer the courtiers. Women are expected to ask men out and pay for dinners and the like. If a man starts hitting on a woman, she will usually leave in disgust. This can be a problem for immigrants from the "rogue states" (Russia, India, China, etc.), which still cling to old traditions. Phoenix even warns an Indian immigrant applying for Union citizenship, who confesses to having multiple affairs, while his wife couldn't due to a DoubleStandard stigma, that he should have no such expectations in the Union. Jealousy is never mentioned, as attachment is frowned upon. Phoenix also speaks with her best friend about nuptial agreements and the thought of being with the same person for more than a week, let alone decades, is disturbing, as boredom would set in.\\\

Became popular as part of NewWaveScienceFiction in the [[TheSixties 1960s]]. While not a DiscreditedTrope, per se, [[PopularityPolynomial it tends to have varying levels of popularity]]. It definitely fell out of favor during TheEighties and TheNineties due to the widespread concern of the AIDS epidemic. In TheNewTens, it began to creep back into science fiction. However, this time it was in a more restrained manner. "Free Love" also became more defined as being free to be whatever orientation that you chose to be as long as it was not pedophilia or interest in the underage. Nowadays, while almost anything goes, meaningful relationships are still important to a large extent and science fiction reflects this more than the free-wheeling attitudes of those past decades[[note]]One night stands and no-strings-attached sex is common but still not widely considered respectable for either gender[[/note]].

Became popular as part of NewWaveScienceFiction in the [[TheSixties 1960s]].

Less easy to [[HandWaving handwave]], though, is the one issue technology isn't likely to fix: jealousy. In the present day, many people would take a very dim view of their partner sleeping with ''one'' other person, never mind having sex with ''anyone'' who took their fancy. Idealistic views of love often include ideas of one, single soul mate. Conversely, in its more negative incarnations, love is commonly [[LoveMakesYouCrazy associated with jealousy]] (or even, [[LoveMakesYouEvil possession]]). While a few stories will make a real attempt at explaining the decline of jealousy (since we already [[YoureJustJealous acknowledge]] it as one of the more [[GreenEyedMonster negative emotions]]), a more common tactic is to demonise or mock anyone who expects a partner to be exclusive to them. They will probably be regarded as backward, repressed or selfish in a Free Love Future. They don't have to go AxCrazy or [[Film/FatalAttraction bunny-boiler]] to be labelled a jealous nutcase -- even asking a partner to be faithful will probably be seen as a laughable expectation at best, and a selfish demand that infringes on the other person's rights at worst. It could, however be explained as [[ValuesDissonance everyone being raised that way,]] and therefore most everyone not caring because it's been ingrained in them since birth. There are also the cases where sex is entirely separated from romance, allowing the characters to have a single ''soul''mate, but considering that sleeping with someone else is perfectly normal because there's just no correlation between the two, from their point of view. On the other hand, works depicting a [[{{Dystopia}} dystopian]] free-love society will emphasize [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove depersonalization of sex]].

* In Comicbook/JonathanHickmansXMen, this is the norm on the Mutant island Krakoa, populated by Mutants.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* The Creator/MarquisDeSade dreamed of this future and extensively [[AuthorTract advocated it through his written works]]. A direct witness to UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution, he, along with many of his characters, identified as a libertine, one who believes nothing, not even God, should stop one's pursuit of physical pleasure of all types-- especially sexual, which was the primary focus of his works. Some were written strictly to offend (''Literature/The120DaysOfSodom''), others to actively promote his viewpoints as said earlier and [[WishFulfillment do all the things he wanted to do]] (''Philosophy in the Bedroom''), but virtually all his written works, including what survives that he didn't publish, are marked by extreme erotica not just between consenting adults of all genders and orientations but also [[PaedoHunt between adults and children]], [[GratuitousRape between]] ''[[GratuitousRape non-]]''[[GratuitousRape consenting adults,]] and even [[IncestIsRelative family members]]. He believed such a future was the best path for humanity going forward, and that it should have been an inevitable consequence of the Revolution. Arguably, Sade [[ExaggeratedTrope exaggerated]] this trope because he believed that literally nothing, not even mass murder, should be criminalized, as long as such things are committed for the sake of pleasure. Of course, that includes things that don't provide sexual thrills, but he loved integrating torture into his love life, and believed it should be allowed to escalate to murder if that pleased whoever was committing it. His novels are rife with examples of victims being tortured, sometimes to death, by people who derive sexual satisfaction from the act. There's a reason he is the [[TropeNamer namesake]] of sadism, though nowadays most would prefer SafeSaneAndConsensual instead of the depravity he advocated. To top it all off, he ''did'' try to live out his fantasies; he spent many years in and out of prison for his troubles, and even died in an asylum.

[[caption-width-right:292:[[Main/FridgeHorror And then]] you realize this [[Main/{{Squick}} also means]] ''[[Main/IncestIsRelative every family member]]''.]]

* ''Literature/BraveNewWorld'' by Aldous Huxley takes the Ectogenic route, and visualizes a [[CrapsaccharineWorld not-so]] idealistic society in which participation in public orgies is ''mandatory'', as is contraception or sterilization.
** Citizens are expected to demonstrate no less than full involvement in the community, including participation in [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin orgy porgy]]. Even the slightest deviation (say, that for a sexually exclusive relationship, a modicum of privacy, or an extraordinary predilection for solitude) results in extreme pressure to conform.

* In the ''Literature/{{Ringworld}}'' novels, where the species that have evolved on the Ringworld are mutually infertile, sex is used as a way of opening negotiations between them.
** Louis Wu, an Earthling, doesn't see any problems with this, especially since he himself hasn't really been in a long-term relationship and just sleeps around. However, even he is a little taken aback when a women from one of the Ringworld races suddenly demands why has yet to offer ''rishathra'' (interspecies sex) to seal their verbal agreement. The sad irony is that Louis keeps his side of the bargain (to save the Ringworld no matter what) even when the only way to do that is to [[spoiler:irradiate the chunk of the structure her race lives on]].

* In the second part (of three) of Creator/ArthurCClarke[='=]s ''Literature/ChildhoodsEnd'' the perfection of contraception, STI treatment and paternity-tracking technology are all that are necessary to cause civilization to become a global ''Free Love Society'' inside a single generation. Clarke notes that the [[BenevolentAlienInvasion Overlords]] didn't have anything directly to do with these developments. Since the [[TakeThat dissolution of most major Earth religions]] (thanks to the Overlords) was going on at the same time, this may have been a factor in the death of monogamy.
* In ''Imperial Earth'' by Arthur C. Clarke the protagonist has a homosexual love affair with his best friend when they are teenagers, which becomes a three-in-a-bed triangle when they both fall in love with a female visitor.

** Beta Colony is described has having very relaxed mores. The age of consent is approximately puberty, and for girls there is a small rite of passage with the first contraceptive implant, and the Orb of Unearthly Delights is a bordello famous throughout the galaxy. There are no prostitutes as such, but there are plenty of licensed ''sexual therapists''.[[note]]That's not a euphemism. Licensed Practicing Sexual Therapists are required to at least have a minor in psychology. Or as Sgt. Bothari once put it, "Only on Beta Colony does a whore need a bloody university degree."[[/note]] Betans wear coded ear rings to advertise their partnership status and avoid complicated guessing games. Also, hermaphrodites are somewhat common. It's worth noting that unlike other examples, fidelity and monogamy are considered perfectly valid choices. And while sex mores are rather loose, ''reproduction'' is ''very'' strictly controlled.

* ''ComicBook/ElfQuest'' is a variation. The elves are descended from an advanced species who are implied to have outgrown the need for physical pleasure. Acquiring elf form restored their ability to feel sexual pleasure, and they've been exploring every possible (ConsentingAdults) variety ever since. It helps that the elves' birthrate is low.

* In the ''Series/RedDwarf'' episode ""[[Recap/RedDwarfSeasonVHoloship Holoship]]", the ship of advanced holograms regards sex as excellent physical exercise. They even have an [[EverybodyHasLotsOfSex entire deck devoted to it]]. The other holograms are very puzzled at the notion that you might "[[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove fall in love]]" and sideline your own agenda for the benefit of someone else; predictably, [[spoiler:this is exactly what happens to Rimmer's entrance exam opponent]]. There's a reason for that. The crew of the Holoship are notoriously arrogant and all speak very coldly and professionally, even while having sex. Rimmer's passion for joining the crew ended up making him the most attractive man on that ship. One of the holograms says that humanity abandoned the concept of family in the 25th century when scientists proved that all psychological hang-ups are caused by parents.

** In one of the newer episodes it appears that "Robosexuality" is the 31st century equivalent of homosexuality. At one point it's stated that not only a man and woman are allowed to marry, but also man and man, fembot and manbot, interracial, interplanetary, and even a ghost and a horse.

Less easy to [[HandWaving handwave]], though, is the one issue technology isn't likely to fix: jealousy. In the present day, many people would take a very dim view of their partner sleeping with ''one'' other person, never mind having sex with ''anyone'' who took their fancy. Idealistic views of love often include ideas of one, single soul mate. Conversely, in its more negative incarnations, love is commonly [[LoveMakesYouCrazy associated with jealousy]] (or even, [[LoveMakesYouEvil possession]]). While a few stories will make a real attempt at explaining the decline of jealousy (since we already [[YoureJustJealous acknowledge]] it as one of the more [[GreenEyedMonster negative emotions]]), a more common tactic is to demonise or mock anyone who expects a partner to be exclusive to them. They will probably be regarded as backward, repressed or selfish in a Free Love Future. They don't have to go AxeCrazy or [[Film/FatalAttraction bunny-boiler]] to be labelled a jealous nutcase -- even asking a partner to be faithful will probably be seen as a laughable expectation at best, and a selfish demand that infringes on the other person's rights at worst. It could, however be explained as [[ValuesDissonance everyone being raised that way,]] and therefore most everyone not caring because it's been ingrained in them since birth. There are also the cases where sex is entirely separated from romance, allowing the characters to have a single ''soul''mate, but considering that sleeping with someone else is perfectly normal because there's just no correlation between the two, from their point of view. On the other hand, works depicting a [[{{Dystopia}} dystopian]] free-love society will emphasize [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove depersonalization of sex]].

* As the world of ''TabletopGame/TranshumanSpace'' is in many ways the present TurnedUpToEleven, with advanced medical technology, fairly relaxed sexual mores are generally assumed -- but are not universal everywhere.

* What seems like a likely future (and even present) in ''Webcomic/MenageA3,'' as seen in the page image (though that's from a doubly tongue-in-cheek guest strip).

* ''Series/{{Earthsearch}}''. A LadyLand society on ''Challenger II'' has "sex competitions" and keeps their menfolk in PeopleJars until needed for procreation. This contrasts with the protagonists who are kept in a state of sexual immaturity by the [[AIIsACrapshoot Angels]] as a means of control.