This is a cool idea that suggests that morality might have some of the same objective qualities as science. As a race we have dedicated ourselves to scientific advancement, but we might have neglected the study of morality. Thus leaving ourselves unready to employ all that we now understand scientifically.
Time will tell when I sit down to start scoping this one out. Thank you for the support. I can't saw anything for major plot points right now. Very limited planning has gone into this as I wrap up my other book. I can say that I'd like this story to focus on the human (and possibly alien) elements of the story and psychological and sociological impact of the situation on them.
This is not unlike the Vulcans keeping Earth from developing warp capabilities. They didn't see that humans were ready to spread their illogic into their territory. I hope that both groups appreciate the uniqueness of each other in time and realize they are better off together then at enmity.
This story is very similar in concept to The Humans by Matt Haig, in which an alien is sent to earth to kill a mathematician who'd unlocked the secrets to the Riemann Hypothesis, which would lead to space travel.
True, most of the attainment of the capacity on some level to development of nuclear arms is attributed to espionage on some level, including some person with an altruistic outlook, giving one nations plans/ideas to another.
Initially, I considered earth progressed to develop FTL technology on their own, only to have first runs stopped by an alien force, but when you commented, smuggler, it got me thinking. There are some parallels to nuclear arms proliferation and smuggling that could be drawn.
Mmmhmm, to the greater galactic community, Earth is quarantined, and perhaps a would-be smuggler, looking for a quick profit lets the FTL tech to leak to Earth...perhaps some microscopic entity which we deal with every day, some sort of living bacteria that does us good, is deadly to other species...
Thanks for all the support. This project is still some time off, but I like the discussion. In the meantime, check out Lost Generation, which is currently in production, and When Squirrels Start Talking, the next book on my list.
I was thinking about the discussion here last night, and the possibilities for this story. Humans are not just one in themselves; they also carry bacteria, viruses, and other life anywhere they travel. I began thinking about the ramifications of alien species intermingling and the biological problems that might pose. There might be something there for the blockade, just because you have good intentions and the means to travel the stars, does not mean all will be well.