Cetaganda

Cetaganda is the collective name for an 8-planet empire in the wormhole Nexus of the Vorkosigan Saga novels of Lois McMaster Bujold. Cetaganda is an unusual society with a two-tiered aristocracy. Haut-caste Cetagandans are the products of a several-century long self-conducted genetic engineering experiment to develop the perfect human being. (They believe this process is yet incomplete). Ghem-caste Cetagandans are a military caste which carries s... more

Cetaganda is the collective name for an 8-planet empire in the wormhole Nexus of the Vorkosigan Saga novels of Lois McMaster Bujold. Cetaganda is an unusual society with a two-tiered aristocracy. Haut-caste Cetagandans are the products of a several-century long self-conducted genetic engineering experiment to develop the perfect human being. (They believe this process is yet incomplete). Ghem-caste Cetagandans are a military caste which carries some engineered genes, but largely free of the intensive oversight of reproduction which so thoroughly pervades the Haut. The Ghem are driven to impress their Haut-caste masters, largely through military conquest, often with disastrous results (at least as revealed in the series to date). The Ghem population functions as an intermediary between the Haut and the lower class by occasionally contributing genetic material to the Haut, and sometimes receiving disgraced Haut women as wives. Having a Haut wife or contributing genes to the Haut are... less