The Oubliette is a city located on Mars in Hannu Rajaniemi's "The Quantum Thief". It is a highly advanced society where privacy is paramount. Citizens have control over their memories and how much information they share with others through a system called gevulot. Time is the primary currency in the Oubliette, and individuals trade years of their lives for goods and services. When their time runs out, they are transferred to the Quiet, a collective of minds who work for the city until they earn more time.
The Sobornost is a collective of post-human minds and entities that originated from Earth. They are essentially uploaded consciousnesses who seek to convert all of humanity into their collective. The Sobornost's technology and understanding of the universe are far more advanced than those of the citizens of the Oubliette. They have the capability to manipulate reality on a quantum level and often pursue their goals with little regard for individual autonomy.
The Zoku are another group of post-human entities, but they are quite different from the Sobornost. They value individuality, creativity, and community. Originating from Saturn, the Zoku exist in clans or tribes, each focused on different interests such as art, science, or exploration. They possess advanced technology and live in a state of play and creativity, constantly seeking new experiences and knowledge. The Zoku are less authoritarian than the Sobornost and often clash with them ideologically and physically.
