Moon In Science Fiction
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The
Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...
has appeared in fiction as a setting since at least
classical antiquity Classical antiquity, also known as the classical era, classical period, classical age, or simply antiquity, is the period of cultural History of Europe, European history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD comprising the inter ...
. Throughout most of literary history, a significant portion of works depicting lunar voyages has been
satirical Satire is a genre of the visual arts, visual, literature, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently Nonfiction, non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ...
in nature. From the late 1800s onwards,
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
has successively focused largely on the themes of life on the Moon, first
Moon landing A Moon landing or lunar landing is the arrival of a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon, including both crewed and robotic missions. The first human-made object to touch the Moon was Luna 2 in 1959. In 1969 Apollo 11 was the first cr ...
s, and
lunar colonization The colonization of the Moon is a process or concept employed by some proposals for robotic spaceflight, robotic or human Exploitation of natural resources, exploitation and settlement endeavours on the Moon. Often used as a synonym for its mor ...
.


Early depictions

The Moon has been a setting in fiction since at least the works of the
ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
writers Antonius Diogenes and
Lucian of Samosata Lucian of Samosata (Λουκιανὸς ὁ Σαμοσατεύς, 125 – after 180) was a Hellenized Syria (region), Syrian satire, satirist, rhetorician and pamphleteer who is best known for his characteristic tongue-in-cheek style, with whi ...
; the former's ''Of the Wonderful Things Beyond Thule'' has been lost and the latter's ''
True History ''A True Story'' (, ''Alēthē diēgēmata''; or ), also translated as ''True History'', is a long novella or short novel written in the second century AD by the Syrian author Lucian of Samosata. The novel is a satire of outlandish tales that h ...
'' from the second century CE is a satire of fanciful travellers' tales. It was not until
Johannes Kepler Johannes Kepler (27 December 1571 – 15 November 1630) was a German astronomer, mathematician, astrologer, Natural philosophy, natural philosopher and writer on music. He is a key figure in the 17th-century Scientific Revolution, best know ...
's novel '' Somnium'' was posthumously released in 1634 that the subject of travelling to the Moon was given a serious treatment in fiction. Building on Kepler's thoughts, and similar speculations by
Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626) was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England under King James I. Bacon argued for the importance of nat ...
on flying to the Moon in his 1627 work '' Sylva sylvarum'',
Francis Godwin Francis Godwin (1562–1633) was an English historian, science fiction author and priest, who was Bishop of Llandaff and of Hereford. Life He was the son of Thomas Godwin, Bishop of Bath and Wells, born at Hannington, Northamptonshire. He wa ...
expanded on the idea in the 1638 novel ''
The Man in the Moone ''The Man in the Moone'' is a book by the English Divine (noun), divine and Church of England bishop Francis Godwin (1562–1633), describing a "voyage of utopian discovery". Long considered to be one of his early works, it is now generally tho ...
''. Across the centuries that followed, numerous authors penned serious or satirical works depicting voyages to the Moon, including
Cyrano de Bergerac Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th ce ...
's novel ''
Comical History of the States and Empires of the Moon ''The Other World: Comical History of the States and Empires of the Moon'' () was the first of three satirical novels written by Cyrano de Bergerac. It was published posthumously in 1657 and, along with its companion work '' The States and Empir ...
'' which was posthumously released in 1657,
Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (; born Daniel Foe; 1660 – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, merchant and spy. He is most famous for his novel ''Robinson Crusoe'', published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its number of translati ...
's 1705 novel '' The Consolidator'',
Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...
's 1835 short story " The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall", the 1835 newspaper series called the "
Great Moon Hoax The "Great Moon Hoax", also known as the "Great Moon Hoax of 1835", was a series of six articles published in ''The Sun (New York City), The Sun'' (a New York newspaper), beginning on August 25, 1835, about the supposed discovery of life and civ ...
" by Richard Adams Locke,
Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...
's 1865 novel ''
From the Earth to the Moon ''From the Earth to the Moon: A Direct Route in 97 Hours, 20 Minutes'' () is an 1865 novel by Jules Verne. It tells the story of the Baltimore Gun Club, a post-American Civil War society of weapons enthusiasts, and their attempts to build an en ...
'', and
H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946) was an English writer, prolific in many genres. He wrote more than fifty novels and dozens of short stories. His non-fiction output included works of social commentary, politics, hist ...
' 1901 novel ''
The First Men in the Moon ''The First Men in the Moon'' by the English author H. G. Wells is a scientific romance, originally serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' and '' The Cosmopolitan'' from November 1900 to June 1901 and published in hardcover in 1901. Wells calle ...
''.
George Griffith George Chetwynd Griffith-Jones (20 August 18574 June 1906) was a British writer. He was active mainly in the science fiction genre—or as it was known at the time, scientific romance—in particular writing many future war, future-war storie ...
's 1901 novel '' A Honeymoon in Space'' takes place in part on the Moon and is perhaps the first depiction of a
space suit A space suit (or spacesuit) is an environmental suit used for protection from the harsh environment of outer space, mainly from its vacuum as a highly specialized pressure suit, but also its temperature extremes, as well as radiation and ...
in fiction. The first
science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses Speculative fiction, speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as Extraterrestrial life in fiction, extraterrestria ...
,
Georges Méliès Marie-Georges-Jean Méliès ( , ; 8 December 1861 – 21 January 1938) was a French magic (illusion), magician, toymaker, actor, and filmmaker. He led many technical and narrative developments in the early days of film, cinema, primarily in th ...
' ''
Le voyage dans la lune ''A Trip to the Moon'' ( , ) is a 1902 French science-fiction adventure trick film written, directed, and produced by Georges Méliès. Inspired by the Jules Verne novel ''From the Earth to the Moon'' (1865) and its sequel '' Around the Moon' ...
'' from 1902, depicts a lunar voyage.


Life on the Moon

By the latter part of the 1800s, it was clear that the Moon was devoid of life, making depictions of lunar lifeforms and societies lack credibility. One consequence of this was that setting stories on Mars instead increased in popularity. A number of authors circumvent the issue by placing lunar life underneath the Moon's surface, including Wells in the aforementioned ''The First Men in the Moon'' and
Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American writer, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best known for creating the characters Tarzan (who appeared in ...
in the 1926 novel '' The Moon Maid''. Others confine lunar life to the past, either depicting the remnants of a lunar civilization that has since gone extinct as in W. S. Lach-Szyrma's 1887–1893 series " Letters from the Planets" (sequel to the 1883 novel '' Aleriel, or A Voyage to Other Worlds''),
Edgar Fawcett Edgar Fawcett (May 26, 1847 – May 2, 1904) was an American novelist and poet. Biography Early life and education Fawcett was born in New York City on May 26, 1847, and spent much of his life there. Educated at Columbia College, he obtained t ...
's 1895 novel '' The Ghost of Guy Thyrle'', and the aforementioned ''A Honeymoon in Space'', or by
time travel Time travel is the hypothetical activity of traveling into the past or future. Time travel is a concept in philosophy and fiction, particularly science fiction. In fiction, time travel is typically achieved through the use of a device known a ...
ling to the past to encounter lunar life as in the 1932 short story " The Moon Era" by
Jack Williamson John Stewart Williamson (April 29, 1908 – November 10, 2006) was an American list of science fiction authors, science fiction writer, one of several called the "Dean of Science Fiction". He is also credited with one of the first uses of the t ...
. Some works also place lunar life solely on the
far side of the Moon The far side of the Moon is the hemisphere of the Moon that is facing away from Earth, the opposite hemisphere is the near side. It always has the same surface oriented away from Earth because of synchronous rotation in the Moon's orbit. C ...
. In the 1977 novel '' Inherit the Stars'' by James P. Hogan, an ancient human skeleton in a spacesuit is found on the Moon, leading to the discovery that humanity did not originate on Earth. The life that has been depicted on the Moon varies in size from the intelligent mollusks of Raymond Z. Gallun's 1931 short story " The Lunar Chrysalis" to the giants of Godwin's aforementioned ''The Man in the Moone''. The "Great Moon Hoax" features bat-like
humanoid A humanoid (; from English ''human'' and '' -oid'' "resembling") is a non-human entity with human form or characteristics. By the 20th century, the term came to describe fossils which were morphologically similar, but not identical, to those of ...
s, which according to its author Richard Adams Locke was meant to satirize the then-popular belief that the Moon was home to advanced civilizations. The earliest depiction of life on the Moon in Lucian's ''True History'' included three-headed horse-vultures and vegetable birds. The
near side of the Moon The near side of the Moon is the lunar hemisphere that faces Earth, opposite to the far side. The near side of the Moon has always the same lunar surface (or "face") oriented to Earth, due to the Moon rotating on its axis at the same rate that ...
in Kepler's ''Somnium'' is inhabited by the earliest human-like lunar life in fiction, whereas the far side is inhabited by serpentine creatures. Based on exobiological considerations, Kepler provided both with adaptations to the month-long cycle of day and night on the Moon. The 1938 short story " Magician of Dream Valley" by Raymond Z. Gallun portrays energy-based life on the Moon, as does the 1960 short story " The Trouble with Tycho" by Clifford D. Simak. The titular mission of the 2011 film '' Apollo 18'' is a secret project to investigate alien life in the form of
lunar rocks Moon rock or lunar rock is rock originating from Earth's Moon. This includes lunar material collected during the course of human exploration of the Moon, and rock that has been ejected naturally from the Moon's surface and landed on Earth a ...
.


Moon landings

Following the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, several
literary works Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, plays, and poems. It includes both print and digital writing. In recent centuries, th ...
appeared depicting science fiction authors' visions of the first Moon landing. Among these were
Robert A. Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein ( ; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific acc ...
's 1950 short story "
The Man Who Sold the Moon ''The Man Who Sold the Moon'' is a science fiction novella by American author Robert A. Heinlein, written in 1949 and published in 1950. A part of his ''Future History (novel), Future History'' and prequel to "Requiem (short story), Requiem", i ...
" about an entrepreneur seeking to finance the endeavor,
Lester del Rey Lester del Rey (June 2, 1915 – May 10, 1993) was an American science fiction author and editor. He was the author of many books in the juvenile Winston Science Fiction series, and the fantasy editor at Del Rey Books, the fantasy an ...
's 1956 novel '' Mission to the Moon'', and
Pierre Boulle Pierre François Marie Louis Boulle (20 February 1912 – 30 January 1994) was a French author. He is best known for two works, '' The Bridge over the River Kwai'' (1952) and '' Planet of the Apes'' (1963), that were both made into award-winning ...
's 1964 novel '' Garden on the Moon'' where the first Moon landing is by Japan and intentionally a one-way trip such that no method of returning astronauts to Earth needs to be devised. One of the last such stories was William F. Temple's 1966 novel '' Shoot at the Moon''; following the actual first Moon landing by
Apollo 11 Apollo 11 was a spaceflight conducted from July 16 to 24, 1969, by the United States and launched by NASA. It marked the first time that humans Moon landing, landed on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module pilot Buzz Aldrin l ...
in 1969, stories of fictional first Moon landings fell out of favour to be replaced by stories of lunar colonization. Fictional first Moon landings also appeared in
film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
in this era. Examples include the 1950 film ''Destination Moon'' which envisions the first Moon landing as a
private sector The private sector is the part of the economy which is owned by private groups, usually as a means of establishment for profit or non profit, rather than being owned by the government. Employment The private sector employs most of the workfo ...
venture and the 1968 film ''Countdown'' which reuses the idea of getting to the Moon more quickly by not waiting until a return trip is feasible from ''Garden on the Moon''.''''


Colonization of the Moon

An early example of
colonization of the Moon The colonization of the Moon is a process or concept employed by some proposals for robotic or human exploitation and settlement endeavours on the Moon. Often used as a synonym for its more specific element of settling the Moon (the establishi ...
is found in '' The Lunar Trilogy'' of Polish writer
Jerzy Żuławski Jerzy Żuławski (; 14 July 1874 – 9 August 1915) was a Polish literary figure, philosopher, translator, Alpinism, alpinist and patriot whose best-known work is the science fiction, science-fiction epic, ''Trylogia Księżycowa'' (''The Lun ...
, written between 1901 and 1911. There, a small colony is founded by survivors of the marooned exploration party., see als
mirror
/ref> Colonization of the Moon is depicted in
Murray Leinster Murray Leinster () was a pen name of William Fitzgerald Jenkins (June 16, 1896 – June 8, 1975), an American writer of genre fiction, particularly of List of science fiction authors, science fiction. He wrote and published more than 1,500 ...
's 1950s Joe Kenmore series starting with the novel '' Space Platform'',
Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His 1970 novel ''Ringworld'' won the Hugo Award for Best Novel, Hugo, Locus Award, Locus, Ditmar Award, Ditmar, and Nebula Award for Best Novel, Nebula award ...
's 1980 novel '' The Patchwork Girl'', and
Roger MacBride Allen Roger MacBride Allen (born September 26, 1957) is an American science fiction author. He was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and grew up outside of Washington, D.C., graduating from Walt Whitman High School. He graduated from Boston University ...
's 1988 novel ''
Farside Cannon ''Farside Cannon'' is a science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology an ...
'', among others. Lunar colonies are sometimes humanity's last refuge when the Earth is no longer habitable, as in Arthur C. Clarke's 1951 short story " If I Forget Thee, Oh Earth" where the Earth has succumbed to
nuclear holocaust A nuclear holocaust, also known as a nuclear apocalypse, nuclear annihilation, nuclear armageddon, or atomic holocaust, is a Futures studies, theoretical scenario where the mass detonation of nuclear weapons causes widespread destruction and radi ...
and Stephen Baxter's 1998 novel '' Moonseed'' where the Earth is destroyed by an alien
nanotechnology Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometers (nm). At this scale, commonly known as the nanoscale, surface area and quantum mechanical effects become important in describing propertie ...
from the Moon itself. The Moon is terraformed in a handful of works including the 1991 novel '' Reunion'' by
John Gribbin John R. Gribbin (born 19 March 1946) is a British science writer, an astrophysicist, and a visiting fellow in astronomy at the University of Sussex. His writings include quantum physics, human evolution, climate change, global warming, the orig ...
and Marcus Chown. The residents of lunar colonies often seek independence from Earth. The 1931 novel '' The Birth of a New Republic'' by Jack Williamson and Miles J. Breuer adapts the story of the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
to the lunar surface. In Heinlein's 1966 novel ''
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress ''The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress'' is a 1966 science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein about a lunar colony's revolt against absentee rule from planet Earth. The novel illustrates and discusses libertarian ideals. It is respe ...
'', the prisoners of a
penal colony A penal colony or exile colony is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general population by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory. Although the term can be used to refer ...
on the Moon
revolt Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...
. In the 1997 novel '' Moonwar'' by
Ben Bova Benjamin William Bova (November 8, 1932November 29, 2020) was an American writer and editor. During a writing career of 60 years, he was the author of more than 120 works of science fact and fiction, an editor of ''Analog Science Fiction and Fac ...
(part of his ''Grand Tour'' series), the proposition is rejected by Earth on the grounds that the Moon is not self-sufficient but relies on resources imported from Earth. Lunar colonies are also used as military bases in several works. Heinlein's 1947 novel '' Rocket Ship Galileo—''upon which the aforementioned ''Destination Moon'' was loosely based—depicts the discovery of a secret
Nazi German Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictat ...
colony on the Moon upon the arrival of what was thitherto thought to be the first crewed lunar landing. Leinster's 1957 novel ''
City on the Moon ''City on the Moon'' is a science fiction novel by Murray Leinster. This story was first published by Avalon Books in 1957 in literature, 1957. ''City on the Moon'' forms part of the To the Stars series by the same author, with two preceding boo ...
'' portrays a US nuclear missile base on the Moon which functions as a deterrent, as does
Allen Steele Allen Mulherin Steele, Jr. (born January 19, 1958) is an American journalist and science fiction author. Background Steele was born in Nashville, Tennessee, on January 19, 1958. He was introduced to science fiction fandom attending meetings o ...
's 1996
alternate history Alternate history (also referred to as alternative history, allohistory, althist, or simply A.H.) is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which one or more historical events have occurred but are resolved differently than in actual history. As ...
novel '' The Tranquillity Alternative''. The
social structure In the social sciences, social structure is the aggregate of patterned social arrangements in society that are both emergent from and determinant of the actions of individuals. Likewise, society is believed to be grouped into structurally rel ...
and
governance Governance is the overall complex system or framework of Process, processes, functions, structures, Social norm, rules, Law, laws and Norms (sociology), norms born out of the Interpersonal relationship, relationships, Social interaction, intera ...
of fictional lunar colonies varies. Heinlein's aforementioned ''The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress'' and his 1985 novel ''
The Cat Who Walks Through Walls ''The Cat Who Walks Through Walls'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, published in 1985. Like many of his later novels, it features Lazarus Long and Jubal Harshaw as supporting characters. Plot summary A write ...
'' portray lunar societies based on
libertarian Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...
ideals such as
laissez-faire ''Laissez-faire'' ( , from , ) is a type of economic system in which transactions between private groups of people are free from any form of economic interventionism (such as subsidies or regulations). As a system of thought, ''laissez-faire'' ...
capitalism, while the 1992 novel '' Steel Beach'' by John Varley depicts a
post-scarcity Post-scarcity is a theoretical economic situation in which most goods can be produced in great abundance with minimal human labor, so that they become available to all very cheaply or even freely. Post-scarcity does not mean that scarcity ...
society where the central authority guarantees both jobs for all who wish to work and access to necessities such as air, food, and heating. In Nancy Holder's 1998–2000 novel trilogy starting with '' The Six Families'',
organized crime Organized crime is a category of transnational organized crime, transnational, national, or local group of centralized enterprises run to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally thought of as a f ...
families vie for control. The Moon is a
tourist destination A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural beau ...
in Clarke's 1961 novel '' A Fall of Moondust''. The first permanent lunar colony contends with
social ills A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common problems in present-day society that many people strive to solve. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's control. Soc ...
such as drug addiction in the 1973 short story "
Luna 1 ''Luna 1'', also known as ''Mechta'' ( , ''Literal translation, lit.'': ''Dream''), ''E-1 No.4'' and ''First Lunar Rover'', was the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of Earth's Moon, the first spacecraft to leave Earth's orbit, and the fi ...
" by
Ernest H. Taves Ernest Henry Taves (February 1, 1916 – August 16, 2003) was an American psychiatrist, author of three books, two on Mormonism and one on Unidentified flying object, UFOs. He was a scientific skeptic and was a Technical Consultant for the Commi ...
, and the 1957 short story "
The Lineman "The Lineman," originally titled "Man, Go Man," is an instrumental composed by Ralph Dollimore. The best-known version of the song is a cover version that was produced by Sam Spence, which has been featured in many NFL Films highlights videos an ...
" by Walter M. Miller Jr. provides a rare example of considering the possible effects of the Moon's lower gravity on
human reproduction Human sexual reproduction, to produce offspring, begins with fertilization. Successful reproduction typically involves sexual intercourse between a healthy, sexually mature and fertile male and female. During sexual intercourse, sperm cells are ...
and
child development Child development involves the Human development (biology), biological, psychological and emotional changes that occur in human beings between birth and the conclusion of adolescence. It is—particularly from birth to five years— a foundation ...
. The lunar colony in the 1991 novel '' Lunar Descent'' by Allen Steele is inhabited by manual labourers engaged in space mining to extract resources from the lunar surface. The degenerated colonists of Żuławski's ''Lunar Trilogy'' develop a religion worshipping Earth, and welcome a returning Earth astronaut as a
Messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...
.


See also

File:Solar system.jpg, alt=A photomontage of the eight planets and the Moon, Clicking on a planet leads to the article about its depiction in fiction. circle 1250 4700 650 Neptune in fiction circle 2150 4505 525 Uranus in fiction circle 2890 3960 610 Saturn in fiction circle 3450 2880 790 Jupiter in fiction circle 3015 1770 460
Mars in fiction Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, has appeared as a setting in works of fiction since at least the mid-1600s. Trends in the planet's portrayal have largely been influenced by advances in planetary science. It became the most popular celest ...
circle 2370 1150 520 Earth in science fiction circle 3165 590 280 Moon in science fiction circle 1570 785 475
Venus in fiction The planet Venus has been used as a setting in fiction since before the 19th century. Its opaque cloud cover gave science fiction writers free rein to speculate on conditions at its surface—a "cosmic Rorschach test", in the words of science ...
circle 990 530 320 Mercury in fiction
* * List of appearances of the Moon in fiction * List of fictional astronauts (Project Apollo era) * List of fictional astronauts (futuristic exploration of Moon)


References


Further reading

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Moon In Fiction Science fiction themes