This is a list of
fictional stories in which
solar eclipse
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of the Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six mo ...
s feature as an important
plot
Plot or Plotting may refer to:
Art, media and entertainment
* Plot (narrative), the story of a piece of fiction
Music
* ''The Plot'' (album), a 1976 album by jazz trumpeter Enrico Rava
* The Plot (band), a band formed in 2003
Other
* ''Plot ...
element. Mere passing mentions are not listed.
Written works
Novels
* ''
Le Pays des Fourrures'' (''The Fur Country'') by
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 extraord ...
(1873). Scientists witness a solar eclipse north of the Arctic Circle in the summer of 1860.
* ''
King Solomon's Mines
''King Solomon's Mines'' (1885) is a popular novel by the English Victorian adventure writer and fabulist Sir H. Rider Haggard. It tells of a search of an unexplored region of Africa by a group of adventurers led by Allan Quatermain for the ...
'' by
Henry Rider Haggard
Sir Henry Rider Haggard (; 22 June 1856 – 14 May 1925) was an English writer of adventure fiction romances set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and a pioneer of the lost world literary genre. He was also involved in land reform t ...
(1885).
* ''
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' is an 1889 novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. The book was originally titled ''A Yankee in King Arthur's Court''. Some early editions are titled ''A Yankee at the Court of King Arthu ...
'', by
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...
(1889). The protagonist predicts a
solar eclipse
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of the Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six mo ...
in 528 CE.
* ''
Pharaoh
Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: '' pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until th ...
'' by
Bolesław Prus
Aleksander Głowacki (20 August 1847 – 19 May 1912), better known by his pen name Bolesław Prus (), was a Polish novelist, a leading figure in the history of Polish literature and philosophy, as well as a distinctive voice in world li ...
(1895). A
historical novel
Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other t ...
with a solar eclipse c. 1085 BCE (at the fall of Egypt's
New Kingdom
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...
and
20th Dynasty
The Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt (notated Dynasty XX, alternatively 20th Dynasty or Dynasty 20) is the third and last dynasty of the Ancient Egyptian New Kingdom period, lasting from 1189 BC to 1077 BC. The 19th and 20th Dynasties furthermore togeth ...
) predicted by the priest Menes.
* ''
The Secret Mountain'' by
Enid Blyton
Enid Mary Blyton (11 August 1897 – 28 November 1968) was an English children's writer, whose books have been worldwide bestsellers since the 1930s, selling more than 600 million copies. Her books are still enormously popular and have be ...
. A group of children and their guardian, captives of a
sun-worshipping Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
n tribe, escape by threatening to kill the sun, having prior knowledge of an imminent solar eclipse.
* ''
Voyage: A Novel of 1896'' by
Sterling Hayden
Sterling Walter Hayden (born Sterling Relyea Walter; March 26, 1916 – May 23, 1986) was an American actor, author, sailor and decorated Marine Corps officer and an Office of Strategic Services' agent during World War II. A leading man for mo ...
(1976). Depicts a solar eclipse of the titular year, viewed from the
South Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
.
* ''
Nightfall'' by
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov ( ; 1920 – April 6, 1992) was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. Heinlein and ...
and
Robert Silverberg
Robert Silverberg (born January 15, 1935) is an American author and editor, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple winner of both Hugo and Nebula Awards, a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, and a Grand ...
(1990). Based on Asimov's 1941
short story
A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...
of the same name.
* ''
El Eclipse'' by
Augusto Monterroso
Augusto Monterroso Bonilla (December 21, 1921 - February 7, 2003) was a Honduran writer who adopted Guatemalan nationality, known for the ironical and humorous style of his short stories. He is considered an important figure in the Latin Americ ...
.
Short story
A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...
in which a Spanish missionary is captured by Mayans and tries to use his knowledge of a solar eclipse to scare them into releasing him. They sacrifice him anyway, already having calculated the infinite dates of upcoming eclipses.
* ''
Gerald's Game
''Gerald's Game'' is a 1992 suspense novel by American writer Stephen King. The story is about a woman whose husband dies of a heart attack while she is handcuffed to a bed, and, following the subsequent realization that she is trapped with litt ...
'' and ''
Dolores Claiborne
''Dolores Claiborne'' () is a 1992 psychological thriller novel by Stephen King. The novel is narrated by the title character. Atypically for a King novel, it has no chapters, double-spacing between paragraphs, or other section breaks; thus, t ...
'' by
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high ...
(1992) depict the
solar eclipse of July 20, 1963
A total solar eclipse occurred on July 20, 1963. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's a ...
.
* ''
Illegal Alien'' by
Robert J. Sawyer
Robert James Sawyer (born April 29, 1960) is a Canadian science fiction writer. He has had 24 novels published and his short fiction has appeared in ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'', ''Amazing Stories'', ''On Spec'', ''Nature'', and numerous ...
(1997). Aliens visit Earth and observe a total solar eclipse. Their scientist host speculates that Earth may be the only planet in the entire
universe
The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. A ...
whose moon covers its sun perfectly (with only
transits or
occultation
An occultation is an event that occurs when one object is hidden from the observer by another object that passes between them. The term is often used in astronomy, but can also refer to any situation in which an object in the foreground blocks ...
s occurring on other planets). Although it is not explicitly stated in the novel, Sawyer has noted that the eclipse was the historical eclipse of
August 11, 1999, which allows the reader to ascertain the time the novel takes place.
* ''
Eclipse of the Sun
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of the Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six mont ...
'' by
Phil Whitaker
Phil Whitaker (born 1966) is an English novelist and physician. He is also a journalist.
Education and writings
Whitaker, born in Kent, qualified in medicine at the University of Nottingham in 1990 and at the University of Oxford, where he under ...
(1997). Set in India and has at its center a dramatic attempt to organize a public viewing of the
solar eclipse of October 24, 1995
A total solar eclipse occurred on October 24, 1995. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's ...
.
* ''
Solar Eclipse
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of the Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six mo ...
'' by
John Farris
John Lee Farris (born July 26, 1936) is an American writer, known largely for his work in the southern Gothic genre.
Life
Farris was born in Jefferson City, Missouri, to parents John Linder Farris (1909–1982) and Eleanor Carter Farris (19 ...
(1999).
* ''
Sunwing
Sunwing Airlines Inc. is a Canadian low-cost airline headquartered in Toronto, Ontario.
Sunwing Airlines offers scheduled and charter services from Canada and the United States to destinations within the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, ...
'' by
Kenneth Oppel
Kenneth Oppel (born August 31, 1967) is a Canadian children's writer.
Biography
Oppel was born in Port Alberni, and spent his childhood in Victoria, British Columbia and Halifax, Nova Scotia. He also lived in Newfoundland and Labrador, England, ...
(1999).
* ''
The Eclipse of the Century'' by
Jan Mark
Jan Mark (22 June 1943 – 16 January 2006) was a British writer best known for children's books. In all she wrote over fifty novels and plays and many anthologised short stories. She won the annual Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, ...
(1999).
* ''
Pitch Black: Fight Evil with Evil'' by
Frank Lauria
Frank or Franks may refer to:
People
* Frank (given name)
* Frank (surname)
* Franks (surname)
* Franks, a medieval Germanic people
* Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang
Curre ...
and
David Twohy
David Neil Twohy ( ; born October 18, 1955) is an American film director and screenwriter.
Early life
Twohy was born in Los Angeles County, California. He attended college at California State University, Long Beach, graduating with a degree in ...
(c. 2000).
* ''
Eclipse
An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three ce ...
'' (2000) and ''
Shroud
Shroud usually refers to an item, such as a cloth, that covers or protects some other object. The term is most often used in reference to ''burial sheets'', mound shroud, grave clothes, winding-cloths or winding-sheets, such as the famous Shr ...
'' (2002) by
John Banville
William John Banville (born 8 December 1945) is an Irish novelist, short story writer, adapter of dramas and screenwriter. Though he has been described as "the heir to Proust, via Nabokov", Banville himself maintains that W. B. Yeats and Henry ...
. Interlinked novels set against the backdrop of a solar eclipse.
* ''
Eclipse
An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three ce ...
'', by
Erin Hunter
Erin Hunter is a collective pseudonym used by the authors Victoria Holmes, Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, Clarissa Hutton, Inbali Iserles, Tui T. Sutherland, and Rosie Best in the writing of several juvenile fantasy novel series, which focus on a ...
(2008). Part of the
Warriors
A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste.
History
Warriors seem to have been ...
series; the solar eclipse occurs during the battle between all the clans, foretold by a strange cat by the name of "Sol".
* ''
Midnight Never Come
Midnight is the transition time from one day to the next – the moment when the date changes, on the local official clock time for any particular jurisdiction. By clock time, midnight is the opposite of noon, differing from it by 12 hours. ...
'' by
Marie Brennan
Marie Brennan is the pseudonym of Bryn Neuenschwander, an American fantasy author. Her works include the ''Doppelganger'' duology ('' Doppelganger'' and its sequel '' Warrior and Witch'', respectively retitled ''Warrior'' and ''Witch'' on late ...
(2008).
* ''
The Strain
''The Strain'' is a 2009 vampire horror novel by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. It is the first installment in ''The Strain Trilogy'', and was followed by '' The Fall'' (2010) and '' The Night Eternal'' (2011).
Plot synopsis
A Boeing ...
'' by
Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro Gómez (; born October 9, 1964) is a Mexican filmmaker, author, and actor. He directed the Academy Award–winning fantasy films '' Pan's Labyrinth'' (2006) and '' The Shape of Water'' (2017), winning the Academy Awards for ...
and
Chuck Hogan
Charles Patrick Hogan is an American novelist, screenwriter, and television producer. He is best known as the author of ''Prince of Thieves'', and as the co-author of ''The Strain'' trilogy with Guillermo del Toro. Alongside del Toro, Hogan creat ...
(2009).
* ''
Every Soul A Star
''Every Soul a Star'' is a 2008 novel for children and young adults by Wendy Mass. Taking turns in first person from each of the main character's' point of view, it follows the stories of Jack, a confidence-lacking 14-year-old who is slightly o ...
'' by
Wendy Mass
Wendy Mass (born April 22, 1967) is an author of young adult novels and children's books.
Her 2003 novel, '' A Mango-Shaped Space'' won the American Library Association (ALA) Schneider Family Book Award for Middle School in 2004. Her other no ...
(2008).
* ''
A Memory of Light
''A Memory of Light'' is the 14th and final book of the fantasy series '' The Wheel of Time'', written by American authors Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, and published by Tor books. Originally expected to have been published around Mar ...
'' by
Robert Jordan
James Oliver Rigney Jr. (October 17, 1948 – September 16, 2007), better known by his pen name Robert Jordan," Robert Jordan" was the name of the protagonist in the 1940 Hemingway novel ''For Whom the Bell Tolls'', though this is not how the n ...
and
Brandon Sanderson
Brandon Winn Sanderson (born December 19, 1975) is an American author of high fantasy and science fiction. He is best known for the Cosmere fictional universe, in which most of his fantasy novels, most notably the '' Mistborn'' series and '' Th ...
(2013).
* ''
Jade Dragon Mountain'' by
Elsa Hart
Elsa may refer to:
ELSA (acronym)
*ELSA Technology, a manufacturer of computer hardware
*English Language Skills Assessment
*English Longitudinal Study of Ageing
*Ethical, Legal and Social Aspects research
*European Law Students' Association
*Euro ...
, (2015). A
historical mystery
The historical mystery or historical whodunit is a subgenre of two literary genres, historical fiction and mystery fiction. These works are set in a time period considered historical from the author's perspective, and the central plot involves th ...
centered around a solar eclipse in early
Qing Dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
China.
* ''The Eclipse'' by
Willer de Oliveira.
* ''Trade winds to Meluhha'' by Vasant Davé (2012). A
historical novel
Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other t ...
where the unique
total lunar eclipse
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow. Such alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six months, during the full moon phase, when the Moon's orbital plane is closest to the plane of the Earth' ...
and
total solar eclipse
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of the Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six mon ...
in
Babylon in May 2138 BC set off a young Mesopotamian's adventures in the ancient
Indus Valley civilization
The Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC), also known as the Indus Civilisation was a Bronze Age civilisation in the northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form 2600 BCE to 1900 ...
.
Films
There is a body of films featuring
solar eclipse
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of the Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six mo ...
s. Compared to other astronomical events featured in films, such as
full moon
The full moon is the lunar phase when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth's perspective. This occurs when Earth is located between the Sun and the Moon (when the ecliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180°). This mean ...
s and
asteroid
An asteroid is a minor planet of the Solar System#Inner solar system, inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic o ...
strikes, solar eclipses are less commonly seen. When they have featured in films, they often drive the plot and have a portentous presence.
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
's Glen Weldon said that films use eclipses "to signal to audiences that the normal rules have temporarily lifted, and things are about to get weird." The first film to feature a solar eclipse was the 1907 silent film ''
The Eclipse, or the Courtship of the Sun and Moon
''The Eclipse: Courtship of the Sun and Moon'' (originally ''L'éclipse du soleil en pleine lune'') is a French silent film made in 1907 by director Georges Méliès.
Plot
A professor of astronomy gives a lecture instructing on an impending solar ...
'', which featured a solar eclipse as a fantastical consummation between the sun and the moon.
Eclipses have been seen as bad omens throughout history and filmmakers leverage that belief "as visual cues or key plot points", according to ''
The Oregonian
''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 18 ...
''s Amy Wang.
Lisa Yaszek, a professor in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia Tech University, has remarked that the
most accurate depiction of a solar eclipse she has seen in film was in the 1961 religious epic ''
Barabbas
Barabbas (; ) was, according to the New Testament, a prisoner who was chosen over Jesus by the crowd in Jerusalem to be pardoned and released by Roman governor Pontius Pilate at the Passover feast.
Biblical account
According to all four canoni ...
'', which included film of an actual solar eclipse during a crucifixion scene.
Television
* An episode of the 1980s science fiction comedy/drama ''
The Edison Twins'', where the twin siblings foil a bank robbery attempt at a major city bank while employees are focusing on the solar eclipse.
* In the fourth arc of the ''
Sailor Moon
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. It was originally serialized in Kodansha's ''shōjo'' manga magazine '' Nakayoshi'' from 1991 to 1997; the 52 individual chapters were published in 18 volumes. The s ...
'' manga series by
Naoko Takeuchi
is a Japanese manga artist. She is best known as the author of ''Sailor Moon'', one of the most popular manga series of all time.
She has won several awards, including the 1993 Kodansha Manga Award for ''Sailor Moon''.
Takeuchi is married to ...
and the
fourth season of its anime adaptation, two eclipses grant power to the group of antagonists known as
Dead Moon Circus
The are a group of fictional characters from the ''Sailor Moon'' manga series created by Naoko Takeuchi. They serve as the main antagonists of the fourth arc, called ''Dream'' in the manga, '' Sailor Moon SuperS'' in its first anime adaptation, ...
.
* ''
Heroes
Heroes or Héroes may refer to:
* Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good
Film
* ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama
* ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film
Gaming
* ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...
'' features eclipses prominently within the continuity and symbolism of the show. The title card and logo, for example, both feature an eclipse. An eclipse occurs in the pilot episode, "
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book o ...
", described as a "global event" and commonly understood to be the catalyst that activates the characters' abilities. Another eclipse appears in the first episode of season two, during which Hiro Nakamura teleports to 1671 feudal Japan. The two-part season three episode, "
The Eclipse", deals with the consequences of a third eclipse which removes all the characters' abilities as well as the unknown connection between eclipses and evolved humans.
* The ''
Recess'' episode, "Outcast Ashley", partly revolves around Gretchen's attempts to view the solar eclipse occurring that afternoon, and with whom she views it.
* In one of his cartoons,
Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created in the late 1930s by Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring roles in the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Mer ...
accidentally travels through time to the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
. While there, he tricks everyone into believing that he has put out the sun with a spell. This was a parody of and homage to
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...
's novel, ''
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' is an 1889 novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. The book was originally titled ''A Yankee in King Arthur's Court''. Some early editions are titled ''A Yankee at the Court of King Arthu ...
''.
* In an episode of ''
Darkwing Duck
''Darkwing Duck'' is an American animated superhero comedy television series produced by Disney Television Animation (formerly Walt Disney Television Animation) that first ran from 1991 to 1992 on both the syndicated programming block '' The D ...
'', the titular character accidentally travels to the Middle Ages and is about to be executed as a
warlock
A warlock is a male practitioner of witchcraft.
Etymology and terminology
The most commonly accepted etymology derives '' warlock'' from the Old English '' wǣrloga'', which meant "breaker of oaths" or "deceiver" and was given special applicat ...
when he remembers that his execution is timed exactly with an eclipse. He threatens everyone that he will black out the sun unless released and begins to speak
gibberish
Gibberish, also called jibber-jabber or gobbledygook, is speech that is (or appears to be) nonsense. It may include speech sounds that are not actual words, pseudowords, or language games and specialized jargon that seems nonsensical to ou ...
, pretending to put a spell on the sun. However, he has misread the date of the solar eclipse by one day, and stands on the gallows for 24 hours, continuing the gibberish until the eclipse happens.
* In the 1993 first season of ''
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers
''Mighty Power Rangers'' (''MMPR'') is a superhero television series that premiered on August 28, 1993, on the Fox Kids programming block. It is the first entry of the ''Power Rangers'' franchise, and became a 1990s pop culture phenomenon alon ...
'', evil witch
Rita Repulsa
Rita Repulsa is a fictional character from the television series '' Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'', and the principal nemesis and archenemy of the main superhero protagonists in the show's first season. She is portrayed in the first season by ...
causes a solar eclipse to drain the
Megazord's power in the five-part episode, "
Green With Evil".
*
Sineskwela
''Sine'skwela'' (, a portmanteau of the Filipino words Sine and Eskwela) was a Philippine children's television series produced by ABS-CBN Foundation (formerly ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation), Science Education Institute of the Departmen ...
(Solar and Lunar Eclipses episode)
* The opening credits of ''
Star Trek: Voyager'' (1995–2001) feature a CGI-generated solar eclipse.
* The 2001
TNT
Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reage ...
miniseries ''
The Mists of Avalon
''The Mists of Avalon'' is a 1983 historical fantasy novel by American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley, in which the author relates the Arthurian legends from the perspective of the female characters. The book follows the trajectory of Morgaine ...
'' features a solar eclipse during the death of Viviane, suggesting the
Mother Goddess
A mother goddess is a goddess who represents a personified deification of motherhood, fertility, creation, destruction, or the earth goddess who embodies the bounty of the earth or nature. When equated with the earth or the natural world, ...
' grief at the event.
* In the 2001-4 ''
Samurai Jack
''Samurai Jack'' is an American animated action-adventure television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky for Cartoon Network and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television. Tartakovsky conceived ''Samurai Jack'' after finishing his wor ...
'' animated series, Aku is able to escape the tree he is sealed in due to an eclipse.
* In ''
Heroes
Heroes or Héroes may refer to:
* Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good
Film
* ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama
* ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film
Gaming
* ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...
'', on October 1, 2006, a solar eclipse is observed by several strangers around the world. Similar eclipses occur in 1671, 2007, and on June 13, 2014. The eclipse has an effect on people's abilities.
* In the 2007 ''
Avatar: the Last Airbender'' episode, "
The Day of Black Sun Part 2: The Eclipse",
Aang
Avatar Aang ( zh, c=安昂, p=Ān Áng) is the title character and protagonist of Nickelodeon's animated television series '' Avatar: The Last Airbender'' (created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko), voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen. ...
and his allies plan for the day of the invasion of the
Fire Nation
''Avatar: The Last Airbender'' (abbreviated as ''ATLA''), also known as ''Avatar: The Legend of Aang'' in some regions or simply ''Avatar'', is an American anime-influenced animated television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino an ...
capital on the day a solar eclipse would occur, leaving the firebenders without firebending for about 8 minutes. The plan was expected to end the
war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
. The plan fails because
Azula
Princess Azula () is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series '' Avatar: The Last Airbender'', created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and voiced by Grey DeLisle.
In the show, Azula is the crown princes ...
, the princess of the Fire Nation, learns of the upcoming invasion beforehand.
* The 2007 Sci-Fi channel
miniseries
A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format ...
''
Tin Man'' is centered on a "double eclipse" which will give power to one of the two princesses of the O.Z.
* The ''
CSI: Miami'' episode "
Sunblock
Sunscreen, also known as sunblock or sun cream, is a photoprotective topical product for the skin that mainly absorbs, or to a much lesser extent reflects, some of the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation and thus helps protect against sunburn and ...
" features a murder in which the killer struck during a solar eclipse due to an allergy to the sun.
* The final two episodes of ''
Berserk'', "The Great Eclipse" and "Time of Eternity", take place during a solar eclipse, which in the series universe happens only once every 216 years and marks the birth of a new member of the Godhand. During these episodes, Griffith, once the leader of the Band of the Hawk, betrays and sacrifices his men in order to become the fifth member of the Godhand, Femto.
* The ''
Mad Men
''Mad Men'' is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its ...
'' episode "
Seven Twenty Three" features the
solar eclipse that occurred in July 1963.
* In the final three episodes of ''
Raven the Island'', an eclipse allows the warriors to enter Nevar's fortress.
* In the third season of ''
House of Anubis
''House of Anubis'' is a mystery television series developed for Nickelodeon based on the Dutch–Belgian television series ''Het Huis Anubis''. The series was created by Hans Bourlon and Gert Verhulst and premiered on Nickelodeon on 1 Januar ...
'', a ceremony to re-awaken someone cursed by
Anubis
Anubis (; grc, Ἄνουβις), also known as Inpu, Inpw, Jnpw, or Anpu in Ancient Egyptian () is the god of death, mummification, embalming, the afterlife, cemeteries, tombs, and the Underworld, in ancient Egyptian religion, usually depi ...
to sleep for eternity can only be performed during a total solar eclipse. Robert Frobisher-Smythe, who is central to the series' backstory, has been cursed by Anubis in this manner. As an eclipse approaches, an attempt is made to re-awaken Robert. One of the people who performs the ceremony, Caroline Denby, is impure of heart and causes Robert to be re-awoken evil.
* Episode 61 "
He Who Would Swallow God" in the anime series ''
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood'' empowered stone fragments are activated by the eclipse's umbra.
* In the sixth season of ''
The Vampire Diaries
''The Vampire Diaries'' is an American supernatural teen drama television series developed by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on the book series of the same name written by L. J. Smith. The series premiered on The CW on September 1 ...
'', from episode 2, "
Yellow Ledbetter
"Yellow Ledbetter" is a song by the American band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music co-written by bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Mike McCready, "Yellow Ledbetter" was an outtake from the band's debut album, ...
", to episode 15, "
Let Her Go", an eclipse is present in the missing dimension in 1994 where Damon and Bonnie (later just Bonnie) are trapped.
Comic books
* ''
Tintin: Prisoners of the Sun'' by
Hergé
Georges Prosper Remi (; 22 May 1907 – 3 March 1983), known by the pen name Hergé (; ), from the French pronunciation of his reversed initials ''RG'', was a Belgian cartoonist. He is best known for creating '' The Adventures of Tintin'', ...
(1948). Tintin and his friends escape certain death deceiving the Incas with a solar eclipse.
Other
*Album covers showing a solar eclipse include:
**The
1972
Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...
Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music band founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The group has seen many personnel changes over the years, with Froese having been the only constant member until his death in January 2015. The best-known lineu ...
album, ''
Zeit''
**The 2000
Kitaro album ''Ancient''
*In the "Prologue" to
Borodin's opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libre ...
''
Prince Igor
''Prince Igor'' ( rus, Князь Игорь, Knyáz Ígor ) is an opera in four acts with a prologue, written and composed by Alexander Borodin. The composer adapted the libretto from the Ancient Russian epic '' The Lay of Igor's Host'', which ...
'' (left unfinished at his death in 1887, completed by
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov . At the time, his name was spelled Николай Андреевичъ Римскій-Корсаковъ. la, Nicolaus Andreae filius Rimskij-Korsakov. The composer romanized his name as ''Nicolas Rimsk ...
and
Alexander Glazunov
Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov; ger, Glasunow (, 10 August 1865 – 21 March 1936) was a Russian composer, music teacher, and conductor of the late Russian Romantic period. He was director of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory between 1905 ...
, and first performed in 1890) a solar eclipse takes place to general consternation, causing two soldiers, Skula and Yeroshka, to desert Prince Igor.
* ''
Prisoners of the Sun
''Prisoners of the Sun'' (french: link=no, Le Temple du Soleil) is the fourteenth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. The story was serialised weekly in the newly established '' Tintin'' ma ...
'' (''
The Adventures of Tintin
''The Adventures of Tintin'' (french: Les Aventures de Tintin ) is a series of 24 ''bande dessinée'' albums created by Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pen name Hergé. The series was one of the most popular European com ...
'' comic album by
Hergé
Georges Prosper Remi (; 22 May 1907 – 3 March 1983), known by the pen name Hergé (; ), from the French pronunciation of his reversed initials ''RG'', was a Belgian cartoonist. He is best known for creating '' The Adventures of Tintin'', ...
). Tintin uses a prediction of a solar eclipse to gain favor with the
Quechua people
Quechua people (, ; ) or Quichua people, may refer to any of the aboriginal people of South America who speak the Quechua languages, which originated among the Indigenous people of Peru. Although most Quechua speakers are native to Peru, ther ...
who are about to kill him.
* The
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
and
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...
game ''
The Darkness
Darkness is the absence of light.
Darkness or The Darkness may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Dark'' (TV series), a 2017 German-language TV series produced by Netflix
* Darknss, a character from the film ''Legend'' (1985)
* ''Darkne ...
'' includes a solar eclipse in the final chapter.
* The
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a di ...
game ''
Heart of Darkness (game)'' features a solar eclipse when Andy and his dog, Whiskey, are walking in the park.
* In the game ''
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow'', the story begins with
a total solar eclipse in the year 2035 where is supposed to be sealed Dracula's castle.
* The game ''
Terraria
''Terraria'' is an action-adventure sandbox game developed by Re-Logic. The game was first released for Windows on May 16, 2011, and has since been ported to several other platforms. The game features exploration, crafting, building, painting ...
'' features a solar eclipse as a rare event that causes monsters inspired by popular
horror fiction
Horror is a genre of fiction which is intended to frighten, scare, or disgust. Horror is often divided into the sub-genres of psychological horror and supernatural horror, which is in the realm of speculative fiction. Literary historian J. ...
and
films
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...
to attack the player.
* In ''
Call of Duty: World at War'' and ''
Call of Duty: Black Ops III'', the Zombies maps Der Riese and The Giant feature a solar eclipse.
* The Japanese
visual novel
A , often abbreviated as VN, is a form of digital semi-interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with and used in the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with sta ...
s ''
Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward'' and ''
12Riven: the Psi-climinal of Integral'' both use a solar eclipse as an important plot element.
* The Japanese
''Berserk'' manga features an eclipse.
*
''Love and Rockets'' features a solar eclipse in Palomar at the beginning of
Gilbert Hernandez
Gilberto Hernández (born February 1, 1957), usually credited as Gilbert Hernandez and also by the nickname Beto (), is an American cartoonist. He is best known for his ''Palomar''/''Heartbreak Soup'' stories in '' Love and Rockets'', an altern ...
's "Heartbreak Soup", during which a pair of fraternal twins (Israel & Aurora) are playing and Aurora disappears. This affects the storyline of not only Gilbert's stories going forward but sheds light on a major character in
Jaime
Jaime is a common Spanish and Portuguese male given name for Jacob (name), James (name), Jamie, or Jacques. In Occitania Jacobus became ''Jacome'' and later ''Jacme''. In east Spain, ''Jacme'' became ''Jaime'', in Aragon it became ''Chaime'', and i ...
's work as well.
* In the graphic novel ''
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne,'' eclipses play an important role, as it is usually during those events that Bruce Wayne jumps through time.
* The musical piece ''Night in the Afternoon'' was written by
Hendrik Meurkens for Vera Donovan's solar-eclipse-viewing garden party scene in the 1995 film
Dolores Claiborne
''Dolores Claiborne'' () is a 1992 psychological thriller novel by Stephen King. The novel is narrated by the title character. Atypically for a King novel, it has no chapters, double-spacing between paragraphs, or other section breaks; thus, t ...
.
October Colors
Hendrik Muerkens: Jazz Harmonica and More. Retrieved: 2022-05-12. Quote: I wrote ''Night In The Afternoon'' for the movie Dolores Claiborne starring Kathy Bates. And starring Hendrik Meurkens. Really. The shoot was in Nova Scotia and they flew me up there to record the tune and play it on screen. Dolores Claiborne is a very dark movie. A very dark vibe with lots of grey autumn colors.
* In The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes, a solar eclipse occurs during the main characters escape from the temple, allowing the alien vampires to come out of their shelter and forcing the characters to hold out against one more attack from the vampires before the eclipse ends.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Solar Eclipses In Fiction
History of fiction
Literature lists
Science fiction themes
Fiction
Eclipses
An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three cel ...