Stars and planetary systems in fiction

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For fictional planets that have stand-alone articles, see Planets in science fiction.

Stars outside of our Solar System and their planets have been featured as settings in works of fiction since at least the 1854 novel Star ou Psi de Cassiopée (English title: Star: Psi Cassiopeia) by C. I. Defontenay, which depicts aliens living in the planetary system around Psi Cassiopeiae. Most of these fictional stars and planets do not vary significantly from the Sun and Earth, respectively. Exceptions include anthropomorphized stars and planets with sentience, planets without stars, and circumbinary planets in multiple-star systems where the orbital mechanics can lead to exotic day–night or seasonal cycles. Besides fictional star systems, several real ones have also made appearances in fiction, with the nearest one—Alpha Centauri—receiving particular attention.

Types[edit]

Stars[edit]

See also: Black holes in fiction and Supernovae in fiction

For the most part, stars in fiction vary only in size and colour. Exceptions to this are rare and appear comparatively lately in the history of science fiction.[1] A toroidal star is featured in Donald Malcolm's 1964 short story "Beyond the Reach of Storms".[1][2] Sentient stars are depicted in Olaf Stapledon's 1937 novel Star Maker among others.[1][3][4] A handful of works depict lifeforms on or even inside of stars, such as the 1980 novel Dragon's Egg by Robert L. Forward and the 1993 novel Flux by Stephen Baxter, respectively; in both of these stories, the stars in question are neutron stars.[3][5] Some stories including Bob Shaw's 1975 novel Orbitsville depict stars being enclosed by Dyson spheres.[3]

Planets[edit]

Most extrasolar planets in fiction are similar to Earth, though there are several exceptions.[6]

An early example of an entirely different kind of planet is found in Hal Clement's 1953 novel Mission of Gravity, where the planet Mesklin's rapid rotation causes it to be shaped roughly like a flat disk and gravity is consequently about 200 times weaker at the equator than it is at the poles.[6][7][8] Another disk-shaped planet is the Discworld of Terry Pratchett's 1983–2015 book series of that name, a flat world which is carried on the backs of elephants that are in turn carried on the back of a turtle.[6][9]

Circumbinary planets, sometimes nicknamed "Tatooine worlds" after the Star Wars planet,[10] have attracted attention from science fiction writers in terms of what kind of life would exist on planets orbiting more than one sun.[11] Isaac Asimov's 1941 short story "Nightfall" portrays a planet in a multiple star system which is consequently in daylight from at least one of its six suns for millennia at a time.[5][12] Hal Clement's 1957 novel Cycle of Fire depicts a planet in circumbinary orbit where the seasons last for decades and different species dominate the hot and cold parts of the year,[6][11][13] and Brian Aldiss' 1982–1985 Helliconia trilogy is set on a planet in a binary star system where the orbital mechanics lead to century-long seasons.[6][13][14] The 1985 anthology Medea: Harlan's World is a collaborative effort between Harlan Ellison and several other science fiction writers consisting of several stories set on the same circumbinary planet.[6][11]

Other types of planets in fiction include starless ones as in the 1934 short story "The Sunless World" by Neil R. Jones and the 1977 novel Dying of the Light by George R. R. Martin,[11][15] sentient ones as in the 1961 novel Solaris by Stanisław Lem and its 1972 and 2002 film adaptations,[4][6][16] and double planets as in the 1982 novel Rocheworld by Robert L. Forward.[11][17][18] Sentient planets are relatively rarely portrayed in fiction when compared to sentient stars, but the related concept of an entire planetary ecosphere as a single organism—known as the Gaia hypothesis—is not uncommon; one such example is found in Isaac Asimov's 1982 novel Foundation's Edge.[4][19] Science fiction writers sometimes use exobiology as a form of worldbuilding, describing alien ecosystems and how humans do or do not fit into them; the desert planet Arrakis in Frank Herbert's 1965 novel Dune is a particularly detailed example thereof.[6][20]

Planetary systems of real stars[edit]

Alpha Centauri[edit]

The Alpha Centauri system is the closest star system to Earth—with Proxima Centauri being the closest of the system's stars—which has given it a special position in science fiction literature. Several stories of the first interstellar journeys have featured it as the intended destination. Among the earliest examples are the 1931 short story "Across the Void" by Leslie F. Stone and the 1935 short story "Proxima Centauri" by Murray Leinster.[1][21] The spacecraft in the latter reaches its destination in less than a decade but has the capacity to function as a generation starship if needed; the use of an actual generation starship headed for the system was later depicted in the 1944 novel Far Centaurus by A. E. van Vogt,[22][23] and the 1997 novel Alpha Centauri by William Barton and Michael Capobianco portrays such a mission being endangered by terrorists.[1][24]

Psi Cassiopeiae[edit]

Psi Cassiopeiae made one of the earliest appearances as a setting in a work of fiction of any star system in the 1854 novel Star ou Psi de Cassiopée (English title: Star: Psi Cassiopeia) by C. I. Defontenay.[1][2][25] The novel, described by science fiction editor David Pringle as "the first detailed evocation of an alien solar system",[26] depicts immortal aliens inhabiting the planets orbiting the stars.[25][27][11][28]

Tau Ceti[edit]

The Tau Ceti system is a common setting in science fiction.[29][30] James Nicoll, writing for Tor.com, attributes this to a confluence of factors that make it the nearest star (at approximately 12 light-years) that could plausibly have a planetary system with habitable planets, including having a favourable brightness and being a solitary rather than multiple star.[30] In 2015, Andrew Liptak [Wikidata] interviewed several authors about why they used Tau Ceti for their stories; in addition to the star's relative proximity to Earth, Ursula K. Le Guin and Larry Niven cited the star's similarity to the Sun, while Kim Stanley Robinson pointed to the recent discovery of several exoplanets around Tau Ceti.[29]

See also[edit]

A photomontage of the eight planets and the MoonNeptune in fictionUranus in fictionSaturn in fictionJupiter in fictionMars in fictionEarth in science fictionMoon in science fictionVenus in fictionMercury in fiction
Clicking on a planet leads to the article about its depiction in fiction.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Stableford, Brian (2006). "Star". Science Fact and Science Fiction: An Encyclopedia. Taylor & Francis. pp. 500–502. ISBN 978-0-415-97460-8.
  2. ^ a b Stableford, Brian; Langford, David (2021). "Stars". In Clute, John; Langford, David; Sleight, Graham (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (4th ed.). Retrieved 2021-11-22.
  3. ^ a b c Westfahl, Gary (2021). "Stars". Science Fiction Literature through History: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 603. ISBN 978-1-4408-6617-3.
  4. ^ a b c Stableford, Brian; Langford, David (2022). "Living Worlds". In Clute, John; Langford, David; Sleight, Graham (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (4th ed.). Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  5. ^ a b McKinney, Richard L. (2005). "Stars". In Westfahl, Gary (ed.). The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy: Themes, Works, and Wonders. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 751–753. ISBN 978-0-313-32952-4.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Westfahl, Gary (2021). "Alien Worlds". Science Fiction Literature through History: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. pp. 107–110. ISBN 978-1-4408-6617-3.
  7. ^ Clute, John; Langford, David (2023). "Clement, Hal". In Clute, John; Langford, David; Sleight, Graham (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (4th ed.). Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  8. ^ Stableford, Brian (2006). "Clement, Hal". Science Fact and Science Fiction: An Encyclopedia. Taylor & Francis. pp. 90–91. ISBN 978-0-415-97460-8.
  9. ^ Langford, David (2015). "Discworld [series]". In Clute, John; Langford, David; Sleight, Graham (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (4th ed.). Retrieved 2021-11-29.
  10. ^ Kaufman, Mark (2020-01-15). "Tatooine Worlds". Astrobiology at NASA: Life in the Universe. Archived from the original on 2023-08-11. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  11. ^ a b c d e f Stableford, Brian (2006). "Planet". Science Fact and Science Fiction: An Encyclopedia. Taylor & Francis. pp. 374–376. ISBN 978-0-415-97460-8.
  12. ^ Clute, John; Edwards, Malcolm (2024). "Asimov, Isaac". In Clute, John; Langford, David; Sleight, Graham (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (4th ed.). Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  13. ^ a b Langford, David (2023). "Great Year". In Clute, John; Langford, David; Sleight, Graham (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (4th ed.). Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  14. ^ Clute, John; Pringle, David (2024). "Aldiss, Brian W". In Clute, John; Langford, David; Sleight, Graham (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (4th ed.). Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  15. ^ Stableford, Brian; Clute, John (2024). "Martin, George R R". In Clute, John; Langford, David; Sleight, Graham (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (4th ed.). Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  16. ^ Suvin, Darko; Clute, John (2023). "Lem, Stanisław". In Clute, John; Langford, David; Sleight, Graham (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (4th ed.). Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  17. ^ Clute, John (2022). "Forward, Robert L". In Clute, John; Langford, David; Sleight, Graham (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (4th ed.). Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  18. ^ Stableford, Brian (2006). "Forward, Robert L". Science Fact and Science Fiction: An Encyclopedia. Taylor & Francis. pp. 191–192. ISBN 978-0-415-97460-8.
  19. ^ Langford, David (2018). "Gaia". In Clute, John; Langford, David; Sleight, Graham (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (4th ed.). Retrieved 2021-12-04.
  20. ^ Stableford, Brian (2023). "Life on Other Worlds". In Clute, John; Langford, David; Sleight, Graham (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (4th ed.). Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  21. ^ Clute, John (2022). "Stone, Leslie F". In Clute, John; Langford, David; Sleight, Graham (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (4th ed.). Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  22. ^ Peter, Nicholls; Langford, David (2019). "Generation Starships". In Clute, John; Langford, David; Sleight, Graham (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (4th ed.). Retrieved 2021-12-02.
  23. ^ Schaaf, Fred (2008). "Alpha Centauri". The Brightest Stars: Discovering the Universe through the Sky's Most Brilliant Stars. Wiley. pp. 122–123. ISBN 978-0-471-70410-2. The first great science-fiction story in which Alpha Centauri played a major role may have been a 1944 tale by A. E. van Vogt. I read it in a much later anthology when I was a kid. The title of the tale—including the sound of that title—was what really filled me with admiration and has stuck with me ever since: "Far Centaurus." Although the name Proxima Centauri basically means "near Centaurus," the title of the story is appropriate because the tale tells of a first spaceship journey that would take many generations to complete—"'Tis for far Centaurus we sail!"
  24. ^ Stableford, Brian (2004). "Barton, William R.". Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction Literature. Scarecrow Press. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-8108-4938-9. Alpha Centauri (1997), in which terrorists plague the colony ship which is humankind's last hope
  25. ^ a b Marcovitz, Hal (2011). "Chapter One: The Aliens Arrive". Aliens in Pop Culture. Extraterrestrial Life. Capstone. pp. 11–12. ISBN 978-1-60152-365-5. In 1854 French writer Charlemagne-Ischir Defontenay published one of the first novels about space travel that was not written in a satirical tone. In the book titled Star, Defontenay described an alien civilization on a planet he named Psi Cassiopeia.
  26. ^ Pringle, David, ed. (1996). "SF in the 18th Century". The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Science Fiction: The Definitive Illustrated Guide. Carlton. p. 16. ISBN 1-85868-188-X. OCLC 38373691.
  27. ^ Clute, John; Peter, Nicholls (2022). "Defontenay, C I". In Clute, John; Langford, David; Sleight, Graham (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (4th ed.). Retrieved 2024-04-15. Star, ou Ψ de Cassiopée: histoire merveilleuse de l'un des mondes de l'espace, nature singulière, coutumes, voyages, littérature starienne, poèmes et comédies traduits du starien (1854; trans P J Sokolowski as Star (Psi Cassiopeia) 1975 US, with intro by Pierre Versins) describes the discovery in the Himalayas of a box inside a meteorite, full of packets of information about life on several planets orbiting Psi Cassiopeia.
  28. ^ Stableford, Brian (2004) [1976]. "Star (Psi Cassiopeia)". In Barron, Neil (ed.). Anatomy of Wonder: A Critical Guide to Science Fiction (5th ed.). Westport, Connecticut: Libraries unlimited. p. 179. ISBN 978-1-59158-171-0. A pioneering account of life in the vicinity of Star, a world in a solar system that has three principal suns and a miniature sun that orbits Star along with four satellite planets. The multicolored light from these various sources has kaleidoscopic effects on the surface of Star, which is inhabited by variously sized humanoids whose history—involving forced migrations to its inhabited neighbors—is elaborately described.
  29. ^ a b Liptak, Andrew (2015-07-20). "Visiting Tau Ceti with 4 Science Fiction Authors". B&N Reads. Archived from the original on 2024-04-14. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  30. ^ a b Nicoll, James Davis (2023-09-20). "Star Power: Five Classic SF Works Featuring Tau Ceti". Reactor. Archived from the original on 2024-04-14. Retrieved 2024-04-15.

Further reading[edit]

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