Questions tagged [space]
For story-identification questions which are related to or might be set in space. Always use in conjunction with the [story-identification] tag.
97
questions
5
votes
1
answer
823
views
Two spacecraft pilots travel at light speed, meet back on Earth in different era due to time dilation
I've been looking for the name of a sci-fi romance book about space travel but haven't been successful so far. I came across it a few years ago, read the plot on its back cover but didn't read the ...
- 67
32
votes
1
answer
888
views
Process management and high technology weapon. Novel name and author?
I am looking for help to point me out at a very old novel (likely from the '60s) about two empires at interstellar war. When it comes to starships, one is technologically very advanced, and the other ...
- 415
18
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Looking for title of sci fi short story about attempts to colonise planet (Venus?). Scientist and his dog are main characters
They want to see if humans can survive in harsh planet conditions with a view to future colonisation. Scientist guy invents a machine which can transform humans into beings which are adapted to ...
- 183
17
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Sole survivor of attack on mining vessel, abandoned by his employer, has ability to teleport
There's a story my grandpa use to tell me when I was younger, about the sole survivor of of an attack on a mining vessel in space. The man lives in space for months/years, ignored by the company he ...
- 173
22
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Novel(s) based on humanity fleeing from Earth and regressing to a pre-industrial state on a Colony so as to escape detection
Shortly before his death, my father spoke to me about a series of novels that he had just finished reading which had a fascinating concept. However I soon forgot the title(s) and author and I've been ...
- 1,497
18
votes
1
answer
3k
views
A novel (or maybe a whole series) where a weird disease infects men and machines
I just got an answer to one of my question that sent me refresh my memory about Vernon Vinge’s “Zones of Thought” Universe. There I saw the word “Blight”, and this reminded me of something which might ...
- 22.2k
14
votes
2
answers
1k
views
1970s space cadet training novel for young adults [duplicate]
I would love to identify a sci-fi novel I read in the late 60s or 70s. It followed a group of young space cadets through their training in the Space Academy. The training culminated in small groups ...
- 151
7
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Series about proxy space battles via implanted computers in kids
The premise of the story is that there are 2-3 main coalitions on Earth and they fight over resources in the edges of the solar system with spaceships that are controlled from Earth by kids with ...
- 32.6k
32
votes
3
answers
3k
views
What novel had an isolationist Earth and the rest of humanity in a war of attrition against aliens?
In the book, humans were in a long war with an alien race that had a slight upper hand in numbers and technology, and so were slowly losing ground. At the start of the war, Earth had cut itself off ...
- 5,767
21
votes
1
answer
6k
views
Book about a boy whose tribe is separated from another tribe by a swamp and taboos. It turns out they're all living aboard a spaceship
The book is about a boy whose tribe is separated from another tribe by a swamp and taboos. He breaks the taboos, finds the monster in the swamp, which is, I think, a machine, and the sky a dome with ...
- 213
13
votes
4
answers
14k
views
How did the Avalon (seemingly) get to Arcturus so quickly if they're only traveling at .5 of lightspeed?
Assume spoilers about Passengers from here, but really this has nothing to do with the plot so...
There are a number of tiny points to criticize in the film, but what I'm really coming up empty on is ...
39
votes
7
answers
10k
views
What would really happen if you were exposed to space? [closed]
It seems that every science fiction story has a different idea about what would happen if a human were exposed to the vacuum of space.
At the end of Total Recall, Quaid and Melina are ejected to ...
- 2,180
32
votes
3
answers
9k
views
What is the geometry of the universe in "The Wall of Darkness" by Arthur C Clarke?
The Wall of Darkness by Arthur C. Clarke (1949) is a piece of Math fiction, usually quoted in semi-academic circles as illustrating the geometry of the Moebius band.
It deals with a universe with a ...
- 3,643
27
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Book from the late 1980's about an abandoned space station [duplicate]
I read this book about 1988-89.
Sci fi, dealt with an alien space station (out in deep space) that humans stumble upon, long abandoned by a possibly insect-like race, human sized (they can tell from ...
- 273
19
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Short story about an asteroid colony where the plumber is an unclean/outcast
It's a short story that I read in a book at some point in the 1990's. It was the French translation, so it might have been older. I believe it was a short story by Isaac Asimov, set in the early days ...
- 8,877
11
votes
1
answer
796
views
Space film about pilots and navigators
It is a space film set on the relatively near future. Earlier than Star Trek but probably later than firefly. It was made in the 80s, I think it was American.
It was on a space station, the setup is ...
- 11.1k
10
votes
5
answers
1k
views
First story to describe humans colonizing another planet?
Elon Musk has plans to colonize Mars within the next decade. This made me think: What was the first SF story to describe humans colonizing another planet?
I don't want stories where humans establish a ...
10
votes
1
answer
835
views
Need help remembering sci-fi movie from the 90s maybe where someone is sabotaging the crew
I saw this movie years ago and can't quite remember it. All I remember is there was a crew trapped in space and they're trying to survive but someone on the crew is sabotaging them. The drinking water ...
- 103
9
votes
1
answer
550
views
Boy born in space needing to somersault and spin to counteract earth's rotation
What is the title of the book I read in the 1960s or 1970s about a boy that somersaulted and spun throughout the day?
As he grew it became worse. The boy claimed he had a need to do this to feel ...
- 91
6
votes
1
answer
218
views
Early 1980s graphic novel about human spies undercover on an intergalactic cruise
In the early to mid '80s I read a graphic novel about space travel in the distant future. A human couple win a lottery for an intergalactic cruise line. In reality they are spies that have to get ...
- 63
5
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Animated series from 80s or 90s involving Space ships and an orange tree farm in a canyon
I am looking for the name of a sci-fi cartoon.
Key plot points
There were Space ships flown by some American voiced crew.
They were some kind of rescue squad or maybe space police.
In one episode ...
- 51
1
vote
1
answer
473
views
Twelve Days of Christmas, set in space? [duplicate]
I remember reading a Science Fiction book during my youth (1980 ish) that was multiple books, had some Native American themes and the end puzzle all revolved around using twelve rings in a specific ...
- 87
29
votes
1
answer
2k
views
A SF novel about a boy sold at a slave auction in a spaceport
I read this at least 20 years ago. I read it in a rather slim paperback in French, a novel but rather short, and probably a translation.
I only remember the beginning. In a spaceport in a polity where ...
- 22.2k
26
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Anyone know this science fiction story about a sentient space suit?
Does anyone know the title or author of a story where a lone spaceman is walking across lunar surface in a suit that has sentience. The story skilfully teases the reader into believing the spaceman is ...
- 261
25
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Time distorted space exploration
Looking for a book starting with the abandonment of war torn earth. Scientists discover how to distort time for people and objects. They use that distortion to slow their perception and aging.
...
- 267
21
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Star Wars Spacewalks
In Star Wars, it seems that space-faring pilots and passengers never leave their craft (with the memorable exception of of Han Solo, Leia, and Chewbacca on the asteroid with the Exogorth, which wasn't ...
- 1,794
21
votes
2
answers
3k
views
What's that 1950s movie where astronauts land on Mars but Martians trick them to thinking it's their Earth hometown?
I've been looking for this movie for years. When I was a kid I saw a 1950s/60s sci fi about astronauts that land on Mars (I think it was Mars) but the Martians transform the landing site to look like ...
- 313
20
votes
1
answer
911
views
Novel about space marine dealing with relativity? [duplicate]
I read half a book in a library a while ago that followed a guy from the first set of marines to actually go fight. They have gel-pod-beds to survive accelerations in space. after the first mission, ...
- 771
17
votes
1
answer
552
views
Literature scene where a man determines he's in a space station by doing some tests
This was part of the prologue of a book on psychology and physiology (for a chapter on senses outside of the typical 5) that I have since misplaced. I'm pretty sure that I read it somewhere in the ...
- 233k
15
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Short story of a race who discovered primitive but subtle interstellar travel [duplicate]
Many years (20+?) ago in Analog SF magazine I read a short story where a culture discovered interstellar travel shortly after the start of their iron age. They could construct air-tight ships and ...
- 261
15
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Very short story on Mars. Possibly one of Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles, but maybe not
The answer to a recent question of mine was one of the Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury. This reminded me of my very first touch with SF.
It had to be in 1962 at the very latest because I remember ...
- 22.2k
14
votes
3
answers
709
views
Book about a man on a space station who sees himself
I'm looking for a book about a man on a space station who travels through time and sees himself lurking around, but he doesn't know it and hits the intruder over the head.
He is setting traps for the ...
- 149
13
votes
1
answer
1k
views
70s/80s Sci-Fi book with teleport gates on sub-light spacecraft and an army space suit
I must have read this 35 years ago.
The book was a not particularly thick paperback, which as I recall had a picture of a spacesuit helmet on the cover - white helmet with a green visor which looked ...
- 133
11
votes
1
answer
2k
views
In what issue did Batman survive the vacuum of space?
In what issue did Batman survive the vacuum of space? I heard this a long time ago while watching Death Battle.
user76351
11
votes
1
answer
491
views
Movie about a space cargo transporter escorting the daughter of the president to a space station
I am looking for a space movie I saw one night on TV, I think it was 2015 or 2016. I don't remember any person's name so it might be difficult. Also searched the entire Wikipedia and Googled a lot but ...
- 111
10
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Movie with a war between Russia and the USA witnessed by astronauts on a space station?
Some years ago, I saw a scifi movie from the 70s/80s and I remember the following scene: It's the future, two astronauts (a Russian and an American) are floating above the Earth in a space station. ...
- 203
10
votes
1
answer
581
views
Novel with galaxy divided up among Earth nations, enemy aliens controlled by parasites, and teleporting hero
In the early 1980s I skimmed a book in the high school library (possibly in the B-section, because I used to think it was a Biggle or Brunner). It had the following elements (I hope these are all ...
- 56.6k
9
votes
2
answers
977
views
Child's science fiction book about kids in space with a metal disk and an alien chasing them after it
I recall reading a book in the 5th grade about a boy, a girl and a dog that end up traveling through space with an odd lizard-like alien. The kids found a piece of metal (a disk) and nailed it to ...
- 705
7
votes
1
answer
497
views
Generic '90s / early '00s sci-fi movie series with a reference to Tom & Jerry cartoons having been banned [duplicate]
I'm looking for a sci-fi series, set in space, where I have one scene in my mind:
The spaceship captain is doing his PhD-or-similar in history, namely about late 20th/early 21st century and we hear ...
- 173
7
votes
1
answer
859
views
Sci-fi series with a war against pink blob-like bad guys who can mentally inflict pain
I'm looking for a science-fiction book series where there is a universal war between multiple alien species. The bad guys are pink blob-like beings with mental abilities to induce pain. They have this ...
6
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Searching for a short story from the point of view of alien alone at an outpost
In my English class - 7 years ago - we had Isaac Asimov as topic, but this little story was not one of his.
It was about a single guy on a outpost. He tells about how normal his live is and how nice ...
- 1,629
4
votes
1
answer
459
views
In the movie Arrival, were the visitors "playing dumb"?
It appears a clever trick the visitors were using...
- 1,077
3
votes
2
answers
509
views
Is there a benefit beyond the rule of cool to the majority of Star Wars craft having actuating wings?
In space no one cares if you're aerodynamic. That said, why bother having actuating wings on craft primarily meant for space travel? Sure the X-Wing looks cool, but looking cool is hardly a sufficient ...
- 5,110
3
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Back To The Future: moving in time but not in space?
Every time the DeLorean travels in time, it appears in the same place as the place it left. But that's the same place relative to the Earth's surface. In space-time terms, that point is constantly ...
- 6,608
45
votes
1
answer
4k
views
Huge trees in an "air belt" in space
I read this decades ago.
The idea that there was in space, around some star, an "air" belt, like an asteroid belt, with enough atmosphere that people could live there without special life-...
- 22.2k
43
votes
4
answers
11k
views
Why didn't Jupiter becoming a star kill everyone on earth and cause all kinds of problems for the solar system?
In 2010: The Year We Make Contact, the climax of the film is quite bizarre. Jupiter's mass is replaced by billions of black monoliths, eventually collapsing in on itself and becoming a star.
...
- 70.2k
38
votes
2
answers
6k
views
Why didn't the Normandy crew experience time dilation?
In the Suicide Mission in Mass Effect 2, Commander Shepard and the Normandy crew travel to the galactic core to destroy the Collector Base.
The Collector Base is located on the accretion disc of a ...
- 491
31
votes
3
answers
2k
views
What psychological space station thriller novel features all the crew getting killed one-by-one?
I'm looking for a book I read some time ago - probably published in the late 90s/early 00s. I can hardly remember any of it, but I will describe it as best as I can.
It was I think set in the future, ...
- 311
24
votes
0
answers
505
views
Astronauts on Europa (moon), time-shift future, gravity, intelligent computer, Aries, 1960s?
I'm looking for the title and artists of a comic about some astronauts (around five I think) doing research/archaeology on (I think) Europa (Jupiter's moon). They're working when one or more of them ...
- 2,899
24
votes
1
answer
4k
views
Do they really watch Firefly on the International Space Station
I saw this photo online:
I was wondering if this photo is legit, or some Photoshop by Firefly fans. If it is legitimate, why do they have a copy of Firefly and Serenity on board the International ...
- 711