Planetary Series - Solar System

Solar System

Weinbaum's solar system corresponds to the scientific solar system as envisioned in the mid-1930s, with details supplied from Weinbaum's imagination. By 1934, the solar system was known to consist of the Sun, nine planets, 26 moons, and a few thousand asteroids and comets. Unlike the solar system as known today, Weinbaum's system was full of life-forms, many of them intelligent; however, only the humans of Earth possessed the capacity for spaceflight (though there is evidence the Martians may have had it in the past). Weinbaum limited himself to planets and moons as settings, naming the following:

• Venus — Setting of Parasite Planet and The Lotus Eaters. Weinbaum's Venus rotates synchronously with its revolution, so that one side is scorched by the unremitting heat of the Sun, and the other remains in an eternal frozen night. Mild temperatures are only found in a narrow, planet-girdling "twilight zone". First (failed) expedition to Venus led by de Lancey. Later successful expeditions led by Crowly (U.S.) and Burlingame (U.K.). Portions of the twilight zone are claimed by the United States, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. Human settlements include Erotia (American) and Venoble (British).
• Earth — Home of the only actively spacefaring civilization in the Solar System. As of the 22nd century, still divided into many independent, competing nations, including the U.S., U.K., Russia, France, Germany, Netherlands. Pacific War was fought here c. 2070, including the use of atomic bombs.
  • Earth's Moon — Considered "arid and useless". Annexed by Russia.
• Mars — Setting of A Martian Odyssey and Valley of Dreams. A largely desert planet, consisting of orange deserts, grey plains covered with 'biopods', and criss-crossed by canals that feed water from the polar caps. First visited by the international (U.S./French/German) Ares expedition. Home to the intelligent Martians, the semi-intelligent barrel-creatures, the unintelligent pyramid builders, and the deadly dream-beast.
• Jupiter: Fifth planet from the sun, three of whose four large moons are habitable, though Europa only barely so. Radiates sufficient heat to warm the inner moons well beyond the heat they receive from the Sun.
  • Io — Setting of The Mad Moon. Two major settlements are Junopolis at the north pole and Herapolis at the south pole. Heated by both the sun and Jupiter's own heat, the remainder of the moon is a fever-ridden wilderness. Home of loonies and slinkers. The pharmaceutical ferva is collected here.
  • Europa — Setting of Redemption Cairn. Mostly airless, with the small amount of air there is collected in valleys on the Jupiter-facing side of the moon. The rocks are rich in deposits of protactinium.
  • Ganymede — Setting of Tidal Moon. The moon is swept by periodic tidal waves that circle it every three months. The only surface vegetation, save at the poles, is the medicinal cree moss. Ganymede is chilly, with a temperature varying from 25° to 35° F. The subpolar flood belt creates atmospheric disturbances that interfere with radio communication.
• Saturn
  • Titan — Setting of Flight on Titan. A cold, snowy world buffeted by near-constant winds. Chief settlement is Nivia. Claimed by the United States.
  • Iapetus — Mentioned as a cold world supporting life. (The Lotus Eaters)
• Uranus — Setting of The Planet of Doubt. Seventh planet of the solar system, warmed by internal heat. Has a solid, sub-atmospheric surface, with seas and continents perpetually shrouded in fog. The thick atmosphere limits visibility to fifty feet, muffles sound, and effectively impedes radio communications. First visited by Young in 2060, then by the Gaea expedition in 2100. Can only be reached by rockets based on Titan (Saturn system). Portions claimed by the United States; no settlements as of 2100.
• Pluto — Setting of much of The Red Peri. Ninth and most distant planet of the solar system. First visited by Atsuki (unverified) and then by Hervey and Caspari. Larger than Earth and with a fifth again the gravity. Only human settlement was the pirate base of the Red Peri (2064-2080).