From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

No Two Worlds Are the Same: Planetary Diversity in SF

There is no cookie cutter when it comes to celestial bodies...

https://reactormag.com/no-two-worlds-are-the-same-planetary-diversity-in-sf/
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
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From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

On 21/08/2025 14.19, James Nicoll wrote:

No Two Worlds Are the Same: Planetary Diversity in SF

There is no cookie cutter when it comes to celestial bodies...

https://reactormag.com/no-two-worlds-are-the-same-planetary-diversity-in-sf/

I'm reminded of this bit of narration from Anderson's "The Day of Burning":

[Ronruad] was a dwarf planet, an ocherous pebble that would not make a
decent splash if it fell into one of the gas giants. But the least of
planets is still a world: mountains, plains, valleys, arroyos, caves,
waters, square kilometers by the millions, too vast and varied for
any mind to grasp. [...]

Because not only a planet won't be like any other planet, but a planet isn't even like itself (a point which you did make in your essay).
--
Michael F. Stemper
This post contains greater than 95% post-consumer bytes by weight.

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From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

On 8/21/25 3:19 PM, James Nicoll wrote:

No Two Worlds Are the Same: Planetary Diversity in SF

There is no cookie cutter when it comes to celestial bodies...

https://reactormag.com/no-two-worlds-are-the-same-planetary-diversity-in-sf/

I am remembering... aha, yes:
There's a page At TvTropes called "Planet of Hats" that addresses this,
and (of course) mentions many works that succumb to too much uniformity. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PlanetOfHats

Lots of references and links there, 'cause TvTropes.
Tony
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From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

On 8/22/2025 11:35 AM, Tony Nance wrote:

On 8/21/25 3:19 PM, James Nicoll wrote:

No Two Worlds Are the Same: Planetary Diversity in SF

There is no cookie cutter when it comes to celestial bodies...

https://reactormag.com/no-two-worlds-are-the-same-planetary-diversity-
in-sf/

I am remembering... aha, yes:
There's a page At TvTropes called "Planet of Hats" that addresses this,
and (of course) mentions many works that succumb to too much uniformity. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PlanetOfHats

Lots of references and links there, 'cause TvTropes.
Tony

"It was raining on planet Mongo."

pt
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