Jupiter in fiction
Encyclopedia
Jupiter
, the largest planet in the solar system
, is a popular backdrop for science fiction
stories and films. Although Jupiter is now known to have no solid surface one could land on, and has long been known to have an atmosphere, temperature, and high gravity hostile to human life, some earlier works of science fiction used Jupiter itself as a location for stories. More commonly, the Jovian system, including both the space around Jupiter and its very extensive system of moons
, is used as a setting.
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
, the largest planet in the solar system
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
, is a popular backdrop for science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
stories and films. Although Jupiter is now known to have no solid surface one could land on, and has long been known to have an atmosphere, temperature, and high gravity hostile to human life, some earlier works of science fiction used Jupiter itself as a location for stories. More commonly, the Jovian system, including both the space around Jupiter and its very extensive system of moons
Jupiter's moons in fiction
Jupiter's extensive system of natural satellites – in particular the four large Galilean moons – has been a common science fiction setting.- Satellite system :...
, is used as a setting.
Written works
- MicromégasMicromégas"Micromégas" is a short story by the French philosopher and satirist Voltaire. It is a significant development in the history of literature because it originates ideas which helped create the genre of science fiction....
(1752) by VoltaireVoltaireFrançois-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
. The eponymous hero and his Saturnian companion stop on Jupiter for a year, where they "learned some very remarkable secrets".
- A Journey in Other WorldsA Journey in Other WorldsA Journey in Other Worlds: A Romance of the Future is a science fiction novel by John Jacob Astor IV, published in 1894.The book offers a fictional account of life in the year 2088...
(1894) by John Jacob Astor IVJohn Jacob Astor IVJohn Jacob Astor IV was an American businessman, real estate builder, investor, inventor, writer, lieutenant colonel in the Spanish-American War and a member of the prominent Astor family...
. Explorers from Earth reach Jupiter, prior to traveling on to SaturnSaturnSaturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...
. On Jupiter the travelers encounter Earth-like dinosaurs.
- Skeleton Men of JupiterJohn Carter of Mars (collection)John Carter of Mars is the eleventh and final book in the Barsoom series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It is not actually a novel but rather a collection of two John Carter of Mars stories....
(1943) by Edgar Rice BurroughsEdgar Rice BurroughsEdgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
. John CarterJohn Carter (character)John Carter is a fictional character, created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, who appears in the Barsoom series of novels. Though actually a Virginian from Earth and a visitor to Mars, he is often referred to as "John Carter of Mars" in reference to the general setting in which his deeds are recorded, in...
is transported to Sasoom (Jupiter).
- City stories (1952) by Clifford D. SimakClifford D. SimakClifford Donald Simak was an American science fiction writer. He was honored by fans with three Hugo awards and by colleagues with one Nebula award and was named the third Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 1977.-Biography:Clifford Donald Simak was born in...
. Most of mankind is eventually voluntarily transformed into creatures able to survive on Jupiter without life support. In this new form, Jupiter appears as a paradise.
- Victory UnintentionalVictory UnintentionalVictory Unintentional is a humorous science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov, originally published in the August 1942 issue of Super Science Stories and included in the collections The Rest of the Robots and The Complete Robot...
(1942) by Isaac AsimovIsaac AsimovIsaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
. Human colonists on GanymedeGanymede (moon)Ganymede is a satellite of Jupiter and the largest moon in the Solar System. It is the seventh moon and third Galilean satellite outward from Jupiter. Completing an orbit in roughly seven days, Ganymede participates in a 1:2:4 orbital resonance with the moons Europa and Io, respectively...
send three extremely powerful and durable robots to explore the surface of Jupiter and contact the JoviansJovian (fiction)-Jovians in literature:* In H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos , Jupiter was the one-time home of the flying polyps.* In Isaac Asimov's short story Victory Unintentional , human colonists on Ganymede send robots to Jupiter to contact the Jovians, who are planning a war with the humans.* In Poul...
.
- Buy JupiterBuy Jupiter"Buy Jupiter!" is a humorous science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the May 1958 issue of Venture Science Fiction Magazine, and reprinted in the 1975 collection Buy Jupiter and Other Stories...
(1958) by Isaac Asimov. Aliens purchase Jupiter to use as a giant billboard advertising their products to passing trade ships.
- A Meeting with MedusaA Meeting with MedusaA Meeting with Medusa is a science fiction novella by Arthur C. Clarke. It was originally published in 1971 and has since been included in several collections of Clarke's writings.-Plot summary:...
(1972), novella by Arthur C. ClarkeArthur C. ClarkeSir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, famous for his short stories and novels, among them 2001: A Space Odyssey, and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein,...
. A journey into the depths of Jupiter's atmosphere, where vast, mile-sized floating life-forms have evolved. This is similar to a scene in 2010 in which Clarke posits that the heart of Jupiter is a diamond the size of Earth.
- The Jupiter TheftThe Jupiter TheftThe Jupiter Theft is a 1977 novel by science fiction writer Donald Moffitt, re-printed in 2003 with a new afterword. The initial part of the novel mixes near-future thriller and disaster novel scenarios, focussing on the discovery of a moving gamma-ray source headed towards Earth from the direction...
(1977) by Donald MoffittDonald MoffittDonald Moffitt is an author of a number of science fiction novels. Most famous among these are The Genesis Quest and Second Genesis.-Novels:*The Jupiter Theft *The Genesis Quest...
. A Chinese/American JupiterJupiterJupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
mission is diverted to investigate five immense alien spacecraft headed towards Earth from the direction of Cygnus X-1Cygnus X-1Cygnus X-1 is a well-known galactic X-ray source in the constellation Cygnus. It was discovered in 1964 during a rocket flight and is one of the strongest X-ray sources seen from Earth, producing a peak X-ray flux density of 2.3 Wm−2Hz−1...
. The survivors of the captured Jupiter Mission discover their true purpose in appearing in the Solar System is to raid our solar system of a Jupiter-mass planets to use as fuel. In taking Jupiter, the aliens leave behind the burnt-out husk of their prior Jovian type fuel planet, which remains as the central core of a new mini-solar system in the past location of Jupiter.
- Bio of A Space TyrantBio of a Space TyrantBio of a Space Tyrant series is a six-book science-fiction series by Piers Anthony based within the solar system. The series revolves around the character Hope Hubris and his family, and charts Hope's ascent from poor Hispanic refugee to Tyrant of Jupiter, a single person heading the Executive,...
series (1983–2001) by Piers AnthonyPiers AnthonyPiers Anthony Dillingham Jacob is an English American writer in the science fiction and fantasy genres, publishing under the name Piers Anthony. He is most famous for his long-running novel series set in the fictional realm of Xanth.Many of his books have appeared on the New York Times Best...
. Jupiter is rendered into an analogue of North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. The moons are the Caribbean (and possibly Central AmericaCentral AmericaCentral America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
as well), Jupiter itself is inhabited by floating cities in its atmosphere to represent the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and the Red Spot represents MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
- The Cassini Division (1998) by Ken MacLeodKen MacLeodKen MacLeod , is a Scottish science fiction writer.MacLeod was born in Stornoway. He graduated from Glasgow University with a degree in zoology and has worked as a computer programmer and written a masters thesis on biomechanics....
, part of the Fall Revolution series (1995–1999). Jupiter has been converted by transhumanistTranshumanismTranshumanism, often abbreviated as H+ or h+, is an international intellectual and cultural movement that affirms the possibility and desirability of fundamentally transforming the human condition by developing and making widely available technologies to eliminate aging and to greatly enhance human...
s into a habitat for post-human uploads known as the Jovians, while the Solar Union (an inner system socialistSocialismSocialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
collective) and New Mars (a capitalistCapitalismCapitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
extrasolarExtrasolar planetAn extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a planet outside the Solar System. A total of such planets have been identified as of . It is now known that a substantial fraction of stars have planets, including perhaps half of all Sun-like stars...
colony) consider whether to attack the civilization, which they perceive to be potentially threatening.
- JupiterJupiter (novel)Jupiter is a science fiction novel by American writer Ben Bova. This novel is part of the Grand Tour series of novels. It was first published in 2000.- Plot synopsis :...
(2001) by Ben BovaBen BovaBenjamin William Bova is an American science-fiction author and editor. He is the recipient of six Hugo Awards for Best Professional Editor for his work at Analog Science Fiction in the 1970's.-Personal life:...
. A journey into Jupiter's clouds, storms, and the liquid stage of its atmosphere for the discovery of intelligent life there. See also: Grand Tour (novel series)Grand Tour (novel series)-Summary:The novels present a theme of exploration and colonization of the solar system by humans in the late 21st century. Most of the books focus on the exploration of one particular planet or planetary moon....
.
- Manta's Gift (2002) by Timothy ZahnTimothy ZahnTimothy Zahn is a writer of science fiction short stories and novels. His novella Cascade Point won the 1984 Hugo award. He is the author of nine Star Wars Expanded Universe novels, including seven novels featuring Grand Admiral Thrawn: the Thrawn Trilogy, the Hand of Thrawn duology, Outbound...
. Jupiter is the home of the Qanska, intelligent lifeforms who dwell amid the layered atmosphere of the planet's equator. The brain of a quadriplegic human is transplanted into an embryonic Qanska, resulting in a transfer of human consciousness to a different species.
- The Golden Age trilogy (2002–3) by John C. Wright. Jupiter has been ignited to form a second miniature sun. A supercollider orbits the entire equator of this new star, and is used to produce stable, artificial transuranic elements. The supercollider and the moons of Jupiter are occupied by an industrialist named Gannis, who has apparently peopled it with copies of himself.
- LarklightLarklightLarklight is a children's novel by author Philip Reeve. Illustrated by David Wyatt, it is the first book in the Larklight Trilogy. The hardcover edition has alternate title lines Or the Revenge of the White Spiders! or to Saturn's Rings and Back!...
(2006) by Philip ReevePhilip ReevePhilip Reeve is a British author and illustrator. He presently lives on Dartmoor with his wife Sarah and their son Samuel.-Biography:...
. Jupiter's moons are home to many races that once warred with each other, and are the outskirts of Earth's empire. Old Thunderhead, a sentient storm thousands of years old who has been worshipped as a God, lives on Jupiter along with other sentinent storms. The Jovians breed spores, which can effect minds. They were once used for war and now are only used for advertising.
- The Intrepid: Earth's moment of awareness (2008) by Michael James Wilson. Shockwaves from Loop I compress the Local Cloud and heliopause for an imminent contact with the planet JupiterJupiterJupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
initiating the birth of the newest binary star in the Milky WayMilky WayThe Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
.
- Journey to JupiterJourney to JupiterJourney to Jupiter is a juvenile science fiction novel, the eighth in Hugh Walters' Chris Godfrey of U.N.E.X.A. series. It was published in the UK by Faber in 1965 and in the US by Criterion Books in 1966.-Plot summary:...
(1965) by Hugh WaltersHugh Walters (author)Hugh Walters was a writer of juvenile Science Fiction novels from Bradley in the West Midlands region of the United Kingdom.-Biography:...
- the eighth in a series of juvenile novels chronicling the exploits of the (fictional) "United Nations Exploration Agency" - features the first mission to Jupiter.
Comics and manga
- In the Battle Angel mangaMangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series by Yukito KishiroYukito Kishirois a Japanese manga artist, born March 20, 1967 in Tokyo, Japan.-Works:*Hito **Kikai **Kaiousei **Hito **Dai-Majin **Mirai Tokyo Headman **Uchukaizokushonendai...
, Jupiter has been colonized by man and is now in the process of having a large artificial surface built over the clouds, having consumed all but a few of its moons for raw materials. The Jupiter Union, as they are known, are in conflict over control of the solar systemSolar SystemThe Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
with VenusVenusVenus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
, MarsMarsMars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
and EarthEarthEarth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
.
- Early issues of 2000 AD comic featured a version of the character Dan DareDan DareDan Dare is a British science fiction comic hero, created by illustrator Frank Hampson who also wrote the first stories, that is, the Venus and Red Moon stories, and a complete storyline for Operation Saturn...
. The first 11 issues contained a story in which Dare and his allies fought a malevolent alien race - the Biogs - who had set up a base of operations on Jupiter, apparently within the Great Red Spot itself.
- In All-Star Comics #22 the JSAJustice Society of AmericaThe Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
battle a group of creatures from Jupiter that absorb metal, and defeats them all.
- In All-Star Comics #13 the Justice Society of AmericaJustice Society of AmericaThe Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
are gassed and sent to different planets by Nazi scientist Hans Goobsten. As StarmanStarman (comics)Starman is a name used by several different fictional DC Comics superheroes, most prominently Ted Knight and his sons David and Jack.Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Jack Burnley, the original Starman, Ted Knight, first appeared in Adventure Comics #61...
awakens from his gas-induced sleep, he sees the planet Jupiter looming before him. As his ship begins to crash, he is saved by several flying men of metal, who explain that, due to the cold and lack of oxygen, they wear metal clothes for protection. They show Starman what had happened to the JSA back on Earth and how Hitler had had the members rocketed to different planets. The metal men then tell him that they are doomed because some mysterious force is eating the planet. Starman flies out to investigate and is attacked as he flies over the mysterious red spot on the planet, which is the source of the problem. Starman then builds a giant "gravity rod" and uses it to fling the dangerous foreign matter into space. In gratitude, the men of Jupiter give Starman books that tell how to treat metal so it can be woven into cloth, or made transparent as glass or entirely invisible! Starman then uses the force of the giant gravity rod to propel his ship back to Earth.
- In All-Star Comics #55 Jupiter was the first planet to be invaded by a race of green-headed aliens, who threatened to destroy the Jovians unless they assisted them in conquering the Solar System's other planets. Earth is the last planet left. The JSA travel to Jupiter, and are able to finally defeat the Invaders. The Jovians are 10 ft tall and telepatic.
- As a boy, Clark KentClark KentClark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
meets an eight-armed inhabitant of Jupiter publicly promoting an "Interplanetary Circus" (Adv No. 198, Mar 1954: "The Super-Carnival from Space").
- In Marvel FamilyMarvel FamilyThe Marvel Family is a group of fictional characters, a team of superheroes in the Fawcett Comics and DC Comics universes. Created in 1942 by writer Otto Binder and Fawcett artists C. C...
#5 Jupiter is shown to be inhabitated by a race of caveman, with dinosaur-like creatures also on the world. They go to rescue astronauts whose spaceship is stuck there. They civilise the inhabitants, giving them fire, the wheel, knowledge of the production of iron, and the Alphabet. The ship is fixed and the Marvels leave the world, delighted at doing in one day what took thousands of years on Earth.
- In Marvel Family #36 the Marvels go to Jupiter, which according to this story has gravity 300 times stronger then Earth (it actually has gravity nearly 2.3 times stronger). The Jovians resseamble very short, stout humans. They are an advanced race, capable of interplanetery travel, and their scientific equipment helps the Marvels discover the nature of the Invaders from Infinity, which resseamble giant fireballs, (see List of Captain Marvel (DC Comics) enemies). The Jovians are forced to evacuate after their fleet is defeated by the Invaders, but after the Invaders are contained and destroyed they get back to Jupiter, and tell the Marvels they will be their friends. They know of the Martians, calling them a treacherous race.
Film, TV and radio
- Space Patrol (1962), puppet television series.
- "The Swamps of Jupiter" episode. Captain Dart and his crew are sent to investigate the loss of contact with a scientific base on Jupiter and encounter Martian fur trappers who are killing the local Loomi creatures for their heat-retaining skins.
- "The Walking Lake of Jupiter" episode. Scientists Dr Brown and Dr Smith discover that water from a Jovian lake has the power to cause inanimate objects to move as if with a life of their own. Dart arrives to witness the phenomenon. and ends up on the trail of the unfortunate Dr Brown, whose spacesuit has become energized by the Jovian water.
- In Invasion of the Astro-MonsterInvasion of Astro-MonsterInvasion of Astro-Monster is a Science Fiction kaiju film released in 1965 as a direct sequel to Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster...
(1965), a small planetoid is discovered in Jupiter's orbit, and duo of visiting astronauts meet a sentient alien race who live on the planet.
Games
- The children's game Scholastic's The Magic School Bus: Space Exploration Game for the Sega Genesis (1995) features an exploration of the planet Jupiter to find Ms. Frizzle. Players take pictures of the Planet, its features and moons, and other various objects on the way. They then land the bus and search for Ms. Frizzle in the atmosphere of Jupiter. The expedition ends with a picture puzzle and card matchup which both have major points/features of Jupiter and the surrounding system.
- In Warhammer 40,000Warhammer 40,000Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics...
, Jupiter is the site of a vast orbiting shipyard where warships and other starships are constructed by the Imperium of Man.
Written works
- In Arthur C. ClarkeArthur C. ClarkeSir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, famous for his short stories and novels, among them 2001: A Space Odyssey, and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein,...
's Space OdysseyThe Space Odyssey seriesThe Space Odyssey series is a science fiction series of four novels and two films created from 1968 to 1997, primarily by the writer Arthur C. Clarke...
series, Jupiter is a major location. For the first story in the series, 2001: A Space Odyssey, the novel and film differ. In the novel2001: A Space Odyssey (novel)2001: A Space Odyssey is a science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke. It was developed concurrently with Stanley Kubrick's film version and published after the release of the film...
, the spaceship Discovery OneDiscovery OneUnited States Spacecraft Discovery One is a fictional spacecraft appearing in The Space Odyssey series, including the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. Discovery One is a large, nuclear-powered interplanetary spaceship.-History:...
is travelling to Saturn, and flies close to Jupiter to accelerate via the "gravitational slingshot" effect. The movie 2001: A Space Odyssey2001: A Space Odyssey (film)2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, and co-written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, partially inspired by Clarke's short story The Sentinel...
(1968), simplifies the scenario, where Jupiter is the intended final destination, not a passing point. The sequel novel 2010: Odyssey Two2010: Odyssey Two2010: Odyssey Two is a 1982 best-selling science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke. It is the sequel to the 1968 novel 2001: A Space Odyssey, but continues the story of Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation with the same title and not Clarke's original novel. The book is a part of Clarke's...
takes place in the Jovian system: the core of the planet is discovered to be made of solid diamond (which is important to the plot of the two subsequent novels) and Jupiter is renamed LuciferLuciferTraditionally, Lucifer is a name that in English generally refers to the devil or Satan before being cast from Heaven, although this is not the original meaning of the term. In Latin, from which the English word is derived, Lucifer means "light-bearer"...
after being transformed into a star, by fictional technology employed by the alien Monolith (see also TV/Films). The Jupiter system is also the theater of much action in 2061: Odyssey Three2061: Odyssey Three2061: Odyssey Three is a science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke that was published in 1987. It is the third book in Clarke's Space Odyssey series...
and 3001: The Final Odyssey3001: The Final Odyssey3001: The Final Odyssey is a science fiction novel by Sir Arthur C. Clarke. It is the fourth and final book in Clarke's Space Odyssey series.-Plot summary:...
.
- Jupiter is an important location in The Night's Dawn TrilogyThe Night's Dawn TrilogyBritish author Peter F. Hamilton's The Night's Dawn Trilogy consists of three science fiction novels: The Reality Dysfunction , The Neutronium Alchemist , and The Naked God...
(1996–1999) by Peter F. HamiltonPeter F. HamiltonPeter F. Hamilton is a British author. He is best known for writing space opera. As of the publication of his tenth novel in 2004, his works had sold over two million copies worldwide.- Biography :...
. This is where the first BitekBitekBitek is a fictional substance mentioned numerous times in the Night's Dawn Trilogy by Peter F. Hamilton. Bitek is in essence a supremely advanced Edenist biotechnology which can grow and change shape...
habitat was germinated and EdenismEdenismEdenism is a fictional group-entity culture in Peter F. Hamilton's science fiction The Night's Dawn Trilogy series. Distinguishing characteristics of Edenism include genetically-assigned telepathy and the use of sentient biotechnology.-Background:...
began.
Film and TV
- In the Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
(1963 to date) story "Revenge of the CybermenRevenge of the CybermenRevenge of the Cybermen is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 19 April to 10 May 1975.-Synopsis:...
", Jupiter is the setting for the Nerva Beacon, a fictional space station that monitors its fictional new moon (Voga - the Planet of Gold) which was formed from the remains of the original Voga, which once more brings the CybermenCybermanThe Cybermen are a fictional race of cyborgs who are amongst the most persistent enemies of the Doctor in the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. Cybermen were originally a wholly organic species of humanoids originating on Earth's twin planet Mondas that began to implant more...
into our Solar System as gold can be used to kill the Cyberman which is why they destroyed Voga. The Vogans are humanoid.
- In the Star TrekStar TrekStar Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
universe (1966–...), Jupiter is home to Jupiter Station.
- Jupiter is the setting of Stanley KubrickStanley KubrickStanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
's classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey2001: A Space Odyssey (film)2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, and co-written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, partially inspired by Clarke's short story The Sentinel...
(1968), although the novel of the same name by Sir Arthur C. ClarkeArthur C. ClarkeSir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, famous for his short stories and novels, among them 2001: A Space Odyssey, and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein,...
is set in the Saturnian system instead. In both the book and the film of the sequel, 2010: Odyssey Two2010: Odyssey Two2010: Odyssey Two is a 1982 best-selling science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke. It is the sequel to the 1968 novel 2001: A Space Odyssey, but continues the story of Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation with the same title and not Clarke's original novel. The book is a part of Clarke's...
(1984), fictional technology is used by the alien Monolith to convert Jupiter into a star.
- In the 2001 absurdist film The American Astronaut Samuel Curtis meets with the owner of Jupiter, a mining planet, to exchange The Real Live Girl for The Boy Who Actually Saw a Woman's Breast.
- In the finale of the TV series Night CourtNight CourtNight Court is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984, to May 20, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone...
, Bull is visited by aliens from Jupiter and offered a job, which he accepts: The Man Who Can Reach the Top Shelf.
Animation
- The anime PlanetesPlanetesis a Japanese hard science fiction manga by Makoto Yukimura. It was adapted as a 26-episode television anime by Sunrise, which was broadcast on NHK from October 2003 through April 2004...
(2003) features a planned seven year trip to explore Jupiter and its moons, using a ship powered by a Tandem Mirror Engine.
- One episode of Ellen's AcresEllen's AcresEllen's Acres is an American animated television series for preschool-age children, which exclusively premiered weekly on Cartoon Network Video and in the United Kingdom, the show airs on Cartoonito. Animation Collective produces the series...
, titled "Jumpin' Jupiter", features Ellen traveling to said planet.
Games
- The role-playing game Jovian ChroniclesJovian ChroniclesJovian Chronicles is a science fiction game setting published by Dream Pod 9 since 1992. It introduces a complete universe for role-playing and wargaming space combat, featuring mecha, giant spacecraft and epic space battles....
(1992) features a solar nation, the Jovian Confederacy, in a series of space colonySpace colonizationSpace colonization is the concept of permanent human habitation outside of Earth. Although hypothetical at the present time, there are many proposals and speculations about the first space colony...
cylinders called "Gray Viarium" colonies around Jupiter.
- In the Super Robot WarsSuper Robot Warsis a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Banpresto, which is now a Japanese division of Namco Bandai. The main feature of the franchise is having a story that crosses over several popular mecha anime, manga and video games, allowing characters and mecha from different titles to...
series of games, Lune Zoldark is said to be from Jupiter.
- The PlayStation 2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
video game Zone of the EndersZone of the EndersThe soundtrack to Zone of the Enders was released April 25, 2001 on the album Zone of the Enders Z.O.E Original Soundtrack by Konami Music Entertainment. Almost all the music was composed by the trio , and . Also, composed "Global 2 " and , "City ". The theme song "KISS ME SUNLIGHTS" was composed...
(2001) takes place in a colony orbiting Jupiter.
- In the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPGMMORPGMassively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
) Earth and Beyond (2002), the Jupiter system is colonized by the explorer race of the Jenquai. Jove City rests in orbit around Jupiter, and was the second most populated station in the known galaxy before being devastated by the Progen Warriors.
- In the PC game Nexus: The Jupiter Incident, the game begins with several missions situated around Jupiter and its moons.
- The XboxXboxThe Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
game Dino Crisis 3Dino Crisis 3is a survival horror video game for the Xbox. It was developed by Capcom Production Studio 4, and is the fourth and final video game in the Dino Crisis series. Like the previous iterations of the series, gameplay revolves around fighting dinosaur or other reptiles...
takes place near Jupiter on the ship Ozymandias.
- In the PlayStationPlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
RPG Final Fantasy VIIFinal Fantasy VIIis a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
, Jupiter is destroyed by a comet during Sephiroth's super nova spell sequence. The comet darts through Jupiter, creating a large hole, and causing the planet to implode.
- In the video game DescentDescent (video game)Descent is a 3D first-person shooter video game developed by Parallax Software and released by Interplay Entertainment Corp. in 1995. The game features six degrees of freedom gameplay and garnered several expansion packs...
, many levels take place in the jovian system.
Written works
- In Jules VerneJules VerneJules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
's Hector Servadac (Off On A CometOff On A CometOff on a Comet is an 1877 science fiction novel by Jules Verne.-Plot summary:The story starts with a comet that touches the Earth in its flight and collects a few small chunks of it. Some forty people of various nations and ages are condemned to a two-year-long journey on the comet. They form a...
(1877)), the comet Gallia approaches Jupiter at its aphelion, and the protagonists worry "that the comet, being irresistibly attracted, might be drawn on to the very surface of the planet, and there annihilated".
- In C. S. LewisC. S. LewisClive Staples Lewis , commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as "Jack", was a novelist, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist from Belfast, Ireland...
's novel That Hideous StrengthThat Hideous StrengthThat Hideous Strength is a 1945 novel by C. S. Lewis, the final book in Lewis's theological science fiction Space Trilogy. The events of this novel follow those of Out of the Silent Planet and Perelandra and once again feature the philologist Elwin Ransom...
(1945), Glund, the Oyarsa of Jupiter, is the last of the five major Oyéresu to descend upon St. Anne's. Like the other Oyéresu, his characteristics are reminiscent of the mythology surrounding his planet; his presence immediately fills everyone in the house with a sense of lordly festivity, in obvious reference to "the jovial spirit".
- Larry NivenLarry NivenLaurence van Cott Niven / ˈlæri ˈnɪvən/ is an American science fiction author. His best-known work is Ringworld , which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards. His work is primarily hard science fiction, using big science concepts and theoretical physics...
's A World Out of TimeA World Out of TimeA World Out of Time is a science fiction novel by Larry Niven and published in 1976. It is set outside the Known Space universe of many of Niven's stories, but is otherwise fairly representative of his 1970s hard science fiction novels...
(1976) tells the story of a man who died in the 1970s who is awoken from cryonicCryopreservationCryopreservation is a process where cells or whole tissues are preserved by cooling to low sub-zero temperatures, such as 77 K or −196 °C . At these low temperatures, any biological activity, including the biochemical reactions that would lead to cell death, is effectively stopped...
suspended animation, hijacks the ship and visits the galactic central core and a vast black holeBlack holeA black hole is a region of spacetime from which nothing, not even light, can escape. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will deform spacetime to form a black hole. Around a black hole there is a mathematically defined surface called an event horizon that...
. When he returns, at least 4 million years have passed due to relativityTheory of relativityThe theory of relativity, or simply relativity, encompasses two theories of Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity. However, the word relativity is sometimes used in reference to Galilean invariance....
effects, the sun has undergone a transformation into a red giantRed giantA red giant is a luminous giant star of low or intermediate mass in a late phase of stellar evolution. The outer atmosphere is inflated and tenuous, making the radius immense and the surface temperature low, somewhere from 5,000 K and lower...
, and the Earth has been moved into orbit around Jupiter.
- Milton William CooperMilton William CooperMilton William Cooper was an American writer, shortwave broadcaster, conspiracy theorist, and political activist.-Biography:...
's book Behold a Pale Horse (1991) described a secret plan of the IlluminatiIlluminatiThe Illuminati is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically the name refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on May 1, 1776...
to detonate the planet by means of the Cassini-HuygensCassini-HuygensCassini–Huygens is a joint NASA/ESA/ASI spacecraft mission studying the planet Saturn and its many natural satellites since 2004. Launched in 1997 after nearly two decades of gestation, it includes a Saturn orbiter and an atmospheric probe/lander for the moon Titan, although it has also returned...
space probe.
Comics and manga
- In the Dragon BallDragon Ballis a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995; later the 519 individual chapters were published into 42 tankōbon volumes by Shueisha. Dragon Ball was inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the...
mangaMangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, Bulma and Mr. Popo reach Jupiter in less than a minute using Kami's spaceship, which they needed to reach the Planet Namek, which was impossible to reach with the technology available at that moment in the series. One month later Bulma's father completes a spaceship model capable of making the journey.
- In the Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
title Guardians of the GalaxyGuardians of the GalaxyThe original Guardians of the Galaxy are a fictional superhero team that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Guardians first appear in Marvel Super-Heroes #18 .-Publication history:...
, Charlie-27Charlie-27Captain Charlie-27 is fictional character in the Earth-691 timeline of the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Charlie-27 first appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #18 , and was created by Arnold Drake and Gene Colan....
is the last survivor of an Earth colony on Jupiter in the 31st century. His people were engineered to have 11 times the mass of an average human to withstand the higher gravity of Jupiter. The Jovians lived on giant anti-gravity ships in Jupiter's atmosphere before it was devastated by the Treen during their invasion of the Solar System, although Charlie escaped using a teleportation tube after he returned from a space mission. The Solar System is finally freed from the Badoon.
- In Planet ComicsPlanet ComicsPlanet Comics was a science fiction comic book title produced by Fiction House and ran for 73 issues from January 1940 to Winter 1953. Like many of Fiction House's early comics titles, Planet Comics was a spinoff of a pulp magazine, in this case Planet Stories, which featured space operatic tales...
the stories of Auro, Lord of Jupiter, took place on Jupiter. A couple's ship crashed during the late 21st century and the child was raised by a sabre-tooth tiger. The native species resseamble apes.
Films and television
- In the series Red DwarfRed DwarfRed Dwarf is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises eight series of a television science fiction sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999 and Dave from 2009–present. It gained cult following. It was created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who also wrote the first six series...
, the titular ship belongs to the Jupiter Mining Corporation, and there are many references to Jupiter and its moons (for example Arnold RimmerArnold RimmerArnold Judas Rimmer is a fictional character in the science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf, played by Chris Barrie. He is unpopular with his crew mates, and is often the target of insults or pranks...
is originally from IoIo (moon)Io ) is the innermost of the four Galilean moons of the planet Jupiter and, with a diameter of , the fourth-largest moon in the Solar System. It was named after the mythological character of Io, a priestess of Hera who became one of the lovers of Zeus....
). - In the television series Babylon 5Babylon 5Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
, in the third season episode "Message from Earth", a Shadow vessel was excavated from Ganymede and was subsequently activated by merging the ship with a human. The ship - because its human core was "unprepared" - was "insane" and thus was unable to function at full capacity. The Whitestar took advantage of this and tricked the ship into pursuing the Whitestar deep into Jupiter's atmosphere. The Whitestar outmaneuvered the Shadow ship and was able to escape while the latter plunged deeper into the atmosphere and was subsequently crushed by the pressure and the terrible winds. Later on, to escape an Earthforce vessel, the Whitestar opened a jumppoint inside Jupiter's atmosphere. LennierLennierLennier is a character in the fictional universe of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Bill Mumy. He is Minbari and acts as ambassadorial aide to Delenn throughout most of the series.-Background and career:...
described the effect of doing so as "explosive". - In Men in BlackMen in Black (film)Men in Black is a 1997 science fiction comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith and Vincent D'Onofrio. The film was based on the Men in Black comic book series by Lowell Cunningham, originally published by Marvel Comics. The film featured the creature effects...
, Agent J mentions he used to think one of his teachers was from Venus, to which Agent K informs him that person is actually from one of Jupiter's moons. - In the series Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
, in the episode entitled, "2010", the Aschen intend to turn Jupiter into a second sun. Note that the titles of the two episodes in which the Aschen appear (2010 and 2001, in the order that the two episodes aired) make clear that this is indeed a reference to the seminal Space Odyssey series by Arthur C. Clarke.
Animation
- In the anime GunbusterGunbusterGunbuster, known in Japan as is a six episode anime OVA series created by Gainax in 1988. It was the directorial debut of Hideaki Anno, best known as the director of Neon Genesis Evangelion. The title is a combination of the titles of classic tennis anime Aim for the Ace!, whose plot inspired...
(1988), Jupiter is used to create the Black Hole BombBuster Machine IIIBuster Machine III Buster Machine III Buster Machine III (バスターマシン三号）, also known as the Black Hole Bomb（ブラックホール爆弾）, is a superweapon of megastructure scale that appears in the science fiction anime OVA Aim for the Top! Gunbuster.-Description:...
, a massive weapon larger than a small planet, and capable of destroying part of a galaxy. (In fact, a Jupiter-mass black hole would be barely 6 m acrossSchwarzschild radiusThe Schwarzschild radius is the distance from the center of an object such that, if all the mass of the object were compressed within that sphere, the escape speed from the surface would equal the speed of light...
, and no more of a threat to the Galaxy than it is right now) - In the TV show FuturamaFuturamaFuturama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
the planet is revealed to smell like strawberries, an out-of-order monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey2001: A Space Odyssey (film)2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, and co-written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, partially inspired by Clarke's short story The Sentinel...
is in orbit around it, and Amy mentions Jupiter State University. - On an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger ForceAqua Teen Hunger ForceAqua Teen Hunger Force , retitled Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 in 2011, is an American animated television series on Cartoon Network late night programing block, Adult Swim, as well as Teletoon's Teletoon at Night block and later G4 Canada's ADd block in Canada...
, Shake sells Meatwad to a circus run by Randy the Astonishing, the Prince of Jupiter sent to infiltrate the human gene poolGene poolIn population genetics, a gene pool is the complete set of unique alleles in a species or population.- Description :A large gene pool indicates extensive genetic diversity, which is associated with robust populations that can survive bouts of intense selection...
and enslave the planet. - In the anime Heroic AgeHeroic Age (anime)is a science fiction anime directed by Toshimasa Suzuki. It is produced by XEBEC and airs on Japanese television networks. The series first aired on April 1, 2007 and ended on September 30, 2007, with 26 episodes....
, Jupiter is destroyed when a high-powered energy gun is used to knock the moon IoIo (moon)Io ) is the innermost of the four Galilean moons of the planet Jupiter and, with a diameter of , the fourth-largest moon in the Solar System. It was named after the mythological character of Io, a priestess of Hera who became one of the lovers of Zeus....
out of orbit. Io plummets into the atmosphere and ignites it, and intervention by the Silver and Bronze fleets leads to a cataclysmic explosion. - In the Martian Successor NadesicoMartian Successor Nadesico, is a science fiction comedy anime TV series, and a later manga series created by Kia Asamiya. The manga, published in English by CPM Manga, is significantly different from the anime....
Anime Series created by Kia AsamiyaKia Asamiyais the pen-name of Japanese manga artist Michitaka Kikuchi whose work spans multiple genres and appeals to diverse audiences.He is well known for using influences from American comics, television, and films in his work, and describes himself as a big fan of both Batman and Star Wars...
, the evil race known as the 'Jovian Lizards' were claimed to be from Jupiter. Late in the series, it is discovered that the Jovians are humans exiled from Mars, returned to take revenge upon Earth, and the people that exiled them. - In the anime The King of Braves GaoGaiGarThe King of Braves GaoGaiGaris an anime television series series begun in 1997, created by Sunrise's internal "Studio 7" under the direction of Yoshitomo Yonetani, and was the eighth and final in the Yūsha metaseries funded by Takara and produced by Sunrise.- Plot :...
, Jupiter is the source of the mysterious energy called The Power, which is a mysterious, highly unstable energy with tremendous energizing and destructive potential. It is known to restore fossilized material, generate time-space wormholes, temporarily restore damaged computer programs, preserve human souls and provide nearly unlimited practical energy. - A component critical to the construction of genuine GN Drives, the semi-perpetual generators designed by Aeolia Schenberg for Celestial Being's Gundam mobile suits in Gundam 00, can only be manufactured in Jupiter's gaseous upper atmosphere.
Games
- In the shoot 'em upShoot 'em upShoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
Darius IIDarius II (arcade game)Darius II, released outside of Japan as Sagaia, is a 1989 arcade video game by Taito. It is the direct sequel to Darius, first released in arcades in 1989. The arcade version kept the same three-screen format as the first game...
developed by Taito, the final level has the player encroach Jupiter's atmosphere where the final boss of the chosen zone awaits. - In the Sega SaturnSega SaturnThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
shoot 'em upShoot 'em upShoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
Metal BlackMetal Black (video game)Metal Black is an arcade shoot 'em up released by Taito. It is the end result of "Project Gun Frontier 2," being made by the same development staff, though it bears little resemblance to the original Gun Frontier. It is more similar to another Taito shooter, Darius.Players control the Black Fly on...
, the player eventually flies closer toward Jupiter and its asteroid fields where a large boss awaits and a battle ensues near the Great Red Spot.
See also
- JovianJovian (fiction)-Jovians in literature:* In H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos , Jupiter was the one-time home of the flying polyps.* In Isaac Asimov's short story Victory Unintentional , human colonists on Ganymede send robots to Jupiter to contact the Jovians, who are planning a war with the humans.* In Poul...
, for examples of natives of Jupiter in fiction