The Star (Wells short story)
Encyclopedia
"The Star" is an 1897 apocalyptic
short story
by H.G. Wells.
awaken to the notion that a strange luminous object has irrupted, into the Solar System
, after much disturbing the normal orbit of the planet Neptune
. Indeed, such object is a luminous celestial body
, whose luminosity is distinguishable on the sky about the constellation
of Leo
.
Although initially it is a matter of concern only for astronomer
s, eventually the world media
announces that it is a whole star
, heading in a collision course toward the center of our star system. In its way, the star had enwrapped Neptune indeed, bringing it inside. Although many people are concerned by this, the issue amounts to little more than a temporary fad.
The loose star continues its path, now affecting the planet Jupiter
and all its moon
s. At this point, the studies of a mathematician
are published throughout the world. He explains that both the intruding star and our Sun
are exerting reciprocal gravitational attraction
, and as a result it is being pulled deeper into the solar system. With the orientation of the star being what it is, it is determined that the star would either hit Earth or pass by at close proximity, which would lead to apocalyptic ecological
consequences. While the Earth is losing its nights owing to its luminosity, many people begin to worry. Some cynics continue to refute this, remembering the year 1000, in which humanity also anticipated the world's end.
The English winter softens progressively into a thaw, as the intruding star grows fast on the sky. Its high speed is evident during the worst hours of the event. On that day, in the sky above England the relative size of the star was equivalent to a third of the size of the Moon
. Upon reaching the skies of the United States
the relative size had already increased to the size of the Moon.
Soon all of the ice
on Earth's surface begins to melt, causing widespread flooding. The star then begins to overshadow the Sun, whose hours seem darker. The planet crust
is affected too, with massive cracks forming and releasing lava
on to the surface of the Earth. Tidal wave
s hit, particularly in the Pacific
area, and leads to devastation across the world. Most of human population perishes, and its works are rendered unusable, cities, farms, etc. The few survivors witness that the Moon interposes before the traveling star creating a weak eclipse, as it is permanently removed from its steady orbit about the Earth, into a new, more distant orbit. The star then resumes its path to finally meet the Sun.
Earth manages to survive despite the massive havoc that has been brought upon its surface. Extensive areas of Greenland
have been thawed and are now green and pleasant for inhabitation. Humans settle in new areas close to the pole
s, where the climate is more temperate. Meanwhile, Martian
astronomers have witnessed the events, concluding that the Earth's survival has been a miracle, and praise the resilience of the planet after the majority of its ice layers have melted.
.
The early part of the story, before the dire danger had become obvious, includes a reference to a South Africa
n city where "a great man had married, and the streets were alight to welcome his return with his bride. 'Even the skies have illuminated,' said the flatterer". This is considered to be a snide reference to Cecil Rhodes, at the height of his power and influence at the time of writing.
This story can be credited with having created a Science Fiction sub-genre depicting a planet or star colliding, or near-colliding with Earth - such as the 1933 novel When Worlds Collide
by Philip Wylie and Edwin Balmer
, (made into a film
in 1951), Fritz Leiber
's The Wanderer
(1965), and Lucifer's Hammer
by Larry Niven
and Jerry Pournelle
(1977).
The story is mentioned in Arthur C. Clarke
's novel Rendezvous with Rama
, and Clarke also used the title for a story of his own
.
The radio anthology series Radio Tales
adapted the story as its episode, "Asteroid".
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction
Apocalyptic fiction is a sub-genre of science fiction that is concerned with the end of civilization due to a potentially existential catastrophe such as nuclear warfare, pandemic, extraterrestrial attack, impact event, cybernetic revolt, technological singularity, dysgenics, supernatural...
short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by H.G. Wells.
Plot summary
In January (about 1900, presumably), the people of EarthEarth
Earth 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...
awaken to the notion that a strange luminous object has irrupted, into 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...
, after much disturbing the normal orbit of the planet Neptune
Neptune
Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet from the Sun in the Solar System. Named for the Roman god of the sea, it is the fourth-largest planet by diameter and the third largest by mass. Neptune is 17 times the mass of Earth and is slightly more massive than its near-twin Uranus, which is 15 times...
. Indeed, such object is a luminous celestial body
Astronomical object
Astronomical objects or celestial objects are naturally occurring physical entities, associations or structures that current science has demonstrated to exist in the observable universe. The term astronomical object is sometimes used interchangeably with astronomical body...
, whose luminosity is distinguishable on the sky about the constellation
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
of Leo
Leo (constellation)
Leo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for lion. Its symbol is . Leo lies between dim Cancer to the west and Virgo to the east.-Stars:...
.
Although initially it is a matter of concern only for astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
s, eventually the world media
Media (communication)
In communications, media are the storage and transmission channels or tools used to store and deliver information or data...
announces that it is a whole star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
, heading in a collision course toward the center of our star system. In its way, the star had enwrapped Neptune indeed, bringing it inside. Although many people are concerned by this, the issue amounts to little more than a temporary fad.
The loose star continues its path, now affecting the planet Jupiter
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,...
and all its moon
Natural satellite
A natural satellite or moon is a celestial body that orbits a planet or smaller body, which is called its primary. The two terms are used synonymously for non-artificial satellites of planets, of dwarf planets, and of minor planets....
s. At this point, the studies of a mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
are published throughout the world. He explains that both the intruding star and our Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
are exerting reciprocal gravitational attraction
Gravitation
Gravitation, or gravity, is a natural phenomenon by which physical bodies attract with a force proportional to their mass. Gravitation is most familiar as the agent that gives weight to objects with mass and causes them to fall to the ground when dropped...
, and as a result it is being pulled deeper into the solar system. With the orientation of the star being what it is, it is determined that the star would either hit Earth or pass by at close proximity, which would lead to apocalyptic ecological
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
consequences. While the Earth is losing its nights owing to its luminosity, many people begin to worry. Some cynics continue to refute this, remembering the year 1000, in which humanity also anticipated the world's end.
The English winter softens progressively into a thaw, as the intruding star grows fast on the sky. Its high speed is evident during the worst hours of the event. On that day, in the sky above England the relative size of the star was equivalent to a third of the size of the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
. Upon reaching the skies of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
the relative size had already increased to the size of the Moon.
Soon all of the ice
Ice
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
on Earth's surface begins to melt, causing widespread flooding. The star then begins to overshadow the Sun, whose hours seem darker. The planet crust
Crust (geology)
In geology, the crust is the outermost solid shell of a rocky planet or natural satellite, which is chemically distinct from the underlying mantle...
is affected too, with massive cracks forming and releasing lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
on to the surface of the Earth. Tidal wave
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
s hit, particularly in the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
area, and leads to devastation across the world. Most of human population perishes, and its works are rendered unusable, cities, farms, etc. The few survivors witness that the Moon interposes before the traveling star creating a weak eclipse, as it is permanently removed from its steady orbit about the Earth, into a new, more distant orbit. The star then resumes its path to finally meet the Sun.
Earth manages to survive despite the massive havoc that has been brought upon its surface. Extensive areas of Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
have been thawed and are now green and pleasant for inhabitation. Humans settle in new areas close to the pole
Geographical pole
A geographical pole is either of the two points—the north pole and the south pole—on the surface of a rotating planet where the axis of rotation meets the surface of the body...
s, where the climate is more temperate. Meanwhile, Martian
Martian
As an adjective, the term martian is used to describe anything pertaining to the planet Mars.However, a Martian is more usually a hypothetical or fictional native inhabitant of the planet Mars. Historically, life on Mars has often been hypothesized, although there is currently no solid evidence of...
astronomers have witnessed the events, concluding that the Earth's survival has been a miracle, and praise the resilience of the planet after the majority of its ice layers have melted.
Influence
An astronomer named Ogilvy appears at the start of the story. An astronomer named Ogilvy also appears at the start of Wells' novel The War of the WorldsThe War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds is an 1898 science fiction novel written by H. G. Wells.The War of the Worlds may also refer to:- Radio broadcasts :* The War of the Worlds , the 1938 radio broadcast by Orson Welles...
.
The early part of the story, before the dire danger had become obvious, includes a reference to a South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n city where "a great man had married, and the streets were alight to welcome his return with his bride. 'Even the skies have illuminated,' said the flatterer". This is considered to be a snide reference to Cecil Rhodes, at the height of his power and influence at the time of writing.
This story can be credited with having created a Science Fiction sub-genre depicting a planet or star colliding, or near-colliding with Earth - such as the 1933 novel When Worlds Collide
When Worlds Collide
When Worlds Collide is a 1933 science fiction novel co-written by Philip Wylie and Edwin Balmer; they both also co-authored the sequel After Worlds Collide...
by Philip Wylie and Edwin Balmer
Edwin Balmer
Edwin Balmer was an American science fiction and mystery writer. He was born in Chicago to Helen Clark and Thomas Balmer. In 1909, he married Katharine MacHarg, sister of the writer William MacHarg. After her death, he married Grace A. Kee in 1927.He began as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune...
, (made into a film
When Worlds Collide (film)
When Worlds Collide is a 1951 science fiction film based on the 1933 novel co-written by Philip Gordon Wylie and Edwin Balmer. The film was shot in Technicolor, directed by Rudolph Maté and was the winner of the 1951 Academy Award for special effects....
in 1951), Fritz Leiber
Fritz Leiber
Fritz Reuter Leiber, Jr. was an American writer of fantasy, horror and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theatre and films, playwright, expert chess player and a champion fencer. Possibly his greatest chess accomplishment was winning clear first in the 1958 Santa Monica Open.. With...
's The Wanderer
The Wanderer (Fritz Leiber novel)
The Wanderer is the title of a science fiction novel by Fritz Leiber about a wandering planet that enters the solar system...
(1965), and Lucifer's Hammer
Lucifer's Hammer
Lucifer's Hammer is a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, first published in 1977. It was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1978. A comic book adaptation was published by Innovation Comics in 1993....
by Larry Niven
Larry Niven
Laurence 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...
and Jerry Pournelle
Jerry Pournelle
Jerry Eugene Pournelle is an American science fiction writer, essayist and journalist who contributed for many years to the computer magazine Byte and has since 1998 been maintaining his own website/blog....
(1977).
The story is mentioned in Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke
Sir 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 novel Rendezvous with Rama
Rendezvous with Rama
Rendezvous with Rama is a novel by Arthur C. Clarke first published in 1972. Set in the 22nd century, the story involves a cylindrical alien starship that enters Earth's solar system...
, and Clarke also used the title for a story of his own
The Star (short story)
"The Star" is a science fiction short story by English writer Arthur C. Clarke. It appeared in the science fiction magazine Infinity Science Fiction in 1955 and won the Hugo award in 1956. The story was also published as "Star of Bethlehem"...
.
The radio anthology series Radio Tales
Radio Tales
Radio Tales is an American series of radio dramas produced by Generations Productions. This series adapted classic works of American and world literature such as The War of the Worlds, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Beowulf, Gulliver's Travels, and the One Thousand and One Nights...
adapted the story as its episode, "Asteroid".