PLANETS IN SCIENCE FICTION: EXPLORING PLANETARY GEOLOGY THROUGH THE LENS OF SCIENCE FICTION NARRATIVES

For hundreds of years, science fiction stories have described planets both inside and outside of our solar system. In many ways these portrayals have influenced how society approaches planetary exploration and propels our motivation for discovering new exoplanets. Here we present an overview of how science and science fiction overlap. Additionally, these concepts act as a cornerstone for an entry level collegiate science course being taught at the University of California, Riverside. In this course, titled Planets in Science Fiction, students are presented with various science fiction concepts such as desert planets, water worlds, interstellar travel, and first contact. Students then learn the planetary geology and science behind each of these concepts. Since this course is framed around science fiction stories it eases students into the field of geological sciences in a non-threatening and technical way.