Writer's Block: Star Trek

[browngirl]

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Just the one?

I want to tour Saturn's moons. They're so numerous and diverse, from geystering Enceladus to Death Star Mimas to the tumbling little shepherd moons. Once I've seen them all I want to circumnavigate Saturn pole to pole and watch the rings flare and furl as I do.

But really, I want to go EVERYWHERE, from Mercury's blistering craters to Triton's snowcaps to Europa's seas to Mars's sands to the distant realm of frozen dwarves, everywhere except to Venus. I've never cared to see Venus once I found out there are no jungles there.

(And may I just say, to all those who think science is inimical to wonder -- this is a question suffused with wonder that couldn't at all be answered without science.)

... hey, this would be a good time to break out "Green Hills of Earth"! Here's teddywolf's version (and his performance of the same):

Green Hills of Earth (by Robert A. Heinlein and teddywolf, last chorus tune and arrangement by Mark Bernstein)

We rot in the molds of Venus,
We retch at her tainted breath.
Foul are her flooded jungles,
Crawling with unclean death.

Chorus:
We've tried each spinning space mote And reckoned its true worth:
Take us back again to the homes of men On the cool, green hills of Earth.

We bleed in the Martian sandstorm
Each grain a rusty knife
Her grand canals and ruined cities
Mere echoes of former life

Chorus

The harsh bright soil of Luna,
It shines for all to view.
Her cold and sterile craters
All lack the morning dew.

Chorus

Saturn's rainbow rings are precious,
A guide in the depths of space.
Her dust and rocks form colors bright,
Unique chromatic grace.

Chorus

In the frozen night of Titan,
We shiver in empty cold.
Her swirling shrouded cloudbanks
Hide mysteries yet untold.

Chorus

We freeze in the seas of Neptune
We drown on her poison shore
Wretched are her awful waters
Lapping at every door



Chorus

The arching sky is calling
Spacemen back to their trade.
All hands! Stand by! Free falling!
And the lights below us fade.
Out ride the sons of Terra,
Far drives the thundering jet,
Up leaps the race of Earthmen,
Out, far, and onward yet.

We pray for one last landing On the globe that gave us birth;
Let us rest our eyes on fleecy skies And the cool, green hills of Earth.
link

Comments

[purlewe.livejournal.com]

this is very appropriate then.

http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2012/02/scienceshot-water-world-is-new.html?ref=hp

[amaebi.livejournal.com]

Have you read the James Tiptree, Jr. short story about the young man who wanted to be in the space programme but got suckered into piloting in an endless war in a jungle-filled country, and used his jet's power to get out of the atmosphere?

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

That would be "Beam Us Home".

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

All of that, and I also wish it were technologically possible to travel on (in?) the Sun.

[thistlerose.livejournal.com]

Oh, man. That's a tough question to answer! I like your response.

[acelightning.livejournal.com]

Planet Trek*

[pickledginger.livejournal.com]

I figured I'd say the Oort Cloud - if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. ;-) And I'd give a lot to walk on the Moon or dpend a season on Mars. But Terra does have a certain appeal.

(* or Solar System Trek, c'mon meme-generators! Truth in advertising. Grin.)

[hitchhiker.livejournal.com]

have you seen my take on green hills? it started off as a humorous idea, but turned serious pretty fast, and ended up as something i'm really pleased with.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

I reread it today in its wonderfulness :)

[hitchhiker.livejournal.com]

:D