| Typology Mercurian |
| Total Entries 16 |
| Representative Mercurian Space Pirate |
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Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest of the four inner planets. With its lack of an atmosphere, scorching heat on the day side, freezing cold on the night side, and a rotation period that lasts 59 Earth days, surely this sun-baked cratered rock doesn’t have much to offer when compared to Mars or even Venus, right? Wrong! As it turns out, Mercury is the second-densest planet in the Solar System after the Earth, meaning it’s very metal rich and a prime candidate for future mining operations; conversely, given its proximity to the Sun, “Terraforming” Mercury is usually out of the question because of its hostile conditions — all of which gives space pioneers a legitimate excuse to exploit the planet for its raw resources alone. For this reason, science fiction writers have often used Mercury as a hub for mining and industrialization to meet the needs of humanity’s expansion across the system. Note: Mercury was formerly believed to be tidally-locked to the Sun, with a day side in permanent light and a night side in eternal darkness. This has now been disproved, but a lot of older stories using the “Industrialized Mercury” trope refer to it… Expect to see a lot of mining outposts, factories, and power plants that take full advantage of solar energy on the surface, and mining may be controlled from a “Mercurial Base” to avoid the extreme heat. Operations will usually be run by a local “MegaCorp” that often forms its own government separate from Earth’s, which may be autocratic by nature depending on how corrupt the leaders are. Additionally, Mercury may be used as a base of operations for constructing and maintaining a “Dyson Sphere” around the Sun… Sub-trope of “Industrial World” and “Colonized Solar System”. See also “Venus Is Wet” and “Once-Green Mars” for classic sci-fi portrayals of Venus and Mars respectively. Compare “Asteroid Miners”… ~ Industrialized Mercury – TV Tropes
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