Lots of fictional universes have some small degree of what I call “space ecology.” Space ecology involves an actual space-based ecosystem with at least some entities that fit one or more of the following descriptions:
- They can be found on multiple planets throughout the known space of the setting.
- They travel between worlds, possibly on a regular basis.
- They live in space.
- They may cause massive ecological damage to planets by visiting them, sometimes to the extreme of actually “eating” the planet to some degree.
Many fictional universes have at least one creature in it that qualifies for at least one of these descriptors, even if the creature in question is simply a human or sapient alien species.
If they bother, each universe has its own explanation or explanations for each of these features.
Found on multiple planets: These entities, which I will refer to as panplanetary, are typical planetary life. However, for reasons which may be glossed over or gone into deeply, they exist on numerous worlds rather than a single native planet. Reasons for this can range from the simple “well, they’re useful/likeable, so we imported them” or “they stowed away” to the nonsensical “it was parallel evolution ‘k?”
Travel between worlds: These entities, worldhoppers, are occasionally ordinary non-sapient creatures; however, the idea of a non-sapient worldhopping race is rather implausible if they don’t have adaptations for it. Generally, such a creature would prefer to live in a planetary environment, but is capable of brief to somewhat extended jaunts through space. However, and this is key to distinguishing the more extreme cases from those that live in space entirely, they must at least occasionally touch down on a world for some reason.
Living in space: Beings that are pure spacelife are presumably immensely durable by our standards, as they would have to be able to withstand the types of things that our spacecraft merely endure for their entire lives. Conversely, such beings probably couldn’t survive in atmosphere, as they would spend their entire lives in microgravity and airlessness-the very idea of trying to swim through air with a fixed up and down would probably be too alien for them to stand. (Note: For the purposes of this essay, a living thing that existed in an airless environment on a quasiplanetary surface, such as the Moon, is planetary life, despite seeming like “spacelife” to us.)
Harmful invasive visitors: There are many potential categories of this type, ranging from space locusts to world devourers. The crucial point is that they deliberately travel from world to world to feed in some way, and hypothetically could be as innocuous as space plankton (though that’s rarely the case).
Over the next few weeks, I hope to go over these types in a certain amount of detail. Why? If for no other reason, then because it’ll be an exercise in thinking things through that should be interesting.
-Signing off.
Tags: Aliens, Animals, World Building
