your views

Characters of Worlds or...? 
Regarding that idea about the “characters of the worlds” or planetary archetypes – I think you may have got something here. I wonder if all these imaginary …

More native planetary names by authors 
Hello! I saw your page about "Names in the Old Solar System" and since I am a bit of an amateur linguist, I always appreciate good naming in the descriptions …

A word of thanks and some thoughts on the genre 
Aspiring author here. This site has been an absolute delight to read through. Thanks for taking the time to make it. It's great to see others out there …

An Unorthodox World 
This isn't a world, and yet, it is. It's realistic, but OSS, all the same. Written in 1985, way past the age of OSS, is Larry Niven's Integral Trees. There, …

The Great Moon Hoax 
While reading From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne, the book mentions a work of fiction by a Sir John Herschel, who had apparently improved a telescope's …

Have any of you heard of Space: 1889? 
Space: 1889 is a tabletop rpg that brings the Old Solar System to life. Old Mars, shaped again. The red deserts and canal cities of a falling Mars that …

The Best Views in the Solar System 
I am working on a story whose opening scene is planned to be on Callisto with a view of Jupiter. When writing this scene, I thought, wouldn’t it be nice …

Man to Mars and Moon 
Since Elon Musk came up, I thought I would throw in my two centimes.. I have worked with SpaceX on a couple of projects. Musk has a sweet deal going …

Anthology Contest 
I have to admit, your contest actually got me writing and I am thankful for it. I am disappointed though in a couple of areas: (1) There was no feedback …

The Many-Solar-Systems Interpretation: It's A Small World After All 
The universe is a big place—a very big place! This may sound like a boring fact to some, or a depressing one even, but for dedicated followers of imaginative …

Ice age Venus? 
First, let me join those who've said thanks for putting this site together. I always loved the old SF stories and wished something like them were still …

The Captain Returns! 
Hello, Readers! It's me, the roving Panthan, popping in during a break from a long investigation of the outer planets. I promise to resume regular posting …

Enceladus and Europa - The Last OSS Worlds? 
The news today was full of exciting news from Enceladus. The ingredients for life were detected - there may be life under the ice! The same has long …

"Gather, Darkness!" -- a Fritz Leiber OSS tale 
Several things, this website very much among them, have sent me back to the SF novels I used to devour in my misspent youth. One consequence was a pleasant …

But Is It NOSS?  
As noted in a comment to Dylan's piece "Still Here!", I've got a hypothetical quasi-NOSS setting in mind for a story set on an inhabited Mars -- to be …

Still Here! 
Hey OSS, Expect the next Travelogue Entry shortly! Also, I've been working on a little something, and hope to have the first draft completed soon! …

Lovecraft's Moon 
Kaor, Zendexor! Apologies for the long silence; Jasoomian responsibilities kept me off the spacelanes for way too long. (On the upside, I scored five battered …

Unreasonable Fun 
Zendexor, just wanted to say that I've enjoyed your unreasonable comparisons, and I find no fault in comparing pulp adventures to classic literature. I've …

My OSS Sequel Wish List 
I, for one, can think of more than a few books that deserved sequels, and I present them in list fashion and in no particular order! 1. "Red Planet" …

Vast Distances of the Old Solar System 
I was reading your Dec. 5 diary, Zendexor, and I confess that I wish the long voyage to nearby planets had been a more persistant trope! "Space is hard!" …

The Inorganic Character of RSS Mars 
I'll preface this post by once again iterating my unconditional love of the fourth planet. I often think that, if I was given the chance, I would relocate …

A relic from the old space program 
When I was a boy, back when Heinleins walked the earth, I built a lot of model kits -- everything from World War II tanks to creature-feature dioramas …

Man of the World now published 
Hello to Dylan and Zendexor and anyone else who is asking when the book will be available - I can confirm that it's ready to slake the public thirst as …

A Plea for Lost Civilizations 
I've been rereading, for the first time in many years, Abraham Merritt's wonderfully lively lost-race tale "The Face in the Abyss." Of course it takes …

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A Good Analysis 
That seems to sum up Heinlein nicely, thanks! My friend is thinking of making a science fiction short story into a short film, and I was helping him choose …

Print venues for OSS stories 
Zendexor, your comment on the diary about whether there are any paying magazines that will take NOSS stories was timely. I know of one, and it's just now …

Mercury Awaits 
Zendexor, your Mercurian Anthology list got my blood pumping! I wracked my brain for more Mercury tales, and when that failed, I turned to the internet …

My Favorite Anthology  
There is one anthology I love above all others, although its influence on me began fairly recently. Moving to Chicago allowed me to cultivate my reading …

Author Heaven 
After digging though my copy of "The Martian Chronicles", I found that the story you mentioned in your diary is "The Exiles"! I believe it was originally …

Re: Stretching the OSS 
That's an interesting question. I think a good case can be made for membership in the OSS when a story takes place entirely in our solar system but the …

The Really Old Solar System 
Astronomers engaged in the search for life in our galaxy frequently bring up “the habitable zone”, the not-too-hot-not-too-cold region of a star system …

A delectable site!  
Zendexor, thank you for hosting this -- I've been lurking here for a month or so, on and off, and decided it was time to say something. On the off chance …

CRIM and the Cluster 
CRIM nicely summarizes a scifi phenomenon I've been trying to label for weeks. It's the colorful intergalactic buffet of humanoid aliens, planets, and …

A Dylan Update  
I must confess, I'd never heard of Laumer, but now that I have, I'm glad of it- another author to add to travel the universe with. I have this site to …

Zendexor's Vacation 
A holiday? But what will I do without your daily diary updates? You have been hard at it, though. Hopefully a few days does you good. In the meantime, …

Arabella of Mars! 
I had just finished shooting a film I am in for the day when I thought I'd pop down to the nearby bookstore and see what was new in the SF/Fantasy section. …

The Crimson Courts and My Martian Dreams 
Zendexor, I quite liked both of your pages on Stirling's books! I appreciated them not only for their excellent world building, but for the way they included …

The Date of the Invasion 
I once found an article arguing that the date of the invasion was in fact 1898, with examples from the book, but I can no longer find it. Ah well. …

Mission to the Tenth Planet Continuation, and Potential Mars Story 
To Zendexor the 1930's editor, I have here my next proposed contribution to "Mission to the Tenth Planet", for your considertion! I have also finished …

Martian Landings in the War of the Worlds 
I'm glad you've ordered a copy of Global Dispatches! I have War of the Worlds to thank for first sparking my interest in Mars as a child, although I didn't …

Global Dispatches and Extraordinary Gentlemen 
"And slowly, and surely, they drew their plans against us." Ah, War of the Worlds. The book that put alien invasions on the map. I think it must be …

Pluto's Endless Mysteries 
First off, "The Plutonian Surge" is an excellent name from a story! Secondly, It seems Pluto is mysterious even on the internet. I don't know what could …

Stirling and the NOSS Gateway 
I must say, I hadn't expected you to like Stirling's works, Zendexor, because of the entire premise's reliance on COMOLD! That said, I'm glad you did like …

Asimov, Peril and the Lunar Archives 
Greetings, OSS! Been a while since I was able to write, ordinarily I would like to post one response for each of these subjects. Today, however, I'm …

Part Eight of The Archives of the Moon 
VIII The very words themselves were revolutionary. While Dzhaoo spoke them, he looked up into the eastern sky. There, a great globe hung motionless: …

Reply from Robert Gibson re Mercury/Language myth influencing Valeddom 
I enjoyed your new Alien Scripts page, Zendexor, and as always am grateful for your coverage of my work. However, I feel I must tell you, that when you …

Part six of The Archives of the Moon 
VI Chill was the reaction of Royden to the sight of the living among the dead, though he did not know why – he ought to have felt relief, even at the …

Part Five of The Archives of the Moon 
V The scene etched itself on his awareness in a few sharp seconds of indelible but curiously abstract terror. It was in a fatalistic daze that Royden …

C.L. Moore Deserves Recognition 
I enjoyed the article on C.L. Moore and agreed on every point, include the critical ones. As much as I enjoyed the supernatural elements of the tale, I …

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Part Three of The Archives of the Moon 
III In order to arrive within sight of those ruins, he first must traverse the jagged region silhouetted against the spectral dome of glowing air. …

Part Two of Archives of the Moon 
II The silent moonscape presented an aspect of tortured magnificence, formed by the eternal cosmic night whose chaotic forces aeons ago had whipped …

Part One of Archives of the Moon 
A Rococo Science Fantasy inspired by Clark Ashton Smith I “It is indeed unfortunate, Dr Royden,” said Professor Sherman of the Interplanetary Survey, …

Another Collaboration 
I have here the beginning of another collaborative tale, for your inspection and continuation! Ps: There are a couple references in here. They are …

Dylan's Fifth Contribution and Possible Ending for the Tale 
And indeed, thirst came to torment Raker more and more as the day wore on. He rationed out his water, taking smaller and smaller sips, growing more anxious …

Thanks, Congrats + Suggestion re the Tale 
For some time I've had the intention to thank your Site for its generous coverage of my "New OSS" tales "Valeddom" and "Uranian Gleams", and my "Earth-emanation" …

Dylan's Fourth Addition to the Tale 
While the Patrol might be filling his head with imaginary dangers in an effort to trick him into readying for false alarms, and so exercise his ability …

A Tale of the Old Solar System: Dylan's second contribution 
He cautiously approached the circumference of hills- for it was now evident that they really were hills- and eyed the thick vegetation growing …

A Tale of the Old Solar System Part Two 
His skin itched and his head was light at the sudden drop in air pressure, but months in pressure chambers and on the surface of Mars had prepared his …

Zendexor and the Old Solar System 
I was reading over some of the articles I have penned on this site, and although I do not make it a habit to be too hard on myself, I found that when …

Taking a Tour of the OSS 
The article on the Seven Wonders of the OSS sent my mind down a number of avenues, and is on its own a pretty cool concept. Imagine an Interplanetary …

Feeling Naked on Titan Response 
I must say, this addition excited me deeply! A NOSS story which exists on the border between NSS and OSS, which keeps the spirit of the OSS alive …

The Jungle Moons 
The worlds of the solar system each have their own unique personalities. Some are familiar: Mars is an ancient, dying world of crimson deserts and …

Asimov on Jupiter Response 
I have made my admiration of old Isaac known on this site before, and so am pleased to see him get a page devoted to his works! What's more, the page …

A Barsoom and NSS Mars Match-Up 
I've often said that it's a shame more NOSS (New Old Solar System) stories aren't published which incorporate interesting, modern astronomical discoveries …

The Influence of the OSS 
There is nothing new under the sun- or orbiting it, in this case. Listen, if you will, as I briefly describe a character and then think to yourself …

Lucky Starr, Space Ranger 
While Bradbury's Martian Chronicles was my first OSS read, Isaac Asimov's I,Robot was my doorway into science fiction literature of any kind. I've …

Stayin' Alive: New OSS Stories? 
Blessings are falling from me onto your wonderful personage, OSS readers! (That greeting, if you are wondering, originated in Phillip K. Dick's …

Thoughts on the Earthlight Article 
I was recently re-reading the Earthlight article (which, despite the forlorn view of my generation voiced at the end, I enjoyed), when two things …

The Theoretical Ninth Planet 
As far as fact is concerned, Pluto is a dwarf planet, not a planet proper - a distinction which I think matters not at all from a storytelling standpoint. …

Humanity's place in the OSS 
Zendexor has stated that Earth is the king planet. But are we, children of Earth, also kings? In the (disappointingly) real Solar System, …

Love the Amtor Article 
Edgar Rice Burroughs will always be our patron saint. I think I would enjoy it if the team (Zendexor, Harlei, and Stid) provided their views on a few of …

Is an intersolar civilization easy to swallow? 
When I read about the tales of Captain Future, I am sometimes stuck by the strangeness of Venusians, Martians, Terrans, Saturnians and others mingling …

Farplanet 
Koar, OSS! I find the idea of COMOLD interesting. While I can see where Zendexor is coming from, it doesn't bother me like it does him. (Although the fossil …

Out of the Silent Planet - overview 
I'd like, if I may, to contribute this review to your site! Out of the Silent Planet - Man and Landscape There are some books, as some paintings, …

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An acquired taste Not rated yet
Hi there As a long time science fiction reader I enjoy the spirited debate even if it takes me a while to catch up with the topic sometimes. Can you …

Not a post, a question about post word limits. Not rated yet
Hi, I'm asking for the word limits for the post. I have been working on something for the website a while now, but every time I try to post it, I get an …

A (liberal) history of the solar system. Not rated yet
A while ago, I decided to compile a history of the solar system, and the opportunities that life had. What I found is astonishing. I subscribe to the 'liberal' …

Discussion of "Longtail: A Prologue" Not rated yet
I looked around the site and it appears there doesn't seem to be a discussion of "Longtail: A Prologue" by Xianjun Zeng (to be found in Tales to Astound). …

A Fifth Parameter? Not rated yet
Zendexor, I like your four parameters -- though I'd be willing to give some wiggle room on Pluto-as-planet, since asteroids and other smaller-than-a-planet …

Merry Christmas from Planet Earth! Not rated yet
If Asimov's Christmas on Ganymede is to be believed, the Ganymedeans enjoy Christmas every two weeks and I am therefore rather late with this, but I wish …

Pinnah-Birds and Genetic Engineering  Not rated yet
So I was reading The Seedling Stars by James Blish, and on page 35 I came across a passage which might answer your question as to the nature of the plant …

Hamilton and Gibson Not rated yet
Firstly, let me say that I'm thrilled to see the final chapter of "The Arc of Iapetus!" It's been a special treat, reading that tale. A trip into the past. …

Thanksgiving, Earth, North America, The United States Not rated yet
Many happy returns this Thanksgiving Day to the OSS! The residents of other worlds may not be familiar with the holiday, on account of turkeys being …

A Saturnian Renaissance Not rated yet
Missing Men of Saturn, Prisoners of Saturn, the Daedelus Incident... that's a slew of Saturnians. What's more, all the but the last are about Saturn specifically. …

A Present for Zendexor  Not rated yet
Zendexor, I was reading the Saturn page again and was moved to search around for that long lost treasure of yours, Prisoners of Saturn. I struck gold, …

Stretching the OSS Not rated yet
I vote that if a story shows OSS influence in any way, you ought to allow yourself to include it on the site. That's the rule I've followed, pointing out …

A New Contributer! Not rated yet
I look forward to meeting this new contributer! I look forward also to the contest- it may motivate me to write faster, which is always a good thing. …

Twelfth and final part of The Archives of the Moon Not rated yet
XII In the aureate glow of Yyu’s System-wide Empire, rivalries between the ancient swarms had never wholly died out. Feuds still marred the imperial …

Part eleven of The Archives of the Moon Not rated yet
XI “Liugk, and people of Xaxepp, listen to me. I will give you the formula which – if you are worthy of the chance – will give you victory over Klapatt …

Part ten of The Archives of the Moon Not rated yet
X At this point, the narrative lost its smoothness and became agitated in style. Royden sensed the change immediately, assuming at first that it was …

Part Nine of The Archives of the Moon Not rated yet
IX All eyes turned to a space near the wall opposite the throne, where a strange captive creature rested its distended bulk upon a massive wicker pedestal. …

Part seven of The Archives of the Moon Not rated yet
VII The disembodied reader, Dr Simon D. Royden, F.R.S., apparently suspended in luminous air, was able to gaze in all directions at once. And from …

Part four of The Archives of the Moon Not rated yet
IV Titanic avenues of black-green stone ran commingled with thin crumpled causeways of light metal, which led to and from many-faceted buildings like …

Quick Update Not rated yet
Heyo, just a quick update on my ending for Peril. I will have it posted by tomorrow night. I'm afraid I've been kept from my computer the past couple nights. …