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What was the first instance of a “planet eater” in sci-fi?

What was the first sci-fi work that had an intelligent virus/bacterium?What was the first SciFi work that referred to Pluto as NOT a planet?First Instance of the Classic Alien DepictionFirst instance of the flying saucer as a space craft?What was the first work of science fiction to feature a counter-Earth?What was the first sci-fi themed hit song?What was the first instance of a fighter spacecraftWhat was the first Science Fiction use of Space Sectors?What Was the First Science Fiction Use of Space Quadrants?What was the first sci-fi work to have a virus that only infected computers?

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3

1

In Sci-Fi, there are quite a few 'planet eaters'; giant beings that consume/live off planets or similarly large celestial bodies. The ones I know of are:

• Unicron from Transformers
  


• Galactus from Marvel Comics


• The Blood Moons from Dead Space 3
  

And also possibly Ego the Living Planet (Marvel Comics).

I would like to know know what the first instance of a 'planet eater' is in the world of Sci-fi.

history-of science-fiction-genre planets

share|improve this question

edited 4 hours ago

Jenayah

23.3k5109149

asked 4 hours ago

James DouglasJames Douglas

1,804827

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  If you can improve my question please do, as I am not sure how this sort of question is to be asked/tagged.
  
  – James Douglas
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Something under here perhaps: tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PlanetEater
  
  – DavidW
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @DavidW Wow, there are a lot more than I thought!
  
  – James Douglas
  4 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Some of those really stretch the definition of "planet eating," confining it to stripping the planet of life, for instance. And they're not organized chronologically, so I put that out there for someone willing to wade through it. :)
  
  – DavidW
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Since you're asking for the first instance, you should give the dates of your examples, so we know what date we have to beat.
  
  – user14111
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

3

1

In Sci-Fi, there are quite a few 'planet eaters'; giant beings that consume/live off planets or similarly large celestial bodies. The ones I know of are:

• Unicron from Transformers
  


• Galactus from Marvel Comics


• The Blood Moons from Dead Space 3
  

And also possibly Ego the Living Planet (Marvel Comics).

I would like to know know what the first instance of a 'planet eater' is in the world of Sci-fi.

history-of science-fiction-genre planets

share|improve this question

edited 4 hours ago

Jenayah

23.3k5109149

asked 4 hours ago

James DouglasJames Douglas

1,804827

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  If you can improve my question please do, as I am not sure how this sort of question is to be asked/tagged.
  
  – James Douglas
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Something under here perhaps: tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PlanetEater
  
  – DavidW
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @DavidW Wow, there are a lot more than I thought!
  
  – James Douglas
  4 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Some of those really stretch the definition of "planet eating," confining it to stripping the planet of life, for instance. And they're not organized chronologically, so I put that out there for someone willing to wade through it. :)
  
  – DavidW
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Since you're asking for the first instance, you should give the dates of your examples, so we know what date we have to beat.
  
  – user14111
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

In Sci-Fi, there are quite a few 'planet eaters'; giant beings that consume/live off planets or similarly large celestial bodies. The ones I know of are:

• Unicron from Transformers
  


• Galactus from Marvel Comics


• The Blood Moons from Dead Space 3
  

And also possibly Ego the Living Planet (Marvel Comics).

I would like to know know what the first instance of a 'planet eater' is in the world of Sci-fi.

history-of science-fiction-genre planets

share|improve this question

edited 4 hours ago

Jenayah

23.3k5109149

asked 4 hours ago

James DouglasJames Douglas

1,804827

share|improve this question

edited 4 hours ago

Jenayah

23.3k5109149

asked 4 hours ago

James DouglasJames Douglas

1,804827

share|improve this question

edited 4 hours ago

Jenayah

23.3k5109149

asked 4 hours ago

James DouglasJames Douglas

1,804827

edited 4 hours ago

Jenayah

23.3k5109149

edited 4 hours ago

Jenayah

23.3k5109149

asked 4 hours ago

James DouglasJames Douglas

1,804827

asked 4 hours ago

James DouglasJames Douglas

1,804827

2 Answers
2

active

oldest

votes

4

1948: "Thang", a short short story (about one page) by Martin Gardner. According to Contento it was first published in the Fall 1948 issue of something called Comment.

The earth had completed another turn about the sun, whirling slowly and silently as it always whirled. The East had experienced a record breaking crop of yellow rice and yellow children, larger stockpiles of atomic weapons were accumulating in certain strategic centers, and the sages of the University of Chicago were uttering words of profound wisdom, when Thang reached down and picked up the Earth between his thumb and finger.

[. . . .]

He bit into it. It was soft and juicy, neither unpleasantly hot nor freezing to the tongue; and Thang, who always ate the entire planet, core and all, lay back contentedly, chewing slowly and permitting his thoughts to dwell idly on trivial matters, when he felt himself picked up suddenly by the back of the neck.

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

answered 2 hours ago

user14111user14111

106k6419535

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  This is the earliest example that popped into my mind as well. However, I remember that Gardner described the story as highly derivative in his introduction to it in The No-Sided Professor, so there may be earlier examples.
  
  – Buzz
  55 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

2

Can metaphors be science fiction?

I'm not sure when the earliest example of such imagery comes from, but many alchemical texts use the symbolism of a green lion eating the sun (and the sun seems to only look mildly concerned about it, if it even shows a reaction). Apparently, "[o]n a chemical level this is a metaphor for when a green, liquid sulfate called “vitriol” purifies matter, leaving behind the gold within the matter."

Here is an example from 1550:

_{From The Rosary of the Philosophers}

It's also worth noting that mythology has even earlier examples:

• In Norse mythology Skoll and Hati eat the sun and moon to start Ragnarok.


• Aztec mythology says that jaguars ate half a sun.

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

LaurelLaurel

7,75222554

add a comment | 

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4

1948: "Thang", a short short story (about one page) by Martin Gardner. According to Contento it was first published in the Fall 1948 issue of something called Comment.

The earth had completed another turn about the sun, whirling slowly and silently as it always whirled. The East had experienced a record breaking crop of yellow rice and yellow children, larger stockpiles of atomic weapons were accumulating in certain strategic centers, and the sages of the University of Chicago were uttering words of profound wisdom, when Thang reached down and picked up the Earth between his thumb and finger.

[. . . .]

He bit into it. It was soft and juicy, neither unpleasantly hot nor freezing to the tongue; and Thang, who always ate the entire planet, core and all, lay back contentedly, chewing slowly and permitting his thoughts to dwell idly on trivial matters, when he felt himself picked up suddenly by the back of the neck.

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

answered 2 hours ago

user14111user14111

106k6419535

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  This is the earliest example that popped into my mind as well. However, I remember that Gardner described the story as highly derivative in his introduction to it in The No-Sided Professor, so there may be earlier examples.
  
  – Buzz
  55 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

4

1948: "Thang", a short short story (about one page) by Martin Gardner. According to Contento it was first published in the Fall 1948 issue of something called Comment.

The earth had completed another turn about the sun, whirling slowly and silently as it always whirled. The East had experienced a record breaking crop of yellow rice and yellow children, larger stockpiles of atomic weapons were accumulating in certain strategic centers, and the sages of the University of Chicago were uttering words of profound wisdom, when Thang reached down and picked up the Earth between his thumb and finger.

[. . . .]

He bit into it. It was soft and juicy, neither unpleasantly hot nor freezing to the tongue; and Thang, who always ate the entire planet, core and all, lay back contentedly, chewing slowly and permitting his thoughts to dwell idly on trivial matters, when he felt himself picked up suddenly by the back of the neck.

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

answered 2 hours ago

user14111user14111

106k6419535

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  This is the earliest example that popped into my mind as well. However, I remember that Gardner described the story as highly derivative in his introduction to it in The No-Sided Professor, so there may be earlier examples.
  
  – Buzz
  55 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

1948: "Thang", a short short story (about one page) by Martin Gardner. According to Contento it was first published in the Fall 1948 issue of something called Comment.

The earth had completed another turn about the sun, whirling slowly and silently as it always whirled. The East had experienced a record breaking crop of yellow rice and yellow children, larger stockpiles of atomic weapons were accumulating in certain strategic centers, and the sages of the University of Chicago were uttering words of profound wisdom, when Thang reached down and picked up the Earth between his thumb and finger.

[. . . .]

He bit into it. It was soft and juicy, neither unpleasantly hot nor freezing to the tongue; and Thang, who always ate the entire planet, core and all, lay back contentedly, chewing slowly and permitting his thoughts to dwell idly on trivial matters, when he felt himself picked up suddenly by the back of the neck.

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

answered 2 hours ago

user14111user14111

106k6419535

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

answered 2 hours ago

user14111user14111

106k6419535

answered 2 hours ago

user14111user14111

106k6419535

answered 2 hours ago

user14111user14111

106k6419535

2

Can metaphors be science fiction?

I'm not sure when the earliest example of such imagery comes from, but many alchemical texts use the symbolism of a green lion eating the sun (and the sun seems to only look mildly concerned about it, if it even shows a reaction). Apparently, "[o]n a chemical level this is a metaphor for when a green, liquid sulfate called “vitriol” purifies matter, leaving behind the gold within the matter."

Here is an example from 1550:

_{From The Rosary of the Philosophers}

It's also worth noting that mythology has even earlier examples:

• In Norse mythology Skoll and Hati eat the sun and moon to start Ragnarok.


• Aztec mythology says that jaguars ate half a sun.

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

LaurelLaurel

7,75222554

add a comment | 

2

Can metaphors be science fiction?

I'm not sure when the earliest example of such imagery comes from, but many alchemical texts use the symbolism of a green lion eating the sun (and the sun seems to only look mildly concerned about it, if it even shows a reaction). Apparently, "[o]n a chemical level this is a metaphor for when a green, liquid sulfate called “vitriol” purifies matter, leaving behind the gold within the matter."

Here is an example from 1550:

_{From The Rosary of the Philosophers}

It's also worth noting that mythology has even earlier examples:

• In Norse mythology Skoll and Hati eat the sun and moon to start Ragnarok.


• Aztec mythology says that jaguars ate half a sun.

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

LaurelLaurel

7,75222554

add a comment | 

Can metaphors be science fiction?

I'm not sure when the earliest example of such imagery comes from, but many alchemical texts use the symbolism of a green lion eating the sun (and the sun seems to only look mildly concerned about it, if it even shows a reaction). Apparently, "[o]n a chemical level this is a metaphor for when a green, liquid sulfate called “vitriol” purifies matter, leaving behind the gold within the matter."

Here is an example from 1550:

_{From The Rosary of the Philosophers}

It's also worth noting that mythology has even earlier examples:

• In Norse mythology Skoll and Hati eat the sun and moon to start Ragnarok.


• Aztec mythology says that jaguars ate half a sun.

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

LaurelLaurel

7,75222554

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

LaurelLaurel

7,75222554

answered 2 hours ago

LaurelLaurel

7,75222554

answered 2 hours ago

LaurelLaurel

7,75222554