Medea: Harlan's World

Medea: Harlan's World (1985; ISBN 0-932096-36-0) is a collection of science fiction short stories by different authors, all taking place on the same fictional moon. It was an experiment in collaborative science-fictional world-building, featuring contributions by Hal Clement, Frank Herbert, and others.

It was based on a 1975 UCLA seminar called "10 Tuesdays Down a Rabbit Hole", held by Ellison and other science fiction authors.

Contents

• Introduction: Cosmic Hod-Carriers
• Part I: The Specs
  • Introduction
  • Basic Concepts: Astrophysics, Geology (by Hal Clement)
  • Geology, Meteorology, Oceanography, Geography, Nomenclature, Biology (by Poul Anderson)
  • Biology, Ecology, Xenology (by Larry Niven)
  • Xenology, Sociology, Politics, Theology, Mathematics (by Frederik Pohl)
• Part II: The Concept Seminar
• Part III: The Extrapolations, the Questions
• Part IV: Second Thoughts
• Part V: The Stories
  • "Farside Station" by Jack Williamson
  • "Flare Time" by Larry Niven
  • "With Virgil Oddum at the East Pole" by Harlan Ellison
  • "Swanilda's Song" by Frederik Pohl
  • "Seasoning" by Hal Clement
  • "Concepts" by Thomas M. Disch
  • "Songs of a Sentient Flute" by Frank Herbert
  • "Hunter's Moon" by Poul Anderson
  • "The Promise" by Kate Wilhelm
  • "Why Dolphins Don't Bite" by Theodore Sturgeon
  • "Waiting for the Earthquake" by Robert Silverberg