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The Birth of a New Republic: Depictions of the Governance of a Free Moon in Science Fiction

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Human Governance Beyond Earth

Part of the book series: Space and Society ((SPSO))

Abstract

This essay, intended as input to the drafting of the ‘constitution for an independent lunar base’ included in the present volume, is a survey of the portrayal of the governance of independent human colonies on the moon in science fiction. Self-governance on the moon will have some challenges in common with settlements on other solar system bodies such as Mars, for example a supremely harsh natural environment and a reliance on essential communal systems. But the moon will present some unique challenges of its own, such as the economic and military domination of a nearby Earth, and the fact that it is likely to be the site of the first move for independence from Earth. In terms of fictional lunar polities, the classic work is Heinlein’s The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (1966). Other writers have explored challenges including military, technological and economic.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. British Interplanetary Society, London, UK

    Stephen Baxter

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  1. Stephen Baxter
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Correspondence to Stephen Baxter .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. UK Centre for Astrobiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

    Charles S. Cockell

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Baxter, S. (2015). The Birth of a New Republic: Depictions of the Governance of a Free Moon in Science Fiction. In: Cockell, C. (eds) Human Governance Beyond Earth. Space and Society. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18063-2_6

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