this post was submitted on 27 Feb 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

That was in the Red / Green / Blue mars trilogy, one of my favorites. Though I think I've seen the concept in other works as well.

Basically the temp difference between day / night caused contraction of the rail tracks, pushing the whole city forward so it was always just ahead of dawn.

[–] dubyakay 3 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

The nomadic colony got expanded on in KSR's novel 2312. I don't actually remember much about it in the Mars Trilogy.

But I've seen the concept before in an old EU Star Wars novel, one of the Solo books maybe, where Lando was operating something similar as his new venture.

And before that maybe mentioned by Sagan. And before that...

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

I'll have to get 2312, haven't heard of that one. Same universe?

[–] dubyakay 3 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

Adjacent, probably. Very similar, and seems to purposefully be set a hundred years after Blue Mars ends (2212).

But it starts and ends on Mercury after a voyage through the solar system, not spending much story time on Mars.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 13 hours ago

Damn, that's a great idea. I gotta go back and finish that series.