# Add to the list of (fictional) Lunar cities... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 19, 2014, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/add-to-the-list-of-fictional-lunar-cities/679204 "2014-01-19T13:48:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/add-to-the-list-of-fictional-lunar-cities/679204/1 "2014-01-19T13:48:01Z")
…as the name implies, I’m compiling a list of cities on Earth’s moon, as named in (obviously) fiction. Maybe I’ll make a wiki list out of it, I dunno. For what it’s worth, I’m keeping these distinct from mere lunar bases, outposts, or research stations. Non-human settlements are OK, as long as they’re indeed supposed to be on Earth’s Moon. So far, I can think of - **The Moon is a Harsh Mistress** :\* Luna City, Johnson City, Novy Leningrad, Tycho Under, Churchill\*, and _Hong Kong Luna_ - **Red Dwarf** : _Lunar City Seven_ (possibly.) - **Gundam** franchise: _Aires City, Amman, Anaheim, Granada, Von Braun_, and _Neo Cartagena_ - **Star Trek** : _Tycho City, Armstrong City, New Berlin_, and _Copernicus City_ (Possibly others). …anyone got any others? And does Pan Am offer regular commercial flights? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/add-to-the-list-of-fictional-lunar-cities/679204/2 "2014-01-19T15:26:07Z")
Poul Anderson’s excellent short story “Kyrie” has a convent of St. Martha of Bethany in the lunar mountains, where it has become traditional for those who have lost loved ones in space to offer up their prayers. Not exactly a “city”, but it’s certainly more than an “outpost or research station”. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/add-to-the-list-of-fictional-lunar-cities/679204/3 "2014-01-19T16:50:22Z")
_The Moon Maze Game_ - Heinlein Base ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/add-to-the-list-of-fictional-lunar-cities/679204/4 "2014-01-19T17:19:03Z")
John Varley’s Eight Worlds series had a lot of stories set on the moon. The only city name I can think of offhand was King City. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/add-to-the-list-of-fictional-lunar-cities/679204/5 "2014-01-19T17:20:12Z")
[Moonbase Alpha](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moonbase_Alpha_(Space:_1999)), if you define “city” generously. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/add-to-the-list-of-fictional-lunar-cities/679204/6 "2014-01-19T18:11:01Z")
**Port Roris** , A Fall of Moondust, Arthur C Clarke. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/add-to-the-list-of-fictional-lunar-cities/679204/7 "2014-01-19T18:57:56Z")
In his 1962 short story “Searchlight,” Heinlein mentions Tycho Base, Meridian Station, Farside Hardbase and Station Newton. It’s unclear if they’re cities, as such, or just military bases (esp. the third). Does his _The Rolling Stones_ and _Have Spacesuit, Will Travel_ refer to others? In addition to those named in the OP, _Star Trek_ has also referred to Lunaport, the Lunar One colony and the Orpheus Mining Colony. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/add-to-the-list-of-fictional-lunar-cities/679204/8 "2014-01-19T23:55:22Z")
[Clavius Base](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clavius_Base) in _2001: A Space Odyssey._ In _Star Trek: First Contact_, Riker tells Cochran that (something like) forty million people live on the moon in his time. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/add-to-the-list-of-fictional-lunar-cities/679204/9 "2014-01-20T00:09:00Z")
[Attilan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attilan) from Marvel comics was on the Moon for years. It’s mobile and has been in a number of locations over the millennia, on and off Earth. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/add-to-the-list-of-fictional-lunar-cities/679204/10 "2014-01-20T00:21:54Z")
Luna-1 in the Judge Dredd universe. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/add-to-the-list-of-fictional-lunar-cities/679204/11 "2014-01-20T01:31:43Z")
I’m currently reading _Requiem For A Ruler Of Worlds_ by Brian Daley (I got the recommendation here on the SDMB), the first of a trilogy about the adventures of Alacrity Fitzhugh and Hobart Floyt. I’m not too far into it; the first stop on their journey is the Moon. So far the list of cities/settlements/shanty towns named includes Lunaport (where their ship landed), Upsie (or This End Up City, the now-abandoned first “boxtown”), Hubble City and Sockwallet, a community of “foragers” or nomads. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/add-to-the-list-of-fictional-lunar-cities/679204/12 "2014-01-20T01:31:49Z")
Nectaris City (presumably named for Mare Nectaris) in [Schlock Mercenary](http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2003-01-24). ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/add-to-the-list-of-fictional-lunar-cities/679204/13 "2014-01-20T02:14:52Z")
Sea of Tranquility City from _Planetes_. ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/add-to-the-list-of-fictional-lunar-cities/679204/14 "2014-01-20T19:05:05Z")
One of my favorite MST3K-ed movie is [“Moon Zero Two”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Zero_Two), if just for the opening theme and the accompanying Joel Go-Go Dancing (actually, it’s not all that bad a movie - it has a reasonable plot and does hang together). Wiki mentions the movies features Moon City (the main city where the shuttles land, and that cabaret is located), and Farside 5, which I believe is where the Monorail ends and where they rent the moon buggy to travel to the mining claims. I believe the 1970 TV series [UFO](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFO_(TV_series)) (1980) has (1980) only (1980) bases, not cities (1980)- the Shado (1980) moon base, and at least 2 other (1980) bases (the private mining base, and the Russian base where the run-away moon buggy-truck came from). Don’t recall any cities (1980\*)… (\*I recently rewatched a number of episodes, and I believe during the pilot episode’s intro “1980” flashes on screen 4 times, while subsequent intros 1980 flashes only 3 time…so I guess we can blame former PM Margaret Thatcher for the lack of moon bases?) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2014, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/add-to-the-list-of-fictional-lunar-cities/679204/15 "2014-01-29T05:49:55Z")
I just checked in Heinlein’s _Double Star, The Past Through Tomorrow_ and _Have Space Suit, Will Travel_. The first book mentions Tycho City, Jefferson Port and New Batavia (the capital of the Solar System-wide Empire). The short story “Gentlemen, Be Seated” in TPTT mentions the town of Richardson; “The Black Pits of Luna” mentions Rutherford. I counted seven TPTT short stories which refer to Luna City, as does _HSSWT_. That book also refers to Tombaugh Station, which might be a scientific outpost rather than a settlement. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/add-to-the-list-of-fictional-lunar-cities/679204/16 "2014-01-30T02:59:31Z")
There’s the Hurrian settlement, just called “the Base”, in Asimov’s “The Gentle Vultures.” It started out as an expedition base, but after 15 years was a settlement. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/add-to-the-list-of-fictional-lunar-cities/679204/17 "2014-02-03T05:31:06Z")
In Heinlein’s 1952 juvenile novel _The Rolling Stones_, Luna City is mentioned again, as is Leyport, probably named after this guy: [Willy Ley - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willy_Ley). No other lunar cities that I noticed in a quick skim of the book. ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/add-to-the-list-of-fictional-lunar-cities/679204/18 "2014-02-03T22:07:58Z")
You may or may not want these. There is a board game called Lunar Rails, which involves building railroad from city to city on the moon. It has a plethora of cities, of 3 different sizes. You can see them in these 2 pictures, [Far Side](http://boardgamegeek.com/image/227410/lunar-rails?size=original), [Near Side](http://boardgamegeek.com/image/227411/lunar-rails?size=original). The round small ones are most likely mining or research stations, the square ones towns, and the 6 large ones major cities. Although in the game they are all called cities, just of different populations. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/add-to-the-list-of-fictional-lunar-cities/679204/19 "2014-02-04T02:36:26Z")
> [@Lok](#): > > You may or may not want these. There is a board game called Lunar Rails, which involves building railroad from city to city on the moon. It has a plethora of cities, of 3 different sizes. You can see them in these 2 pictures, [Far Side](http://boardgamegeek.com/image/227410/lunar-rails?size=original), [Near Side](http://boardgamegeek.com/image/227411/lunar-rails?size=original). The round small ones are most likely mining or research stations, the square ones towns, and the 6 large ones major cities. Although in the game they are all called cities, just of different populations. Login required. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/add-to-the-list-of-fictional-lunar-cities/679204/20 "2014-02-04T16:08:56Z")
> [@SirRay](#): > > I believe the 1970 TV series [UFO](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFO_(TV_series)) (1980) has (1980) only (1980) bases, not cities (1980)- the Shado (1980) moon base, and at least 2 other (1980) bases (the private mining base, and the Russian base where the run-away moon buggy-truck came from). Don’t recall any cities (1980\*)… > (\*I recently rewatched a number of episodes, and I believe during the pilot episode’s intro “1980” flashes on screen 4 times, while subsequent intros 1980 flashes only 3 time…so I guess we can blame former PM Margaret Thatcher for the lack of moon bases?) Although an English (ITC?) television production, SHADO was supposed to be an international agency in the series. And here’s a bit of trivia, since you’re rewatching: Col. Virginia Lake is Bennedict Cumberbatch’s mother, and recently appeared as Mrs. Holmes’s mother in Series 3 of _Sherlock_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/add-to-the-list-of-fictional-lunar-cities/679204.md?page=2)