# What is the largest organic creature in sci-fi. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 1, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593 "2009-07-01T17:32:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593/21 "2009-07-01T19:17:07Z")
[Ego, the Living Planet](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ego_the_Living_Planet) must be in the running. ---
**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:** [July 1, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593/22 "2009-07-01T19:19:41Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > (though there’s surely something out there with a living parallel universe). The Star Trek novel _The Final Nexus_ had that, although it wasn’t organic so probably doesn’t qualify. There’s other living universes in fiction ( I recall one story that postulated a whole ecology of them ); it’s the “organic” part that disqualifies them. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593/23 "2009-07-01T19:24:36Z")
In the Sector General novels, there is a life form that is at \_least \_ continent (and possibly world) sized. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593/24 "2009-07-01T19:26:36Z")
Shatner’s ego? ---
**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:** [July 1, 2009, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593/25 "2009-07-01T19:27:50Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > In the Sector General novels, there is a life form that is at \_least \_ continent (and possibly world) sized. The Strata Beasts; there’s several of them. From _Major Operation_, where they perform life saving surgery on one with capital ship weapons. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593/26 "2009-07-01T19:28:45Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Shatner’s ego? Doesn’t qualify as it’s non-fiction. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593/27 "2009-07-01T19:32:29Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > [Ego, the Living Planet](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ego_the_Living_Planet) must be in the running. Mentioned by me in post #12 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593/28 "2009-07-01T19:37:35Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > Doesn’t qualify as it’s non-fiction. Okay, then: Kirk’s libido. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593/29 "2009-07-01T19:44:46Z")
The alien discovered in Jack McDevitt’s **[Cauldron](http://www.bookloons.com/cgi-bin/Review.ASP?bookid=8686)**. IIRC, its eye was described as being as large as Earth. ---
**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:** [July 1, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593/30 "2009-07-01T19:49:51Z")
Larry Niven’s Old Mind permeates the observable universe. I don’t know if it qualifies under “organic”; it’s components are described as resembling interstellar dust. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593/31 "2009-07-01T19:59:58Z")
The interstellar drive described in Harry Harrison’s very tongue-in-cheek **Bill, the Galactic Hero** essentially works by “blowing you up” to many, many times your original size, until you take up a good portion of the universe, then shrinking you back down in the vicinity of your destination. Bill describes seeing the Earth as a tiny marble in front of him. So anything using that drive is huge, much bigger than solar-system sized. Although presumably you’re in some other sort of “space” and not subject to our normal physical laws when you’re in it. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593/32 "2009-07-01T20:15:07Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > If that counts, it’s going to be hard to beat (though there’s surely something out there with a living parallel universe). Maybe the creature in Futurama’s “The Beast with a Billion Backs”? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593/33 "2009-07-01T20:39:02Z")
I would nominate the Sun-Eater from The Legion of Super-Heroes comic books. The Spectre could get pretty big, too. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593/34 "2009-07-01T21:12:08Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Mentioned by me in post #12 Darn, sorry. I didn’t skip your post, either, read it and somehow missed that. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593/35 "2009-07-01T21:13:51Z")
Well, in the nuWho “Doctor Who” episode **42** , there’s a [living sun.](http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/42) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593/36 "2009-07-01T21:18:17Z")
I think it’s strongly implied in [If the Stars Are Gods](http://www.amazon.com/If-Stars-Are-Gods-Fleet/dp/0441370667), that some stars, even our own, are sentient. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593/37 "2009-07-01T21:28:35Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Marvel comics had **Ego** , the Living Planet And DC has Mogo, the living planet. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593/38 "2009-07-01T21:36:20Z")
> [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](#): > > I would nominate the Sun-Eater from The Legion of Super-Heroes comic books. The first Sun Eater was even bigger than the more amorphous canonical version. ---
**Author:** ![De\_La\_Rue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@De\_La\_Rue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/De_La_Rue)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593/39 "2009-07-01T22:08:18Z")
What about the [thing](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJOVUF-HaDw) at the end of _Men in Black_? ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593/40 "2009-07-01T22:48:34Z")
Nobody thought to include the gigantic cell from the TOS episode “The Immunity Syndrome”? A single cell, tens of thousands of kilometers long, on the point of dividing? How big would the entire organism be when fully grown? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-organic-creature-in-sci-fi/501593.md?page=3)