Big Planet
A planetary romance set on a metal-poor, lawless world.
Big Planet is a science fiction novel by American author Jack Vance. It is the first of two books set on the same world—the other being *Showboat World*—a vast, metal-scarce, and technologically regressive planet also called Big Planet. The story first appeared in *Startling Stories* (volume 27, number 2, September 1952). It was later abridged and republished in 1957 by Avalon Books, then issued as part of Ace double novel D-295, paired with Vance’s *The Houses of Iszm*. A further abridgment followed in 1958, and the full text was restored in 1978.
Centuries before the novel’s events, Big Planet was settled by Earth’s misfits, cultists, faddists, and anti-government exiles. Though the planet is much larger than Earth, its low density—due to a scarcity of metal—gives it Earth-like gravity and a similar environment. This has led to many technologically primitive societies, often ruled by petty tyrants and plagued by lawlessness, murder, and chaos.
Earth has sent commissions to Big Planet every few hundred years, with little success; most vanish without a trace. The latest commission, led by Claude Glystra, aims to stop the slave trade and suppress the planet’s illegal arms shipments from Earth, specifically targeting Charley Lysidder, the ruthless, expansionist Bajarnum of Beaujolais. Lysidder’s agents sabotage their starship, which crashes near the village of Jubilith, close to Beaujolais.
The survivors must travel 40,000 miles to the Earth Enclave, armed only with their wits and a few modern hand weapons. A Jubilith local named Natilien-Thilssa (called “Nancy”) insists on joining, despite Glystra’s objections. As Lysidder’s forces and the planet’s dangers take their toll, the group shrinks. Through tenacity, resourcefulness, and luck, Glystra ultimately defeats Lysidder—even though Lysidder has planted agents within Glystra’s own party.
Along their journey on the wind-driven monoline—a kind of yellow brick road—Glystra and his companions encounter many societies, both benign and bizarre. One is the quasi-utopian Kirstendale, which initially seems snobbish but proves surprisingly egalitarian.
- Author
- Jack Vance
- Nationality
- American
- Genre
- Science fiction
- First published
- Startling Stories, September 1952
- Setting
- Big Planet
- Known for
- Planetary romance, imaginary world-building
Lore & Background
Big Planet had been colonized hundreds of years prior to the start of the novel by misfits, faddists, cultists and anti-government advocates from Earth. The environment is Earth-like, including surface gravity; even though the planet is much larger than Earth, it is much less dense, resulting from a scarcity of metal. As a result, a large number of technologically backward societies have developed, many ruled by petty tyrants and prey to lawlessness, murder, and mayhem. Commissions from Earth have visited Big Planet at irregular intervals for 500 years to little effect; the majority are never heard from again.
Reader's Guide
According to science fiction scholar Nick Gevers, Big Planet 'was instrumental in the development of the planetary romance form ... perhaps the first attempt at a convincingly complete imaginary world in genre s-f....[T]he conviction persists that it is not the characters who serve as the book's protagonists, but rather Big Planet itself.' John Grant gave a negative review, writing that there is 'a strong sense of coitus interruptus ... it's as if one had paid for the Magical Mystery Tour and all that happened was that the bus went round the block and dumped you back on your own doorstep.' Grant concluded that Big Planet 'is one of those books that anyone seriously interested in the evolution of fantasy/sf should ... well, not so much read as have, at some stage, read. It is significant to the history of the genre even if no longer, as a novel, especially significant in itself.' The novel's significance lies in its pioneering role in planetary romance and its detailed, immersive world-building, despite mixed critical reception regarding its narrative execution.
Did You Know?
- Big Planet was first published in Startling Stories (vol. 27 no. 2, September 1952).
- The novel was cut and reissued in 1957 by Avalon Books, then further cut in 1958, with the text restored in 1978.
- The planet is much larger than Earth but much less dense due to a scarcity of metal.
- The protagonist Claude Glystra leads a commission to stop arms importation and the slave trade on Big Planet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Big Planet and when did it first appear?
Big Planet is a science fiction novel by American writer Jack Vance that debuted in the September 1952 issue of Startling Stories magazine. It is a planetary romance built around a lawless, resource-starved world.
What is the setting of Big Planet like?
The story unfolds on a vast planet of the same name where metal is nearly nonexistent, causing technology to regress across the entire civilization. This scarcity shapes every aspect of daily life and gives the world a rough, frontier-like character.
Is Big Planet part of a series or connected to other books?
Yes—Big Planet is the first of two novels set on the same world, the second being Showboat World. Both share the identical planetary backdrop of metal poverty and technological backwardness.
What is the publication history of Big Planet?
After its 1952 magazine debut, the text was abridged and reissued by Avalon Books in 1957, then bundled with The Houses of Iszm in Ace double novel D-295. A further shortened edition followed in 1958, but the full original text was restored in 1978.
Why is Big Planet notable in Jack Vance's bibliography?
It stands out as an early Vance work celebrated for its imaginative world-building, particularly the idea of an entire civilization shaped by the near-total absence of metal. The novel helped define the planetary romance subgenre with its lawless, frontier-style setting.
More in Novels by Jack Vance 1-24
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