Recommended; 1950s science fiction
The topic of this article is portrayals of the planet Earth in science fiction of the 1950s.
Themes and Traits[]
Alien Invassions[]
Interplanetary Alliance[]
In Rocky Jones, Space Ranger Earth (February 1954) is a member of the United Worlds and the center of Space Ranger activity. In Flash Gordon (October 1954) Earth is the center of some Galactic union (governed by a Galactic Council) with Flash Gordon working for the Galactic Bureau of Investigations and certain episodes dealing with factions seeking to break away from this galactic government or to join it (such as the government of Saturn).
Nuclear War[]
World Government[]
Stanislaw Lem's Astronauci, known as The Astronauts (1951) to English speaking circles takes place in a communist Utopian future where Earth is governed by a council of scientist from around the world. All four of Stanislaw Lem's 1950s novels where published in the Soviet Bloc and thus all take place in a variant of the Communist Utopian future which features a united, communist, Earth. Robert A. Heinlein's Citizen of the Galaxy (1957) features a 'Terran Hegemony' which is the dominate military power in the galaxy and works to end Slavery. The abolition of slavery is of such a priority that a branch of the Hegemonic Guard is dedicated to this. Robert A. Heinlein's novel Starship Troopers (December 1959) portrays Earth as being united as the 'Terran Federation' which is highly militaristic with service (either in the labor or military branch of the Federal Service) granting full citizenship.