Medea: Harlan's World

Medea: Harlan's World (1985; ISBN 0-932096-36-0) is a 1985 collection of science fiction short stories by different authors, all taking place on the same fictional moon. It was an experiment in collaborative science fictional world-building, featuring contributions by Hal Clement, Frank Herbert, and others.

It was based on a 1975 UCLA seminar called "10 Tuesdays Down a Rabbit Hole", held by Harlan Ellison and other science fiction authors.

Contents

 * Introduction: Cosmic Hod-Carriers
 * Part I: The Specs
 * Introduction
 * Basic Concepts: Astrophysics, Geology (by Hal Clement)
 * Geology, Meteorology, Oceanography, Geography, Nomenclature, Biology (by Poul Anderson)
 * Biology, Ecology, Xenology (by Larry Niven)
 * Xenology, Sociology, Politics, Theology, Mathematics (by Frederik Pohl)
 * Part II: The Concept Seminar
 * Part III: The Extrapolations, the Questions
 * Part IV: Second Thoughts
 * Part V: The Stories
 * "Farside Station" by Jack Williamson
 * "Flare Time" by Larry Niven
 * "With Virgil Oddum at the East Pole" by Harlan Ellison
 * "Swanilda's Song" by Frederik Pohl
 * "Seasoning" by Hal Clement
 * "Concepts" by Thomas M. Disch
 * "Songs of a Sentient Flute" by Frank Herbert
 * "Hunter's Moon" by Poul Anderson
 * "The Promise" by Kate Wilhelm
 * "Why Dolphins Don't Bite" by Theodore Sturgeon
 * "Waiting for the Earthquake" by Robert Silverberg