Talk:List of fictional astronauts

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[edit] Limitations

If this list were to include all fictional space travelers, it could go well beyond the category "astronaut" and include almost all characters from hundreds of science fiction novels, television shows, comics and movies.

I suggest the following limitations which would keep characters that are close to "real-world" astronauts and exclude many of the more "science-fictiony" candidates for this list:

A fictional astronaut must be:

  1. Human
  2. On a flight originating from Earth
  3. Living during the early Space Age, i.e. between the beginnings of real space travel and the near future (say c. 1960-2020). So no Star Trek characters. Pre-space age travelers to be examined on a case-by-case basis -- probably none of the characters before the travellers on Verne's Columbiad qualify (they usually took off using feathered wings, flying carpets, and so on, without any consideration of the airlessness of space), and the latter possibly fails on the grounds of unrealistic technology.

A fictional astronaut should preferably be:

  1. Part of a real space program (like NASA) or a fictional knockoff of the same.
  2. Preferably using space travel technology within the realm of the possible. Preference should be given to astronauts depicted using real technology (e.g. Apollo, Soyuz, Space Shuttle) or close fictional knockoffs of the same.

Dubious inclusions are:

  • Fantastic Four -- unrealistic technology, non-program
  • Planet of the Apes characters -- unrealistic technology
  • Red Dwarf -- every possible reason—Preceding unsigned comment added by RandomCritic (talk • contribs) 20:25, 6 July 2006
I can agree with most of these points. For the most part, the word "astronaut" acquires a vague definition when applied to certain subgenres of science fiction. I would say that some Star Trek characters (and similar from other shows) could be included if they fit the other criteria - such characters are already in the list, in fact. Another inclusion could be Zephram Cochrane, who is the last true astronaut in the Star Trek continuity, according to the first set of criteria. --Roland 21:26, 28 August 2006 (UTC)
I wanted to chime in on this. I strongly think that Planet of the Apes should stay. Sure it was way out there in the sense of being interstellar travel, but I think it shows a very optimistic view of the progress of human spaceflight in a very short time: 1968's depiction of the big one of 1972.
I have thought about adding the crew from Silent Running, but I just don't see it. It was 1972's view of 2008, so pretty far ahead. But they were park rangers, not astronauts. And they flew via American Airlines. Just as the Nostromo crew in Alien were basically truck drivers. (I've got a list someplace of things I wanted to add to this article.) Thanks. --EarthPerson 01:43, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Deletions

I removed Stephen Taylor from Doctor Who, and Lister, Rimmer and Kochanski of Red Dwarf, because although the characters are space travellers, none of them really fits the definition of "astronaut" -- they all exist in some distant future in which interstellar space travel is, apparently, common, and their inclusion could open up the list to all of the Star Trek and Star Wars characters and the like.—Preceding unsigned comment added by RandomCritic (talk • contribs) 19:35, 7 July 2006

[edit] Real world connections

I notice that there are several of these entries that have crews composed of fictional and actual astronauts. Is this a help to this article? I think so. When I first created the article for Voyagers, I had this line as part of a rather lengthy description: "Stoner's ride, as the first American on a Soyuz, predates Norm Thagard's actual trip on Soyuz TM-21 by 14 years." Any thoughts on putting this back in and finding similar items? Thanks. --EarthPerson 01:34, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

I made a command decision and put it back in.  :) --EarthPerson 16:16, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Sourcing Problems

I've noticed that there is no way to 'positively' source entries that come from less well known or common books/films/comics. An attempt to add material derived from watching a film that I purchased from a discount retailer was knocked back on the grounds of 'hearsay'(eg the information could not be confirmed online). A procedure needs to be worked out to resolve this sourcing issue. Graham1973 (talk) 01:17, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Additions

I'm almost through my collection of techno-thrillers, I have one more book to do The Trikon Deception (still working on this) and I've found a copy of Kiev Footprint (Carl A. Posey, 1983), which I've now added to the list. The novel is a standard Post-Watergate piece in which a reporter uncovers a conspiracy and has both to prevent it and flee for his life. Author appears to have been inspired in part by the Skylab re-entry fiasco and the prologue is an inversion of Death of a Cosmonaut with a Soviet crew being sent to investigate a failed American space mission.

I still have two more books on my list as possibles, which I will have to find, Cold Wind From Orion (Space shuttle to Skylab), Alpha Bug (Military Space Shuttle?). If anyone has these feel free to add them here. Graham1973 (talk) 05:22, 7 April 2008 (UTC)