25 of the best fictional planets to visit

13. Illium (Mass Effect)

Okay, all of this is a bit much. There are too many worlds that are on fire, full of dangerous animals, or have become sentient and may want to eat you. Even if you’re willing to go full Indiana Jones, with plenty of adventures, villains, and planes full of snakes, you’ve got to take a break. Surely, there has to be somewhere in this science fiction galaxy that is safe enough for you to have a coffee and relax with a good book.

Illium, as seen in the Mass Effect video game series, could be a good bet for an actual relaxing vacation. It’s actually a colony of the influential asari people, meant to serve as a busy spaceport. Illium is also one of the youngest colonies in the asari collection.

Don’t let all of the people or the young age of Illium put you off, however. It’s generally safe and beautiful. Even the high temperatures of the planet shouldn’t be enough to sway you. Illium boasts massive cities, either at more comfortable polar latitudes or simply moved high up in the sky and away from sweltering ground temperatures. Somewhere in each city, there must be a nice, out of the way spot for you to, however briefly, let your guard down.

However, Illium isn’t boring by any means. Considering that it’s a massive transportation and commerce hub, it sees quite a few new faces and cultures. Sure, the legal rules are pretty lax in an attempt to facilitate trade, but surely you can read the fine print, right? Anyway, the asari generally control the planet, and they won’t let anything too crazy happen. There are still rules, after all.