25 of the best fictional planets to visit

3. Vulcan (Star Trek)

Do you really think you’re a nerd? Are your shelves full of dense volumes of technical books, poetry collections, and dissertations that dissect said poetry in technical language? Could you spend all day — no, all week, even — debating the particulars of grammar and syntax? Does the very idea of a fun-loving cruise ship planet like Risa make your skin crawl?

Well, wait until you visit Vulcan.

First of all, you’ll need to do some training. The homeworld of the Vulcan people has much higher gravity than Earth. Yes, the fancy nerds of Star Trek are also comparatively ripped, at least once they visit lower-gravity ships and planets. Vulcan’s atmosphere is also quite thin, meaning that the random Vulcan on your own ship is even better at breathing than you are.

Don’t take it personally, though. Vulcan the planet is a harsh place, demanding both serious physical adaptations and mental gymnastics to survive. The early Vulcan people were actually highly emotional and warlike, according to their own mythology.

Surak saves everyone

It was only when the historical figure of Surak came to prominence that the Vulcan people dove headfirst into unemotional logic. Otherwise, there is a good chance that Vulcan would be just another lifeless desert planet.

Happily, the Vulcan people have used logic to get along with one another, paving the way for great intellectual achievements. The Vulcan Science Academy is renowned for its academic vigor, for one. Vulcans were also founding members of the United Federation of Planets. Good thing they were the ones to make first contact with humans. Otherwise, our impulsiveness and general propensity towards dirty jokes might have thrown off our own Federation membership.

If you can tear yourself away from the books and breakout discussions, be sure to check out the geology of Vulcan. Its beautiful red rock features are situated amongst dramatic lava fields, mysterious caverns, and impressive mountains.