{"id":2514,"date":"2025-08-26T12:01:19","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T17:01:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/?p=2514"},"modified":"2025-08-26T12:01:19","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T17:01:19","slug":"geology-in-fiction-a-community-favorites-survey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/geology-in-fiction-a-community-favorites-survey\/","title":{"rendered":"Geology in Fiction: A Community Favorites Survey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Novels<\/h2>\n

Next time you want to read about geology without having to open your own manuscript or one of your many citations, give one of these a go: <\/span><\/p>\n

The Martian<\/i><\/b> (2011) by Andy Weir <\/b><\/h3>\n

Mark Watney finds himself stranded and alone on Mars after a dust storm forces his <\/span>crew to evacuate. He\u2019s unable to signal to Earth and his supplies are dwindling fast but he\u2019s not ready to give up. Determined to survive, he draws on his ingenuity and his engineering skills to confront the impossible.<\/span><\/p>\n

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See the <\/span><\/i>Goodreads synopsis<\/span><\/i><\/a> – <\/span><\/i>4.42\/5 stars (1,231,479 ratings)<\/span><\/p>\n

The Ministry for the Future<\/i><\/b> (2020) by Kim Stanley Robinson<\/b><\/h3>\n

The Ministry for the Future was established in 2025 to advocate for future generations\u00a0<\/span>and protect all living things. Told through fictional eye-witness accounts, <\/span>The Ministry for\u00a0<\/span><\/i>the Future<\/span><\/i> imagines how the extraordinary challenges caused by climate change will affect us all.<\/span><\/p>\n

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See the <\/span><\/i>Goodreads synopsis<\/span><\/i><\/a> – 3.87\/5 (39,500 ratings)<\/span><\/p>\n

Journey to the Center of the Earth<\/i><\/b> (1864) by Jules Verne<\/b><\/h3>\n

Geology professor Otto Lidenbrock investigates claims of a supposed route to the\u00a0<\/span>earth\u2019s core. With his nephew Axel and a guide Hans, he descends into an extinct\u00a0<\/span>volcano to a fantastic subterranean world.<\/span><\/p>\n

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See the<\/span><\/i> Goodreads synopsis<\/span><\/i><\/a> – 3.85\/5 (217,514 ratings)<\/span><\/p>\n

The Broken Earth Trilogy (2015-2017) by N.K. Jemisin<\/b><\/h3>\n

Book #1, <\/span>The Fifth Season<\/span><\/i>: <\/span>Three terrible things in a single day: Essun comes home to find her son murdered and\u00a0<\/span>her daughter kidnapped; the empire that has been civilization\u2019s bedrock for thousands of years collapses as its citizens are murdered to satiate a madman\u2019s vengeance; and a great rift has torn into the heart of the earth. Now, Essun will stop at nothing to save her daughter as she travels through a deadly, dying land.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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See the<\/span><\/i> Goodreads synopsis<\/span><\/i><\/a> – 4.29\/5 stars (314,328 ratings)<\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond Sleep<\/i><\/b> (1966) by Willem Frederik Hermans<\/b><\/h3>\n

Alfred Issendorf, a young Dutch geologist, is looking to make a name for himself. He\u00a0<\/span>joins an expedition to far north Norway in hopes of being the first to identify a suite of craters in the landscape. The unforgiving environment instead brings a series of unimaginable tribulations. Pushed to his physical and mental limits, Alfred becomes paranoid and begins to lose his grip on reality.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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See the <\/span><\/i>Goodreads synopsis<\/span><\/i><\/a> – 3.86\/5 stars (10,376 ratings)<\/span><\/p>\n

Em Hansen Mystery Series (1994-2012) by Sarah Andrews<\/b><\/h3>\n

Book #1, <\/span>Tensleep<\/span><\/i>:\u00a0<\/span>Em Hansen, a forensic geologist turned sleuth, decides to investigate a series of mysterious events when working on an oil-drilling rig in the Wyoming badlands.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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See the <\/span><\/i>Goodreads synopsis<\/span><\/i><\/a> – 3.63\/5 stars (422 ratings)<\/span><\/p>\n

The Mars Trilogy (1992-1999) by Kim Stanley Robinson<\/b><\/h3>\n

Book #1, <\/span>Red Mars:\u00a0<\/span><\/i>It\u2019s 2026 and a group of 100 colonists set out to conquer the desolate and hostile\u00a0<\/span>Martian landscape. What follows is an epic terraforming mission filled with daring acts of\u00a0<\/span>courage and madness, incredible engineering feats, and the follies of mankind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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See the <\/span><\/i>Goodreads synopsis<\/span><\/i><\/a> – <\/span><\/i>3.86\/5 stars (86,767 ratings)\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Jacob\u2019s Well<\/i><\/b> (1984) by Stephen Harrigan<\/b><\/b><\/h3>\n

Stephen Harrigan\u2019s second novel takes readers on a passionate, emotionally intense\u00a0<\/span>journey deep into the mysterious passageways of a Central Texas aquifer\u2014and the human heart.<\/span><\/p>\n

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See the <\/span><\/i>Goodreads synopsis<\/span><\/i><\/a> – 4.00\/5 stars (98 ratings)<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Gurren Lagann Series (2007-2013) by Kotaro Mori<\/b><\/h3>\n

Gurren Lagann, Vol. 1:\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Simon drills holes daily in an attempt to expand his skyless cavern. That is until an\u00a0<\/span>extraordinary discovery drags him headfirst into a plot to break through to the surface, defend his village, and defeat a monster.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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See the <\/span><\/i>Goodreads synopsis<\/span><\/i><\/a> – <\/span><\/i>4.07\/5 stars (283 ratings)<\/span><\/p>\n

The Alternatives<\/i><\/b> (2024) by Caoilinn Hughes<\/b><\/h3>\n

The Flattery sisters are in their 30s, all single, and all with PhDs. The four lead distanced\u00a0<\/span>lives attempting to do meaningful work in a rapidly changing world. One day, the oldest sister, a geologist haunted by the earth\u2019s future, vanishes from her home. The other three must work together in search for a sister who may not wish to be found.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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See the <\/span><\/i>Goodreads synopsis<\/span><\/i><\/a> – 3.39\/5 stars (3,449 ratings)<\/span><\/p>\n

Film<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re needing a break from the rigor of academics, check out some of these movies that put entertaining storytelling ahead of strict scientific accuracy: <\/span><\/p>\n

Tremors<\/i><\/b> (1990)<\/b><\/b><\/h3>\n

\u201cVal McKee and Earl Bassett are in a fight for their lives when they discover that their desolate town has been infested with gigantic, man-eating creatures that live below the ground.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Description from <\/span>Letterboxd<\/span><\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

James Bond: Quantum of Solace<\/i><\/b> (2008)<\/b><\/b><\/h3>\n

\u201cBetrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 fights the urge to make his latest mission personal. Pursuing his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and M interrogate Mr. White, who reveals that the organization that blackmailed Vesper is far more complex and dangerous than anyone had imagined.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Description from <\/span>Letterboxd<\/span><\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

The Day After Tomorrow<\/i><\/b> (2004)<\/b><\/b><\/h3>\n

\u201cAfter paleoclimatologist Jack Hall is largely ignored by UN officials when presenting his environmental concerns about the beginning of a new Ice Age, his research proves true when a superstorm develops, setting off catastrophic natural disasters throughout the world. Trying to get to his son, Sam, who is trapped in New York City with his friend Laura and others, Jack and his crew must travel to get to Sam before it\u2019s too late.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Description from <\/span>Letterboxd<\/span><\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

Dante\u2019s Peak<\/i><\/b> (1997)<\/b><\/h3>\n

\u201cVolcanologist Harry Dalton comes to the sleepy town of Dante\u2019s Peak to investigate the recent rumblings of the dormant volcano the burg is named for. Before long, his worst fears are realized when a massive eruption hits, and immediately, Harry, the mayor and the townspeople find themselves fighting for their lives amid a catastrophic nightmare.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Description from <\/span>Letterboxd<\/span><\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

Megafault<\/i><\/b> (2009)<\/b><\/b><\/h3>\n

\u201cWhen miner Charley \u2018Boomer\u2019 Baxter sets off a series of massive mining detonations in\u00a0<\/span>West Virginia, a gigantic earthquake is soon rocking the North Atlantic, exposing a deep seismic fault that runs the length of the North American continent. Joining forces with government seismology expert Dr Amy Lane, Boomer must now race against time to stop the chasm that is threatening to tear America – and the entire world – in half.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Description from <\/span>Letterboxd<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Journey to the Center of the Earth<\/i><\/b> (2008)<\/b><\/b><\/h3>\n

\u201cOn a quest to find out what happened to his missing brother, a scientist, his nephew and their mountain guide discover a fantastic and dangerous lost world in the center of the earth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Description from <\/span>Letterboxd<\/span><\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

Jurassic Park<\/i><\/b> (1993)<\/b><\/h3>\n

\u201cA wealthy entrepreneur secretly creates a theme park featuring living dinosaurs drawn from prehistoric DNA. Before opening day, he invites a team of experts and his two eager grandchildren to experience the park and help calm anxious investors. However, the park is anything but amusing as the security systems go off-line and the dinosaurs escape.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Description from <\/span>Letterboxd<\/span><\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

2012<\/i><\/b> (2009)<\/b><\/b><\/h3>\n

\u201cDr. Adrian Helmsley, part of a worldwide geophysical team investigating the effect on the earth of radiation from unprecedented solar storms, learns that the earth\u2019s core is heating up. He warns U.S. President Thomas Wilson that the crust of the earth is becoming unstable and that without proper preparations for saving a fraction of the world\u2019s population, the entire race is doomed. Meanwhile, writer Jackson Curtis stumbles on the same information. While the world\u2019s leaders race to build \u201carks\u201d to escape the impending cataclysm, Curtis struggles to find a way to save his family. Meanwhile, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes of unprecedented strength wreak havoc around the world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Description from <\/span>Letterboxd<\/span><\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

Crack in the World<\/i><\/b> (1965)<\/b><\/b><\/h3>\n

\u201cDr. Steven Sorenson plans to tap the geothermal energy of the Earth\u2019s interior by means of a thermonuclear device detonated deep within the Earth. This experiment causes a crack to form and grow within the Earth\u2019s crust, which threatens to split the earth in two if it is not stopped in time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Description from <\/span>Letterboxd<\/span><\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

The Wave<\/i><\/b> (2015)<\/b><\/h3>\n

\u201cAlthough theorised, no one is really ready when a mountain pass above the scenic and narrow Geiranger fjord in Norway collapses and creates a tsunami over 300 feet high. A geologist is one of those caught in the middle of it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Description from <\/span>Letterboxd<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Novels Next time you want to read about geology without having to open your own manuscript or one of your many citations, give one of these a go: The Martian (2011) by Andy Weir Mark Watney finds himself stranded and alone on Mars after a dust storm forces his crew…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":431,"featured_media":2517,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2514","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2514","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/431"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2514"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2514\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2547,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2514\/revisions\/2547"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2517"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2514"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}