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CHAPTER¡¡19¡¡¡¡¡¡REMAKING¡¡THE¡¡PLANETS

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Who¡¡could¡¡deny¡¡that¡¡man¡¡could¡¡somehow¡¡also¡¡make¡¡the¡¡heavens£»

could¡¡he¡¡only¡¡obtain¡¡the¡¡instruments¡¡and¡¡the¡¡heavenly¡¡material£¿

¡ªMARSILIO¡¡FICINO£»¡¡¡¨THE¡¡SOUL¡¡OF¡¡MAN¡¨¡¡£¨CA¡£¡¡1474£©

In¡¡the¡¡midst¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Second¡¡World¡¡War£»¡¡a¡¡young¡¡American¡¡writer¡¡named¡¡Jack¡¡Williamson¡¡envisioned¡¡a¡¡populated¡¡Solar¡¡System¡£¡¡In¡¡the¡¡twenty¡­second¡¡century£»¡¡he¡¡imagined£»¡¡Venus¡¡would¡¡be¡¡settled¡¡by¡¡China£»*¡¡Japan£»¡¡and¡¡Indonesia£»¡¡Mars¡¡by¡¡Germany£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡moons¡¡of¡¡Jupiter¡¡by¡¡Russia¡£¡¡Those¡¡who¡¡spoke¡¡English£»¡¡the¡¡language¡¡in¡¡which¡¡Williamson¡¡was¡¡writing£»¡¡were¡¡confined¡¡to¡¡the¡¡asteroids¡­and¡¡of¡¡course¡¡the¡¡Earth¡£

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The¡¡story£»¡¡published¡¡in¡¡Astounding¡¡Science¡¡Fiction¡¡in¡¡July¡¡1942£»¡¡was¡¡called¡¡¡¨Collision¡¡Orbit¡¨¡¡and¡¡written¡¡under¡¡the¡¡pseudonym¡¡Will¡¡Stewart¡£¡¡Its¡¡plot¡¡hinged¡¡on¡¡the¡¡imminent¡¡collision¡¡of¡¡an¡¡uninhabited¡¡asteroid¡¡with¡¡a¡¡colonized¡¡one£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡search¡¡for¡¡a¡¡means¡¡of¡¡altering¡¡the¡¡trajectories¡¡of¡¡small¡¡worlds¡£¡¡Although¡¡no¡¡one¡¡on¡¡Earth¡¡was¡¡endangered£»¡¡this¡¡may¡¡have¡¡been¡¡the¡¡first¡¡appearance£»¡¡apart¡¡from¡¡newspaper¡¡ic¡¡strips£»¡¡of¡¡asteroid¡¡collisions¡¡as¡¡a¡¡threat¡¡to¡¡humans¡£¡¡£¨ets¡¡impacting¡¡the¡¡Earth¡¡had¡¡been¡¡a¡¡staple¡¡peril¡££©

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