13 Locations That Will Transport You Into Science Fiction

Intergalactic planetary, planetary intergalactic.

by allegrarosenberg

13 Places

What do we mean when we say somewhere looks like it’s “right out of science fiction?” It’s a useful bit of shorthand to refer to a certain aesthetic we can all bring easily to mind: a palette of color, geometry, and atmosphere built up from collective lifetimes of watching TV and movies, reading books and comics, and playing video games. Keywords: future, alien, space, technology.

Some of these places make us think science fiction because we actually have seen them onscreen, like the legendary Bradbury Building that played a memorable role in the original Blade Runner, or the otherwise nondescript South London underpass that the Droogs strolled down in A Clockwork Orange. In California, iconic desert filming locations like the Trona Pinnacles and the Vasquez Rocks formed backdrops to many a Star Trek episode.

But other spots, whether natural or manmade, simply conjure images of distant worlds and far futures. The spherical dwellings of Bolwoningen in the Netherlands, standing out starkly in their otherwise nondescript Dutch suburb, bring to mind an exoplanetary colony, perhaps as portrayed on Doctor Who. The McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica provide scientists with one of the closest environmental analogues to Mars that can be found on Earth, and they look it too. Explore these science-fictional places and let your mind and body be transported to brave new worlds.

Farmington, New Mexico

Bisti Badlands

Seemingly grown on some other world, these New Mexico rock formations look like a disused science fiction set.

EricGrundhauser

Added by EricGrundhauser

's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands

Bolwoningen

This neighborhood of futuristic ball houses looks like an alien settlement in a science fiction film.

ahvenas

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Ashalim, Israel

Ashalim Power Station

Deep in the Negev Desert, the world's tallest solar tower looks like a sight straight out of science fiction.

Olivemaniac

Added by Olivemaniac

Los Angeles, California

Bradbury Building

The legendary building that needed ghostly approval before being built.

Rachel

Added by Rachel

El Prado, New Mexico

Earthships

These aggressively sustainable art homes look like something out of 1970's science fiction.

Rob Tallia

Added by Rob Tallia

Bloomfield, New Mexico

Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness Study Area

The land is full of geologic eye candy, such as otherworldly spires, mushroom-shaped hoodoos, and prehistoric fossils.

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Sant Just Desvern, Spain

Walden 7

A science fiction-inspired apartment building designed by a famous Spanish architect.

AbiInman

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London, England

Wandsworth Roundabout Underpass

This underpass became an unlikely piece of cinematic history after its appearance in 'A Clockwork Orange.'

Monsieur Mictlan

Added by Monsieur Mictlan

McMurdo Dry Valleys

One of the most extreme deserts in the world, these snow-free valleys harbor life, despite the hostile environment.

Rachel

Added by Rachel

Matmatat-Al-Qadimal, Tunisia

Hotel Sidi Driss

The original film set of Luke Skywalker's Tatooine home from the 'Star Wars' trilogy.

stanestane

Added by stanestane

Agua Dulce, California

Vasquez Rocks

Named after a bandit and the star of several Hollywood prehistoric landscapes, these sandstone formations are a historical part of the Los Angeles natural landscape.

Erin Johnson

Added by Erin Johnson

Trona, California

Trona Pinnacles

One of the most unusual geological features, recognizable from a dozen hit movies.

Added by BrianDunning

Montreal, Québec

Habitat 67

This 1967 experiment in modular architecture was designed to be a new model for urban living.

puzzles

Added by puzzles

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