Desert planets from science fiction
“A desolate, dry planet with vast deserts… The planet is Arrakis. Also known as Dune.” - Princess Irulan, Dune
Desert planets have long been a staple in science fiction. From Arrakis in Dune, to Tattooine in Star Wars. These planets are known for their single type of habitat, a dry, inhospitable desert.
There’s something interesting about a desert, especially to those of us who can’t imagine living in or near one. It’s a landscape that’s entirely alien, unimaginable for its lack of water, its alternating boiling & freezing temperatures, it’s absence of plant life. The horizon in a desert is so far, that it feels like it stretches into the infinite. Similar to the feeling of being lost at sea, which might make sailors go insane.
A desert planet is also known as a dry planet, an arid planet, or a Dune planet, is a theoretical type of planet with single type of terrain, hot desert throughout.
Here’s a list of desert planet names from science fiction:
Altair IV, from Forbidden Planet
Antarres, from The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
Arrakis (aka Dune), from Dune by Frank Herbert
Athas, from Dungeons & Dragons
Bara Magna, from Bionicle
Barrayar, from Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
Beachworld, from “Beachworld” by Stephen King
Byss, from Star Wars: Dark Empire
Canopus III, from Star Trek: The Animated Series
Cardassia IV, from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Ceti Alpha V, from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Dorvan V, from Star Trek: The Next Generation
Dozaria, from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Elaaden, from Mass Effect: Andromeda
Eos, from Mass Effect: Andromeda
Fire, from Lexx
Fyrine IV, from Enemy Mine
Gamma X, from Les Maîtres du temps
Geonosis, from Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
Gunsmoke, from Trigun
Hellywood, from Now and Then, Here and There
Home, from Worldwar
Imecka, from Dragonball GT
Jakku, from Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Kakrafoon Kappa, from The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
Katina, from Star Fox 64
Kerona, from Space Quest: The Sarien Encounter
Kharak, from Homeworld
Khoros, from Ben 10
Klendathu, from Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein
Kolarus III, from Star Trek Nemesis
Korhal, from StarCraft
Korriban, from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
M6-117, from Pitch Black
Marak’s World, from Hammerfall by C. J. Cherryh
Motavia, from Phantasy Star
Ocampa, from Star Trek: Voyager
Osiris IV, from Futurama
Pandora, from Borderlands
Perdide, from Les Maîtres du temps
Plyuk, from Kin-dza-dza!
Resurgam, from Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds
Rock Star, from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
Salt, from Salt by Adam Roberts
Sand Ocean, from F-Zero
Socorro, from Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game
Starbuck, From Battlestar Galactica 1980
Tallarn, from Warhammer 40,000
Tatooine, from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Titania, from Star Fox 64
Tophet, from Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles
Torga IV, from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Toroth, from Star Trek: Enterprise
Trisol, from Futurama
Tyree, from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Vega, from Spaceballs
Vulcan, from Star Trek
The above is a list of planets which already exist in fiction, & might be useful to you when inventing your own idea of a desert planet in your story or game.
If you are creating a new planet, you can use our Planet Name Generator to create a unique name for your planet!