History Main / AlienLandmass

* ''WebOriginal/{{Serina}}'': In the late Hothouse Age, Serina becomes home to a new biome in the form of "sky islands", descendants of the earlier cementree forests that adapted to the evolution of dinosaur-sized grazers, which could simply knock over the protective cement towers built by the trees' symbiotic ants, by growing increasingly close together and building on top of each other for maximum support. Over time, the isolated cementree forests that survived long enough became essentially artificial mountains, with centuries' worth of cumulative growth creating immense ridges of natural cement topped with dense forests. Mature sky islands vary from solitary groves, only as wide as a few city blocks and a few hundreds of meters tall, to others miles in length and tall enough to reach into the clouds, often closely following coastlines for access to silicate sand as building material. These operate as a cross between a mountain biome and a terrestrial reef ecosystem, serving as home for an incredible range of native life as isolated from the animals of the surrounding swamps and prairies as island ecosystems are from those beneath the sea.

* ''WebOriginal/VoltzWarz'': Some bits of rock and earth can be seen floating around in clumps, one being a key part of Captainsparklez's laboratory, and only being able to be accessed by using some type of block that propels you upwards.

* ''ComicBook/{{Negation}}:'' The first, prequel issue begins with one hundred abductees waking up on a strange planet where everything feels "wrong". The sun comes and goes as it pleases, the rocks have ribbed surfaces and hook in crescent shapes topped off by horns, and some are covered in odd sludge and are filled with bones. The only edible plants grow ''eyeballs'' as fruit. The finale to the prequel reveals that the planet is a testing ground within a parallel universe, and the enemies conducting the experiment are invaders testing the limits of people from our universe.

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'': Valla is a mysterious and forgotten kingdom consisting of many landmasses floating in the blue sky ([[spoiler: which itself is weird since Valla is at the very bottom of an incredibly deep canyon]]).

* ''VideoGame/NoMansSky'' is rife with alien landmasses, from floating islands to naturally-occuring loop-shaped rock formations, and that's just the tip of the iceberg: some planets verge on [[EldritchLocation Eldritch Locations]].

A hallmark of ScienceFiction, an easy way to signify that a setting is not on our typical Earth is to have strange landmasses -- particularly [[FloatingContinent ones that float]], form odd shapes that [[MonsterShapedMountain might resemble creatures or parts thereof]], or even [[GeniusLoci seem alive in some way]] -- for example, a TurtleIsland.

** The Medium of Sburb creates a unique, distinctly alien planet for each player. Examples include the Land of Wind and Shade's bioluminescent forests, blue rock formations and rivers of oil, the Land of Mounds and Xenon's planet-circling canyons, and the Land of Quartz and Melody's crystal mountains.

* ''Literature/TheSpaceTrilogy'': ''Perelandra'' is set on the shifting, moving islands of the titular planet. Ransom initially assumes they're part of the ocean he crashes into, since the land rises and falls with the waves, only to realize these ever-transforming masses are physical land holding the Queen of the world. In addition to being cool, the shifting islands represent the immortal Perelandrians' willingness to go from joy to joy as [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} Maleldil]] wills instead of latching onto and idolizing one transient joy to the detriment of all others, as humans and [[OurDemonsAreDifferent the dark eldils]] are wont to do.

* ''Film/WarOfTheWorlds'': When Ray leaves the farmhouse looking for his daughter, he finds that a large portion of the surrounding countryside has been rendered red and unrecognizable by the Invader's terraforming abilities.

A hallmark of ScienceFiction, an easy way to signify that a setting is not on our typical Earth is to have strange landmasses -- particularly [[FloatingContinent ones that float]], form odd shapes that [[MonsterShapedMountain might resemble creatures or parts thereof]], or even [[GeniusLoci seem alive in some way]] (for example, a TurtleIsland).

Sometimes, the trope intertwines with [[FantasticFlora bizarre plant life]], making the treetop canopies look bizarre compared to Earth standards, [[AlienKudzu covering the planet with tentacle-like vines]], or coloring the landscape with other colors besides the standard brown and green you'd expect to find on a lush world.

* ''Webcomic/{{Unsounded}}'': The continent of Kasslyne is composed of titanic [[ElementalEmbodiment Mountain Ogre]] corpses, relics from the [[TheTimeOfMyths First World]] before the Gods nailed down concepts like "time" and "species". In most places they're eroded enough to be indistinguishible from Earth rock and soil, but the [[http://www.casualvillain.com/Unsounded/comic/ch14/ch14_21.html Avelpit barrens]] are still dotted with vast skulls and ribcages. And hundred-foot-tall pinky toes.

** Pictured above is Habitat 7, the first level of the game. Habitat 7 was originally supposed to be the closest analogue the Andromeda galaxy had to Earth, but 600 years later, a NegativeSpaceWedgie, combined with malfunctioning terraforming equipment, turned it into a [[SceneryPorn spectacle]] with WeirdWeather and floating landmasses. However, it works well to signify to the player that they've been taken '''very far from home'', in a galaxy that plays by its own rules.

* ''VideoGame/NoMansSky'' is rife with alien landmasses, from floating islands to naturally-occuring loop-shaped rock formations, and that's just the tip of the iceberg: some planets verge on EldritchLocation[=s=].

* ''VideoGame/NoMansSky'' is rife with alien landmasses, from floating islands to naturally-occuring loop-shaped rock formations, and that's just the tip of the iceberg: some planets verge on EldritchLocations[=s=].

%% Zero-context examples are not allowed on wiki pages; all such examples have been commented out.
%% Please add proper context before uncommenting them -- a good example should explain *how* it's an example.

Sometimes, the trope intertwines with bizarre plant life, making the treetop canopies look bizarre compared to Earth standards, [[AlienKudzu covering the planet with tentacle-like vines]], or coloring the landscape with other colors besides the standard brown and green you'd expect to find on a lush world.

Sister trope to AlienSky and AlienSea. Contrast AllPlanetsAreEarthlike.

See StarfishAliens for when the aliens are just as weird as their planet. If the planet ''used'' to be Earth, see HostileTerraforming. See also WeirdWeather, although that can occur on Earth as well.

* ''Anime/FinalFantasyTheSpiritsWithin'': There are recurring dream sequences that take place on an unknown and desolate planet, where (in addition to an AlienSky) the entire landscape is covered with lanky, crescent-shaped landmasses.
* ''Manga/{{Remina}}'': The surface of planet Remina is a hellscape full of toxic gasses and fog, intestine-like tubes, and "trees" which look more like writhing balls of tentacles. Nearly all of it black as midnight.

* In ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'', Ego's planet is dotted with rock columns with hydrologically improbable waterfalls spilling from the tops, and has lush jungle and arid plains [[PatchworkMap within walking distance]] of each other. Justified, since [[spoiler:Ego is a RealityWarper who built and in some sense ''[[GeniusLoci is]]'' the planet]].

* ''Literature/TheSpaceTrilogy'': ''Perelandra'' is set on the shifting, moving islands of the titular planet. Ransom initially assumes they're part of the ocean he crashes into, since the land rises and falls with the waves, only to realize these ever-transforming masses are physical land holding the Queen of the world. In addition to being cool, the shifting islands represent the immortal Perelandrians willingness to go from joy to joy as [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} Maleldil]] wills instead of latching onto and idolizing one transient joy to the detriment of all others, as humans and [[OurDemonsAreDifferent the dark eldils]] are wont to do.

* ''Videogame/XenobladeChroniclesX'': One of the first sights is [[http://i.neoseeker.com/mgv/6602/602/92/739751yVult.jpg Primordia]], a lush grassland that acts as the starting area of the game. Its most distinctive feature are two arching landmasses (one, in fact, arcs on top of another) with sinewy "legs" reaching to the ground. It remains a mysterious location, not reachable until much later in the game. Even higher up, there's a floating landmass that becomes the first destination a player must reach once they've gain the ability to fly.

* ''Videogame/TheLegendOfZelda'':
** ''Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds'': The world of Lorule is literally falling apart at the seams, and is crossed by deep chasms where the land falls away into an endless black abyss dotted with crumbling chunks of the landscape and waterfalls endlessly pouring the waters over the cliffs.
** ''Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'': The manual for the game includes a picture of the legendary Golden Realm, the resting place of the [[CosmicKeystone Triforce]]. The picture shows a world with a golden sky and endless planks of extremely thin, twisting landmasses balanced precariously on thin columns. However, the lore itself makes it clear no one actually knew what the Golden World looked like before [[BigBad Ganon]] corrupted it, and later games show it to be just a beautiful, lush world not much different from Hyrule.
* ''Videogame/MassEffectAndromeda'':

* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'': The plane of Zendikar is permeated with active, chaotic magic that constantly alters and reshapes its landscape. Archipelagos of floating islands are particularly common, but also present are things such as kilometer-high cliffs rising from the seas and forests of trees large enough for regular-sized forests to grow on their branches.

* ''Manga/HellstarRemina'': The surface of planet Remina is a hellscape full of toxic gasses and fog, intestine-like tubes, and "trees" which look more like writhing balls of tentacles. Nearly all of it black as midnight.

* ''ComicBook/{{Negation}}:'' The first, prequel issue begins with one hundred abductees waking up on a strange planet where everything feels "wrong". The sun comes and goes as it pleases, the rocks have ribbed surfaces, hook in crescent shapes topped off by ''horns'', and some are covered in odd sludge and are filled with bones. The only edible plants grow ''eyeballs'' as fruit. The finale to the prequel reveals that the planet is a testing ground within a parallel universe, and the enemies conducting the experiment are invaders testing the limits of people from our universe.

* ''Film/{{Avatar}}'''s SceneryPorn includes the Hallelujah Mountains of Pandora, verdant floating rock formations that are sacred to the Na'Vi. The phenomenon is {{Hand Wave}}d as an interaction of the planet's magnetic field with its {{Unobtainium}} deposits.

* ''Videogame/XenobladeChroniclesX'': One of the first sights is [[http://i.neoseeker.com/mgv/6602/602/92/739751yVult.jpg Primordia]], a lush grassland that acts as the starting area of the game. Its most distinctive feature are two arching landmasses (one, in fact, arcs on top of another) with sinewy "legs" reaching to the ground. It remains a mysterious location, not reachable until much later in the game. Even higher, though, there's a ''floating'' landmass that becomes the first destination a player must reach once they've gain the ability to fly.
* ''VideoGame/NoMansSky'' is rife with alien landmasses, from floating islands to naturally-occuring loop-shaped rock formations, and that's just the tip of the iceberg: some planets verge on EldritchLocations[=s=].

* ''TabletopGames/MagicTheGathering'': The plane of Zendikar is permeated with active, chaotic magic that constantly alters and reshapes its landscape. Archipelagos of floating islands are particularly common, but also present are things such as kilometer-high cliffs rising from the seas and forests of trees large enough for regular-sized forests to grow on their branches.

* ''Literature/StarWarsLegends'': The planet Lan Barell is covered in immense dust seas, with life existing on top of immense plateaus the size of continents and covered in towering cactus forests.

* Krypton, in ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' the live-action film, is a barren planet filled with jagged canyons and landscapes of almost perfect geometric formation. And that's not counting their crystal buildings, which look like jagged icicles jutting from the ground.
* In the ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'' franchise, planet LV-426 (a.k.a. Acheron) has rocky formations which are rounded at the top into smooth nubs. Offhand, the rocks greatly resemble bones.

* Subverted in ''Literature/AndHeBuiltACrookedHouse''. The protagonists finally escape the house only to find themselves in a strange desert landscape with bizarre tree-like vegetation. [[spoiler:Turns out they're in Joshua Tree National Park in California.]]

* In Literature/TheCosmere series:

* ''[[Literature/TheSpaceTrilogy Perelandra]]'' is set on the shifting, moving islands of the titular planet. Ransom initially assumes they're part of the ocean he crashes into, since the land rises and falls with the waves, only to realize these ever-transforming masses are physical land holding the Queen of the world. In addition to being cool, the shifting islands represent the immortal Perelandrians willingness to go from joy to joy as [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} Maleldil]] wills instead of latching onto and idolizing one transient joy to the detriment of all others, as humans and [[OurDemonsAreDifferent the dark eldils]] are wont to do.
* ''Literature/BooksOfTheRaksura'': The continent is dotted with [[FloatingContinent floating islands]], many of which have ruins of long-lost civilizations. They're held up by ores that interact with the BackgroundMagicField and that can be extracted to power floating ships.

* ''Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'': The manual for the game includes a picture of the legendary Golden Realm, the resting place of the [[CosmicKeystone Triforce]]. The picture shows a world with a golden sky and endless planks of extremely thin, twisting landmasses balanced precariously on thin columns. However, the lore itself makes it clear no one actually knew what the Golden World looked like before [[BigBad Ganon]] corrupted it, and later games show it to be just a beautiful, lush world not much different from Hyrule.
* Xen, the final level of ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'', is a surreal alien landscape with floating, oddly-shaped landmasses and wonky physics that make it difficult to navigate.
* One of the first sights in ''Videogame/XenobladeChroniclesX'' is [[http://i.neoseeker.com/mgv/6602/602/92/739751yVult.jpg Primordia]], a lush grassland that acts as the starting area of the game. Its most distinctive feature are two arching landmasses (one, in fact, arcs on top of another) with sinewy "legs" reaching to the ground. It remains a mysterious location, not reachable until much later in the game. Even higher, though, there's a ''floating'' landmass that becomes the first destination a player must reach once they've gain the ability to fly.
* ''Videogame/{{Everything}}'' allows players to visit alien worlds with purple grass, green skies, and giant fungi in the shape of trees, among other things.

* Valla, from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'', is a mysterious and forgotten kingdom consisting of many landmasses floating in the blue sky ([[spoiler: which itself is weird since Valla is at the very bottom of an incredibly deep canyon]]).
* Mars in ''VideoGame/JamestownLegendOfTheLostColony'' is dotted with floating islands which humans use as colony sites. They can even host ecosystems, as seen in the second stage which takes you to a swamp full of hostile creatures in what used to be the eponymous Lost Colony.
* ''VideoGame/CivilizationBeyondEarth'': The "fungal" planet type has a curious blue-green tint, huge carpets of moss in place of grasslands, FungusHumongous forests, and a mushroom the size of a WorldTree for a Marvel.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

** The Medium of Sburb creates a unique, distinctly alien planet for each player. Examples include the Land of Wind and Shade's glowing blue forests and rock formations and rivers of oil, the Land of Mounds and Xenon's planet-circling canyons, and the Land of Quartz and Melody's crystal mountains.

** Things get especially odd in the Dream Bubbles: a combination afterlife, DreamLand, and EldritchLocation with geography shaped by the memories of those inside. As a result, the bubbles combine all other Alien Landmassess in the comic, with crystal formations and pink-leaved trees rubbing shoulders with rivers of fire, fleshy trees topped with brains, gold and purple gothic spires, landscapes patterned like chess sets, [[ToweringFlower giant floating lilypads]], and regular Earth suburbs.

* Krypton, in ''Film/{{Superman}}'' the live-action film, is a barren planet filled with jagged canyons and landscapes of almost perfect geometric formation. And that's not counting their crystal buildings, which look like jagged icicles jutting from the ground.

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]