Talk:List of fictional astronauts
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[edit] Limitations
If this list were to include all fictional space travelers, it could go well beyond the category "astronaut" and include almost all characters from hundreds of science fiction novels, television shows, comics and movies.
I suggest the following limitations which would keep characters that are close to "real-world" astronauts and exclude many of the more "science-fictiony" candidates for this list:
A fictional astronaut must be:
- Human
- On a flight originating from Earth
- Living during the early Space Age, i.e. between the beginnings of real space travel and the near future (say c. 1960-2020). So no Star Trek characters. Pre-space age travelers to be examined on a case-by-case basis -- probably none of the characters before the travellers on Verne's Columbiad qualify (they usually took off using feathered wings, flying carpets, and so on, without any consideration of the airlessness of space), and the latter possibly fails on the grounds of unrealistic technology.
A fictional astronaut should preferably be:
- Part of a real space program (like NASA) or a fictional knockoff of the same.
- Preferably using space travel technology within the realm of the possible. Preference should be given to astronauts depicted using real technology (e.g. Apollo, Soyuz, Space Shuttle) or close fictional knockoffs of the same.
Dubious inclusions are:
- Fantastic Four -- unrealistic technology, non-program
- Planet of the Apes characters -- unrealistic technology
- Red Dwarf -- every possible reason
- I can agree with most of these points. For the most part, the word "astronaut" acquires a vague definition when applied to certain subgenres of science fiction. I would say that some Star Trek characters (and similar from other shows) could be included if they fit the other criteria - such characters are already in the list, in fact. Another inclusion could be Zephram Cochrane, who is the last true astronaut in the Star Trek continuity, according to the first set of criteria. --Roland 21:26, 28 August 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Deletions
I removed Stephen Taylor from Doctor Who, and Lister, Rimmer and Kochanski of Red Dwarf, because although the characters are space travellers, none of them really fits the definition of "astronaut" -- they all exist in some distant future in which interstellar space travel is, apparently, common, and their inclusion could open up the list to all of the Star Trek and Star Wars characters and the like.
