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Wandering Stars: Earth & Luna is a travel guide holobook currently published by Aquitane Press. It is a travel guide for prospective visitors to
Earth and its satellite
Luna, as part of the greater
United Nations of Earth series of the Wandering Stars travel guides. As with all Wandering Stars products, it remains continually updated since its first edition, published in 2253 CE. A special anniversary edition was published in 2353 CE, fully converting the series to a holographic format.
The book covers the locations on Earth, dividing continents into subregions and going into detail on local sights, activities, accomodations, food, culture, beliefs, and sport. Ituses the commonly-used seven-continent model of Earth, as some
Human instead use six-continent models (such as Spanish combining North and South America, or Russian combining Asia and Europe). This point is explained in the book, as it has confused some xenos who are used to geological continent models, rather than cultural models.
North America
East
The East Coast of the
United States of America and Canada is the first region to be detailed, as it is the capital of the United Nations of Earth. The main focus of this chapter is the
BosWash Metropolitan Axis, one of the largest and most cosmopolitan cities in the entire UNE, with members of every Earth culture and dozens of xeno species living side by side. Many Earthers consider BosWash to be the archetypal city, a view which originated and has persisted from 20th-century CE media. The Appalachian Mountains are detailed, for both hiking and the opportunity to become immersed in local folklore. Finally, the book touches on the New England region, a picturesque landscape that has its own share of folklore.
North
This chapter focuses on the central and northern United States and Canada. Mount Rushmore is given as an example of early Human mega-engineering, a mountain carved with four faces of industrial-era national leaders. It also mentions the currently-unfinished Crazy Horse Memorial, a large stone statue carved by hand for over four hundred years and dedicated to an indigenous warrior. Northern North America also features the Candian Rockies, a large mountain range filled with picturesque tundra, forests, and lakes. The state of Alaska is detailed, particularly its feeling of remoteness and, like the Rockies, picturesque and untouched alpine landscapes.
West
This chapter focuses on the west coasts of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It quickly launches into the city of Las Vegas, the largest gambling hub on the planet. It speaks of the city's nightlife and regular antics, its history with organised crime, and its proximity to the spectacular canyon simply known as the Grand Canyon. A short distance west of Las Vegas is the megalopolis of
San Angeles, a conglomerate city stretching over three hundred kilometres. Featuring good weather and beaches year-round, it is a popular tourist destination in the planet's western hemisphere. The third sight detailed in this chapter is the redwood forests in the northwestern United States, extremely tall trees unlike any on the rest of the planet.
South
This chapter focuses on the southern United States, northern Mexico, and the Caribbean archipelago. The Caribbean as a whole is discussed, particularly in terms of the city of Havana - which rivals Las Vegas as the "party capital of the West". Returning to the mainland, the bayous of the state of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans are covered, discussing the history of the region and the quasi-religious festival called the Mardi Gras. The chapter concludes with a section on the American southwest and the state of Texas, noting the state's continued indepdendent streak even after planetary unification, while recommending horse riding with Native Americans, cowboys, and vaqueros.
Central America
Sometimes grouped with South America in a term called Latin America due to its shared cultural and colonial history, this chapter covers Mexico and the smaller Central American states. Mexico City is covered, particularly its food and festivals, as well as insights from locals on the best street food and nightlife (two authors of the Wandering Stars: Earth & Luna series grew up in Mexico City and intimately know the local attractions). A natural cavern phenomenon called cenotes are detailed, large water-filled caves that are stunning to look at. Finally, the North America section concludes with a look at Chichen Itza, ancient pyramid ruins that contrast with similar structures found elsewhere on the planet.
South America
North
The northern half of South America begins with a detailing of the city of Medellín in the Republic of Colombia. One of the most popular tourism destinations in the region, it is well known for its nightlife and the network of cable cars used to traverse the steep mountains around the city. The following section discusses the transnational Amazon Rainforest, the largest tropical rainforest on the planet and its extreme biodiversity, despite centuries of pollution and logging. Finally, this chapter concludes with a shorter section on the Galápagos Islands, a small group of islands some distance from the coast of the Republic of Ecuador. Isolated from the rest of the planet, they have developed a unique biosphere, which requires visitors to take particular care when on the islands.
South
More heavily populated than the northern half of the continent, the southern South America chapter is substantially longer than its predecessor. Its first destination is the city of Rio de Janeiro, an extremely popular city and former capital of the Federative Republic of Brazil. Beaches, museums, and nightlife are the main attractions to the city, as well as the yearly Carnival, one of the biggest festivals on Earth. As a sharp contrast to the highly urban and nightlife-focused Rio, the region of Patagonia is much slower and rustic. Featuring multiple wildly differing environments in close proximity, such as glaciers, deserts, and rainforests, it offers something for every climatic preference. Further north, the book recommends a visit to the ruins of Machu Picchu, an ancient pre-colonial ruin hidden on a peak deep within the Andes Mountains.
Europe
West
Due to the continent's small size and high levels of urbanisation, almost all of the European chapters focus on urban areas. Western Europe features London as its first visit, discussing the city's history and role in the spread of the dominant Human language, English, as well as the city's many museums. The city of Paris on the mainland, within the larger urban region called
Europolis, is the second city to be detailed here. Also called the "City of Light", Paris' fashion, culture, museums, and restaurants are the highlight of the chapter. Further south but still within the borders of the
European Union is the city of Madrid, capital of the union state of Spain. Less strictly focused on the city than London and Paris, the Madrid section also talks about nearby cities, such as Barcelona and Lisbon. In particular, the author recommends a tasting of the region's wine, albeit with a warning to check with a xeno dietary specialist before doing so.
North
Unlike the othe subchapters covering Europe, the section on northern Europe is focused on the region's natural beauty. The Norwegian Fjords are a unique geological formation created by glaciers, forming sheer cliffs overlooking hundreds of small river-like inlets. Lapland is a transnational region covering the union states of Sweden and Finland, and one of the most northern traditionally inhabited regions of Earth. In addition to the natural beauty and local Sámi culture, the book also discusses how the environment of Lapland influenced popular views of the religious holiday Christmas, one of the most widely celebrated holidays across all Human space - both UNE and
Commonwealth.
Central
Central Europe is a highly urban region, but nonetheless still contains some natural beauty. The book recommends a visit to the Swiss Alps mountain range, and in particular, the Dolomites - an especially spectacular set of mountains rising sharply from the ground. The city of Berlin is recommended for its nightlife and musical venues, while the city of Vienna is recommended for its architecture, opera, and elegance.
South
Located along the large, almost inland Mediterranean Sea, southern Europe is much slower and warmer than its northern counterparts. Rome is the first city recommended by the guide, as it is considered to be one of the most important cities in all of Human history. It was both the capital of the ancient Roman Empire, which dominated the entire European continent for centuries, and is the current seat of the Pope, leader of the Catholic Church, one of the largest current Human religions. Nearby, the museum-city of Venice is also recommended. When the city (built almost entirely on wooden stilts) nearly fell into the sea, parts of it were preserved and continue to be maintained to this day. A short distance over the Adriatic Sea is the city of Athens, similar to Rome in its historical importance, and containing many ancient ruins.
East
In the final European subchapter, the eastern regions of the continent are explored. The city of Prague, sometimes considered to be part of central Europe, is detailed for its historical architecture. As much of Europe was devastated by Industrial Age wars, Prague is one of few cities that survived relatively intact, and as such, still has many standing historical sites. In contrast to Prague, the city of Kyiv in the union state of Ukraine is well-renowned for its more modern architectural style, developed during the city's rebuilding in the mid 21st century CE. Additionally, the book discusses the nightlife of Kyiv, which is highly regarded across Europe. The city of Saint Petersburg is one of two European cities outside the European Union detailed in Wandering Stars, belonging to the Russian Federation. The city is best known for its architecture, but also for its art museums, libraries, theatres, concert halls, and cinemas.
Africa
North
East
West
South
Asia
West
South
Central
Southeast
East
Oceania
Australia
Pacific
Other Sights on Earth
Luna
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