R. A. Lafferty · A navigable universe

The Forty-Seventh Island

THE ASTEROID ISLANDS OF SELKIRK
47 calculated orbits
A second view from Shadrack’s Cave
Earth Night
Drag to circle the system. Scroll to approach.
Loading the islands…

The story and the model

This model follows R. A. Lafferty’s “The Forty-Seventh Island.” The astronomical calculations and the landscape use details from the story, with assumptions and inventions explained below. Robinsonnade’s strange appearances can be shown or hidden through the exploration panel.

On the story

Jon Nelson reads Hugo’s campaign against the snakes as a religious quarrel concealed beneath a demand for rational purity. He examines their sacred associations, Hugo’s efforts to eradicate them, and their passage aboard the departing ship.

“The Forty-Seventh Island” (1977/1980), Arrive at Easterwine

Exploring the islands

Begin among the worlds, use Overview to see the whole system, or choose a destination. Select Spaced orbits or Story belt in the exploration panel. You can circle the system, fly between its worlds, and walk or fly through the settlement on Robinsonnade. Land begins a descent through Robinsonnade’s clouds. Return to Selkirk takes you back into orbit. You can stop either journey or skip to its end. On the surface, click a gold marker, a place name, or a building to read its passage from the story. Passages open beside the scene, or below it on a phone. Places & passages lists all fourteen locations; Go to this place takes you there. Press Esc to close the reading panel.

Fly all 47 worlds visits every planet, pausing for a close view of each. Choose orbital order or Frederik’s recital in the exploration panel. You can pause, change speed, skip a stop, or press Esc to take control. Orbital time pauses during the flight. Story route visits six places in the system and settlement.

Mouse and keyboard

ActionControl
Turn or orbitDrag the scene
MoveW A S D or arrow keys
Rise / descendE / Q in flight
Travel fasterHold Shift
Approach / retreatMouse wheel
InspectClick a world or landmark
Recover your bearingsR or Overview

Touch and other controls

Drag to look around. Hold the arrow buttons to move; use + and − to rise or descend in flight. On a small screen, the Explore button opens the destinations panel.

In Orbit mode, drag to circle the selected place. Fly lets you move freely, with gradual acceleration and braking. Movement slows near a world. Q and E lower or raise your position. Walk follows the ground; you can pass through buildings.

Orbital time advances independently of travel. Choose a rate in Earth days per second, pause it to inspect an arrangement, or use Reset epoch to return to the starting date. At True body scale the planets are small in the system overview; use Approach world for a close view. Observation data reports the selected world’s calculated properties.

“Ocular superstitions” shows the strange appearances described in the story. Bilocation adds a view from Shadrack’s Cave. These controls illustrate the characters’ differing accounts of what they see.

The model and entries work offline in a browser with WebGL. Source links require an internet connection.

The astronomical model

Lafferty describes forty-seven worlds in a narrow belt. Their calculated positions depend on the orbital dimensions, inclinations, and stellar properties assumed here.

Spaced orbits places the worlds farther apart than the story describes. Story belt groups them closely. Neither arrangement has been tested for long-term stability. Bodies are enlarged for visibility; True body scale restores their proportions.
Names, sources, and allusions

The planetary index

Frederik names forty-six of the forty-seven worlds. The remaining world appears here as Unnamed island. Selkirk and Dog Robber have separate entries. Confidence labels indicate how securely a name has been identified; the commentary offers readings of its place in the satire.

Reading the catalogue

Jon Nelson reads the catalogue as pseudo-dulia: reverence for approved names in place of intellectual agreement. His essay connects the recital to Dotty’s bitter inventory of modern authorities and argues that the story’s polemic overwhelms the tension between satire and mystery.

Read the essay at Arrive at Easterwine

    Sources and further reading

      Source links open in a new tab. An internet connection is required.