space-tanned adj.

having a space tan n.

  • 1932 N. Schachner Slaves of Mercury in Astounding Stories Sept. 81/2 page image Nat Schachner bibliography

    Hilary’s space-tanned features hardened; the light gray of his eyes darkened.

  • 1933 J. H. Haggard Through the Einstein Line in Wonder Stories Nov. 395/1 page image J. Harvey Haggard bibliography

    His face, space-tanned to a healthy leather hue, was contorted with anger.

  • 1942 C. Cartmill Some Day We'll Find You in Astounding Science-Fiction Dec. 41/1 Cleve Cartmill bibliography

    Craig’s space-tanned face set in lines of puzzlement.

  • 1950 Galaxy Science Fiction Oct. (back cover)

    Jets blasting, Bat Durston came screeching down through the atmosphere of Bbllzznaj, a tiny planet seven billion light years from Sol. He cut out his super-hyper-drive for the landing…and at that point a tall, lean spaceman stepped out of the tail assembly, proton gun-blaster in a space-tanned hand.

  • 1953 J. Blish Earthman, Come Home in Astounding Science Fiction Nov. 89/2 page image James Blish bibliography

    His heavily space-tanned face could not pale, but it blued a little under the taut, weathered bronze.

  • 1956 ‘C. Knox’ Look Homeward, Spaceman in Amazing Stories Aug. 72/2 Robert Silverberg bibliography

    He was a short, wiry man, smiling broadly, with thin space-tanned features and a keen-pointed nose.

  • 1982 H. Harrison Stainless Steel Rat for President (1985) 147 Harry Harrison bibliography

    You can imagine the effect this had on the captain. He staggered and the blood drained from his space-tanned face.

  • 1990 S. Baxter Journey to the King Planet in Traces (1998) 85 Stephen Baxter bibliography

    Captain Roberts was tall and resplendent in his Cunard dress uniform, and his space-tanned face, shielded from the polar breeze by a mass of black beard, creased into a professional smile.

Research requirements

antedating 1932
Earliest cite

Nat Schachner, "Slaves of Mercury", in Astounding
Research History
Fred Galvin submitted a 1956 cite from "Calvin Knox" (i.e. Robert Silverberg)'s "Look Homeward, Spaceman".
Fred Galvin submitted a cite from a quotation in a 1978 reprint of Theodore Sturgeon's 1951 story "The Travelling Crag"; Mike Christie verified it from the original appearance in Galaxy in 1950.
Fred Galvin submitted a cite from an undated reprint of Harry Walton's "Schedule"; Mike Christie verified the cite in the 1945 first appearance.
Mike Christie submitted a 1942 cite from Cleve Cartmill's "Some Day We'll Find You".

From his etext collection, Ralf Brown suggested a number of stories as sources for cites: we would like to see cites from printed sources of these stories:
"The Energy Eaters" by Arthur K. Barnes and Henry Kuttner
Raymond A. Palmer, "The Vengeance of Martin Bran"
Paula King, "Maia's_Veil (Book_Two_of The Cloudships of Orion)"
Michelle Levigne, "Sunsinger"

Jesse Sheidlower submitted a 1932 example from Nat Schachner and a 1933 example from J. H. Haggard.

Last modified 2022-06-21 11:07:24
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.