Magnebia

Magnebia is a fictional planet featured in the science fiction novel "The Chronoliths" by Robert Charles Wilson. The planet is described as being inhabited by an advanced, enigmatic alien civilization. Magnebia is not Earth, but rather a world visited by humans who discover monumental structures, known as chronoliths, left behind by the Magnebian race. These chronoliths appear at various points in Earth's history, suggesting a long-standing but largely unseen presence of the Magnebians.

The nature and purpose of the Magnebians remain a central mystery throughout the novel. They are depicted as beings with a profound understanding of time and space, capable of manipulating these fundamental aspects of reality. Their interactions with humanity are indirect, primarily through the presence of the chronoliths, which serve as silent, imposing markers of their passage. The novel explores the human response to this alien presence and the philosophical implications of encountering a civilization so far beyond human comprehension. The Magnebians themselves are rarely, if ever, directly observed, their existence inferred through their monumental creations. The ultimate goals and origins of the Magnebian civilization are left largely ambiguous, contributing to the novel's sense of cosmic wonder and unease.