Starsand

Starsand is a term used in speculative fiction and world-building to describe a granular material with luminous, star-like qualities. The name combines star and sand to convey a substance that sits at the intersection of cosmic imagery and terrestrial texture. In depictions, starsand can refer to tiny grains that glow faintly, refract starlight, or emit light through embedded minerals or bioluminescence. The origin of starsand in a narrative context is often described as either naturally forming from cosmic dust deposited on a planet, or as a manufactured material designed to store or channel energy from starlight.

In many settings, starsand serves narrative or mechanical functions. It may function as a renewable energy resource, a currency or trade good, or a building material with special properties such as heat resistance, light emission, or gravitational interaction with nearby bodies. Its properties are typically described as variable, depending on the story, with colors ranging from pale silver to deep blue and gold.

Real-world usage of the term is nonstandard. Starsand does not correspond to a canonical scientific substance. Outside fiction, it may appear as a brand name for decorative products or as a metaphor in art and poetry, but definitions are inconsistent and context-dependent.

See also: stardust, luminescent sand, cosmogenic minerals.