In the Arizona desert, there is a complex of interconnected domes and glass pyramids known as the Biosphere 2 Center. This structure was originally conceived and built as a sealed environment for the purpose of determining whether a closed ecological system could be maintained and could sustain human beings for long time periods. Eight people lived in the complex for two years, from 1991 to 1992. This was followed by a shorter experiment in 1993 and 1994. However, results from these experiments were not conclusive, partly due to excessive air transfer between the outside environment and the sealed habitat.

The Biosphere^* was a practical realization of an idea that has intrigued writers and scientists for hundreds of years—a domed city that would be completely self-sustaining. Science fiction writers have found domed cities to be a fertile ground for imaginative fiction of all types. However, domed cities or variations of domed...