GregHowley.com

Too Human

November 14, 2007 - -

No, I'm not talking about the video game of that name, I'm talking about something entirely different that I'm really sick of. Science fiction shows in which all the aliens are just like humans, except for small cosmetic differences or extra powers. Every alien race from Klingons to Bothans to whatever race E.T. was - they're all bipedal two-eyed, two-eared air-breathing carbon-based life forms. Do science fiction authors really all think that if we discovered an alien species they'd really be that close to what we are? Or do they simply lack creativity?

While books like The Rookie and Phylogenesis have excellent insectoid alien races that are far different from humanity, they lack something that makes them really alien.

So what kinds of races would I cite as examples? I'll give you three. First, look at The Blob. Not the redone version where it was a bioweapon - I'm talking about the original green blob that fell from space in a meteoroid. It's got no limbs, no organs, no communication, no civilization. It simply feeds. It's so different from humans. So alien.

Next, for those of you who've played Half-Life 2, look at the Combine Advisors. They're giant flying slugs. They've got no limbs either. They're ultra-intelligent, and they function entirely through telekinesis.

Lastly, look back at Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The invasion came in the form of spores falling from space which bloomed into flowers, and the flowers could possess people. Now there's an alien that doesn't even have a body! The whole bodysnatcher idea is certainly no longer original, but an alien that exists only as a parasite is another intriguing idea.

Anyone else know of any aliens in fiction that are truly alien? Discuss.

Comments on Too Human
 
Comment Wed, November 14 - 4:22 PM by Magus2
I'll ignore all the mimics and mind control (we'll show you humans since that is what you are used to) since they are mostly an excuse to use humans and there are a lot of them.

The first things that come to mind are:
Starship Troopers: cool insects
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Alien(s): Nice reproduction method
Men in Black tried at least.
The Borg

My favorite at the moment though,
is:

MASS EFFECT

Check out this picture of the Hanar:
 
Comment Wed, November 14 - 9:49 PM by pmd
Doctor Who is *very* guilty of doing exactly what you're complaining about. But, there is 'The Mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe' which is a giant slug-like blob with shark-like teeth and vestigial eyes. It hangs from the ceiling like a stalactite and growls for speech. It also lives for 3000 years and has to stay in a cool environment or it will disintegrate. Having said all this, it was covertly in charge of an entire news satellite with approximately 500 floors worth of employees.

http://www.doctorwhoworld.org.uk/Images/sitegraphics/d9-8g-018.jpg
 
Comment Thu, November 15 - 9:16 AM by Keith
As some one who is trying to write a sci fi novel it is easier for the charaters to either identify simularities or diffrences from themselves( the human race) and the alien.
hOW WE identify with the simularities and or diffrences with the alien tends to be how we view are fears. We fear the simualrites more then we fear the diffrences in sci fi... we fear the diffrences when it come to HORROR.

You have to take into affect the following concerning Early Hollywood and the film technology they used. Now that CGI are almost at its peek for cool images the imagination is all that is needed.

Think of the missing scene from Star Wars concerning Jabba the Hut and Hansolo.


IF any one has an original sci fi aliens they would love to see in a story I would gladely include them as a charater race or charater in my stories....





 
Comment Fri, November 16 - 12:26 PM by The Dock
Yeah, budget and time can account for some the "lack of creativity". Not to mention we are creatures of emotion and many emotions are non-verbal, (I.E. Expression and body language.) Lets face it, if a slug is trying to look sly or show anger, or irony, we (Humans) wouldn't be able to tell. So its about finding things that we can relate to. When was the last time you had a meaningful conversation with a blob or a slug, not mention, aside from the whole killing and eating you thing, how would you know if one is pissed at you, happy to see you or just thinks "UM FOOOOODD!!!". There are many factors, thats why books and our own imaginations can still fill in the blanks better than any CGI or cheese British (circa 1970's props etc.) Though Alien(s) still gets my vote for plain old primal nastiness.