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{{Short description|Fictional depictions of extraterrestrial life}} |
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In popular ] and ], life forms, especially intelligent life forms, that are of ], i.e. not coming from the ] are referred to as alien and collectively as aliens. Prime examples of how aliens are viewed are found in the movies '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']''. |
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{{About|extraterrestrials seen in works of fiction|claims about alleged actual aliens|List of alleged extraterrestrial beings}} |
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{{Infobox mythical creature |
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|name = Extraterrestrials in fiction |
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|image = War-of-the-worlds-tripod.jpg |
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|image_size = 200px |
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|caption = Martian controlled Tripod, from ]' 1898 novel '']'' |
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|Grouping = Science fiction |
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|AKA = Aliens, space aliens |
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|Similar_entities = ] |
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}} |
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An '''extraterrestrial''' or '''alien''' is a ] that did not originate on Earth. The word ''extraterrestrial'' means "outside Earth". Extraterrestrials are a common theme in modern ], and also appeared in much earlier works such as the second-century parody '']<ref>{{Citation |last=Doody |first=Margaret Anne |title=A True Story of the Novel |date=1996 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BBYU6jyA3MUC&dq=a+true+story+lucian+novella&pg=PA26 |page=26 |access-date=December 16, 2020 |location=New Brunswick, New Jersey |publisher=Rutgers University Press |isbn=0-8135-2168-8}}</ref>'' by ].<ref>{{cite book |last=Richter |first=Daniel S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bZ47DwAAQBAJ&q=In+the+case+of+Lucian%2C+earlier+generations+of+readers |title=The Oxford Handbook of the Second Sophistic |date=2017 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-983747-2 |editor1-last=Richter |editor1-first=Daniel S. |volume=1 |location=Oxford, England |pages=328–329 |chapter=Chapter 21: Lucian of Samosata |doi=10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199837472.013.26 |editor2-last=Johnson |editor2-first=William A.}}</ref> |
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This usage is clearly ]: when humans in fictional accounts accomplish ] and land on a ] elsewhere in the ], the local inhabitants of these other planets are usually still referred to as "alien," even though they are the native life form and the humans are the intruders. In general they are seen as unfriendly life forms. This may be seen as a reversion to the classic meaning of "alien" (see ] ) as referring to "other," in contrast to "us" in the context of the writer's ]. |
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==History== |
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==Typical characteristics== |
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The 2nd century writer of satires, Lucian, in his '']'' claims to have visited the Moon when his ship was sent up by a fountain, which was peopled and at war with the people of the Sun over colonisation of the Morning Star.<ref name=Grewell>{{cite journal|last1=Grewell|first1=Greg|title=Colonizing the Universe: Science Fictions Then, Now, and in the (Imagined) Future|journal=Rocky Mountain Review of Language and Literature|date=2001|volume=55|issue=2|pages=25–47|doi=10.2307/1348255|jstor=1348255|s2cid=171048588}}</ref>{{Rp|pages=30–31}} |
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In popular culture, such as movies and comics, "aliens" are often depicted as somewhat humanoid in their appearance (See ], ]). |
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===Antiquity=== |
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There are several reasons for this humanoid depiction in popular culture. It makes it easier for an alien in a movie scene to simply be a disguised human actor. Aliens in movies, in order to catch our attention, must trigger instantaneous emotional reaction; this requires a design based on recognizable human facial features and expressions. It is easier to relate to an alien with features we recognize such as arms and legs, two eyes, a nose and a mouth, as well as behavior we recognize such as baring its teeth in anger or widening its eyes in shock or surprise. |
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{{also|History of the extraterrestrial life debate}} |
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The way people have thought about extraterrestrials is tied to the development of actual sciences. One of the first steps in the ] was to realize that the objects seen in the night sky were not gods or lights, but physical objects like Earth. This notion was followed by the one that celestial objects should be inhabited as well. However, when people thought about such extraterrestrials, they thought of them simply as people, indistinguishable from humans. As people had never considered a scientific explanation for the ] or its relation with other lifeforms, any hypothetical rational lifeforms had by necessity to be humans. Even in mythology, all deities are mostly humanlike.<ref name="early"/> For example, ]'s '']'' features people from ], who are simply of higher proportions.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.britannica.com/art/science-fiction/High-technologies|title= Alien encounters|author= |date= |publisher= Britannica|accessdate=January 28, 2024}}</ref> |
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This was changed by the 1859 book '']'' by ], which proposed the ]. This book caused a revolution in fiction as much as it did in science, as authors began to imagine extraterrestrial races completely different from human beings. With the rationale that evolution in other worlds may take completely different directions than on Earth, aliens began to be described as creepy monsters. Usually, authors used features from other animals, such as insects, crabs, and octopuses. Some such aliens are the octopean Martians from '']'' (1898), the Selenites from ''First men in the Moon'' (1901), the birdlike ] from '']'' (1934) and even a sentient star in '']'' (1937).<ref name="early"/> |
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However, if real extraterrestrial life exists, few people expect to find humanoid characteristics, believing that this would be too great a coincidence given an entirely different evolutionary scale. However, one should note the possibility that humans are partially or even wholly descended from extraterrestrial beings. Therefore, while it is extremely unlikely, it is not entirely impossible that alien life extremely similar to mankind exists. |
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===Modern times=== |
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==Extraterrestrial life in fiction== |
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]s were conceived as a result of the ].]] |
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The ] took place in 1961 when the couple claimed that they were abducted by aliens and subjected to invasive experiments. It was the first recorded claim of an ], soon followed by others. The description of the aliens made by the Hills, with oversized heads, big eyes, pale grey skin, and small noses captivated the public imagination and was later used by TV shows and films. This started the ] archetype. According to Wade Roush, a science and technology writer, "The standard depiction of aliens at that point became the little grey man. So, when Steven Spielberg came along and made probably what are the two most influential movies about aliens – ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind'', and ''ET the Extra-Terrestrial'' – the aliens and those movies were both basically variations on the 1950s and 1960s little green or little grey man image".<ref name="early">{{cite web |url= https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20231019-the-weird-aliens-of-early-science-fiction|title= The weird aliens of early science fiction|author= Zaria Gorvett|date= October 22, 2023|publisher= BBC|accessdate=January 25, 2024}}</ref> |
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The advent of TV and films, with extraterrestrials played by actors, toned down the fantasy. For budget reasons, humanlike aliens with just some specific non-human body features became the new standard. This is especially noticeable in the '']'' franchise; this would later be explained in-universe as a result of an ancient spacefaring humanoid civilization “seeding” its DNA across countless planets including Earth. This changed again since the 1990s with the advent of ] (CGI), and later on as CGI became more effective and less expensive, as it allows to generate bizarre lifeforms without being constrained to actors with costumes or mechanical effects.<ref name="early"/> |
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The existence of ] beings (intelligent ]) has been one of the enduring themes of ]. |
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==See also== |
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One of the first fiction writers to use alien beings from another planet was ]. '']'' is the best known of his works; it also introduced the modern reader to the recurring concept of interplanetary invasion by malign aliens. |
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* ] |
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==References== |
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The alien invasion was one of two themes which was to crop up again and again in the 'pulp science fiction' years, the 1930s to 1960s. The ] made people particularly receptive to the idea of evil and incomprehensible beings coming to destroy or enslave earthly (usually American) life. Examples of these include the short story "The Liberation of Earth" by ]. |
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{{Reflist}} |
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==Further reading== |
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The contrasting picture of aliens during this time was that of the wise and civilised race coming to Earth to impart their wisdom and solve our problems. These stories were almost as popular as the invasion theme, at a time when mankind looked as though it was on the brink of destroying itself. A good example of this story is the movie '']''. |
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*{{Cite book |last=Baxter |first=Stephen |title=Searching for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: SETI Past, Present, and Future |date=2011 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-3-642-13196-7 |editor-last=Shuch |editor-first=H. Paul |editor-link=H. Paul Shuch |series=The Frontiers Collection |pages=351–372 |language=en |chapter=SETI in Science Fiction |doi=10.1007/978-3-642-13196-7_19 |author-link=Stephen Baxter (author) |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jAk9bTm3Sj4C&pg=RA1-PA51}} |
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* {{Cite encyclopedia |year=2023<!-- 6 February --> |title=Aliens |encyclopedia=] |url=https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/aliens |access-date=2023-12-15 |edition=4th |author1-last=Killheffer |author1-first=Robert K. J. |author2-last=Stableford |author2-first=Brian |author2-link=Brian Stableford |author3-last=Langford |author3-first=David |author3-link=David Langford |editor1-last=Clute |editor1-first=John |editor1-link=John Clute |editor2-last=Langford |editor2-first=David |editor2-link=David Langford |editor3-last=Sleight |editor3-first=Graham |editor3-link=Graham Sleight |ref=none}} |
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* {{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GFHEEAAAQBAJ |title=Aliens in Popular Culture |date=2019 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-1-4408-3833-0 |editor-last=Levy |editor-first=Michael M. |editor-link=Michael M. Levy |language=en |editor-last2=Mendlesohn |editor-first2=Farah |editor-link2=Farah Mendlesohn}} |
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*Roth, Christopher F., "Ufology as Anthropology: Race, Extraterrestrials, and the Occult." In ''E.T. Culture: Anthropology in Outerspaces,'' ed. by Debbora Battaglia. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 2005. |
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* ]. 1996. ''The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark'': chapter 4: "Aliens". |
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* {{Cite book |last=Stableford |first=Brian |title=] |date=2006 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0-415-97460-8 |pages=13–16 |language=en |chapter=Alien |author-link=Brian Stableford |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uefwmdROKTAC&pg=PA13 |ref=none}} |
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* {{Cite book |last=Westfahl |first=Gary |title=] |date=2005 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-313-32951-7 |editor-last=Westfahl |editor-first=Gary |editor-link=Gary Westfahl |pages=14–16 |language=en |chapter=Aliens in Space |author-link=Gary Westfahl |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/greenwoodencyclo0000unse_k2b9/page/14/mode/2up |ref=none}} |
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* {{Cite book |last=Westfahl |first=Gary |title=] |date=2005 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-313-32951-7 |editor-last=Westfahl |editor-first=Gary |editor-link=Gary Westfahl |pages=16–18 |language=en |chapter=Aliens on Earth |author-link=Gary Westfahl |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/greenwoodencyclo0000unse_k2b9/page/16/mode/2up |ref=none}} |
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* {{Cite book |last=Westfahl |first=Gary |title=] |date=2021 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-4408-6617-3 |pages=<!-- unclear --> |language=en |chapter=Aliens |author-link=Gary Westfahl |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ikXPEAAAQBAJ&pg=RA1-PT33 |ref=none}} |
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* {{Cite book |last=Westfahl |first=Gary |title=The Stuff of Science Fiction: Hardware, Settings, Characters |date=2022 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-8659-2 |pages=227–234 |language=en |chapter=Aliens—The Company We Seek: Aliens in Fact and Fiction |author-link=Gary Westfahl |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q7WREAAAQBAJ&pg=PA227 |ref=none}} |
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==External links== |
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Aliens are also used in fiction to examine the human race from a different perspective; the author wishes us to examine ourselves in a new way by contrasting us with an imagined alternative. This was one of the functions of ] in '']''. |
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{{Biology in fiction}} |
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One of the most frequently portrayed alien races from our own ] are the ]s, ] being the most romanticized of the other planets whose surface conditions are closest to being amenable to life. See ] for more details on the red planet's numerous roles. |
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{{Extraterrestrial life}} |
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{{science fiction}} |
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Popular fictional tales of the first half of the ] also include many fanciful tales of alien races and civilizations on our nearest neighbor, the ]. |
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{{Horror fiction}} |
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{{UFOs}} |
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Many of the aliens have been hostile and ] has been a very popular idea in English-language science fiction. |
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Writers have created a long list of extraterrestrial creatures and intelligent beings; see the ]. |
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===Silicon based life=== |
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There are examples of silicon-based life in ], such as an episode of the original '']'' series, which included a silicon life form called the ] or the ] and ] in the science-fiction adventure game ]. The ] story '']'' featured a silicon-based being, and indeed made great play of the exceptional rarity of silicon-based lifeforms. |
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== See also == |
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==Further reading== |
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* ]. 1996. ''The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark: chapter 4: "Aliens" |
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The way people have thought about extraterrestrials is tied to the development of actual sciences. One of the first steps in the history of astronomy was to realize that the objects seen in the night sky were not gods or lights, but physical objects like Earth. This notion was followed by the one that celestial objects should be inhabited as well. However, when people thought about such extraterrestrials, they thought of them simply as people, indistinguishable from humans. As people had never considered a scientific explanation for the origin of mankind or its relation with other lifeforms, any hypothetical rational lifeforms had by necessity to be humans. Even in mythology, all deities are mostly humanlike. For example, Voltaire's Micromégas features people from Saturn, who are simply of higher proportions.
The advent of TV and films, with extraterrestrials played by actors, toned down the fantasy. For budget reasons, humanlike aliens with just some specific non-human body features became the new standard. This is especially noticeable in the Star Trek franchise; this would later be explained in-universe as a result of an ancient spacefaring humanoid civilization “seeding” its DNA across countless planets including Earth. This changed again since the 1990s with the advent of computer-generated imagery (CGI), and later on as CGI became more effective and less expensive, as it allows to generate bizarre lifeforms without being constrained to actors with costumes or mechanical effects.
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