Science Fiction Newsletter- Sept 2010

September 1, 2010

Editor: EarlyHours-A Vigilante Ranger





1. About this Newsletter
2. Letter from the Editor
3. Special Feature
4. Editor's Picks
5. Ask & Answer





There are areas of science fiction called the “Big Topics.” Okay, I just made that up for the benefit of this Newsletter, but I think most of us would agree that there are topics that many people immediately associate with science fiction. These include space travel, time travel, alien worlds, aliens themselves, and future science and technology. The first several Newsletters will focus on these Big Topics, and then we will explore the more esoteric topics, like inner-space, the nature of reality, universes, theoretical physics, and maybe even humanity itself. Please email or post your comments and suggestions for other topics in the "Science Fiction Newsletter Forum" . Also, if you have an interest in a specific topic, please consider writing a guest editorial for an upcoming issue. The interaction we have regarding the Newsletter will be the compass by which we navigate the infinite expanse of our favorite genre. And what could be more Sci-Fi than exploring infinite expanses?

This is our first “Alien” issue, but the subject is so vast that I'm sure we'll have more. Maybe we should call it “Alien 1.” Aliens have been appearing in science fiction almost since the beginning of literature. In fact, the earliest alien story might have been Somnium, by Johannes Kepler, published around 1620. It involved demons on the Moon, understandable considering that Kepler was the astronomer that defined the laws of planetary motion, including the relationship of the Earth with the Moon. So for all of you subscribers that are also scientists, you’re in good company!

"As any science fiction fan knows, the basic human shape, head at the top, two feet at the bottom, wedding tackle about halfway down, is the standard for intelligent life the universe over." Robert Rankin

Aliens 1
or
May I See Your Passport Please?

I really like non-humanoid aliens. Maybe because it seems more likely to me that intelligent aliens would not be humanoid. But most of the aliens in popular sci-fi have had human morphology, like Klingons, Dr. Who, the Goa'uld, Klaatu, The Man Who Fell To Earth (that guy looked a lot like David Bowie), and most of the Star Wars characters. For movies and television, the aliens wore costumes that had to fit human actors. And until real aliens were finally hired in Hollywood (for the first Men In Black movie, I think), they were all just actors wearing rubber foreheads.

Many explanations have been proposed. There’s the argument that all humanoid races have some common ancestor. Or that humans somehow got transplanted here or there millennia ago. One of my favorite arguments for humanoid aliens is that there is something so special about humans, that the human form is the natural path of evolution throughout the universe. But we all know the true reason for all the human-like aliens in the world of sci-fi... shape shifters. Very polite shape shifters who want us to feel comfortable around them.

In hard science fiction literature, non-human aliens are prevalent, and sometimes very well worked out. For example, in Orson Scott Card’s famous Ender’s Game, the aliens were hive-like insectoid “Buggers.” In Speaker For The Dead, Card developed the Pequeninos, a race of aliens that started its life cycle as grub-like animals, grew into sentient pig-like animals (the “Piggies”), and finally developed into intelligent trees that communicated with each other. Ben Bova, in his Grand Tour series wrote about credible alien life forms within our own solar system. He described great whale-like creatures swimming in the dense atmosphere of Jupiter (as well as metal-eating bacteria that wreaked havoc on spacecrafts), and giant, tentacled, heat-resistant creatures on the surface of Venus. His characters even found evidence of intelligent Martians that had become extinct during the same meteor bombardment that killed the dinosaurs on Earth. And they weren’t little green humanoid men.

The aliens of Larry Niven make his stories different and special. This is most notable in Ringworld, Protector and (most recently read) Footfall. His aliens are very different from humans, and frequently have their own languages that the reader can actually understand by the end of the book! Unlike Bova’s aliens, Niven’s races still exhibit human-like qualities to which readers can relate. They have rituals, societal structure, political struggles, wars, love, and even flatulence. Non-human on the outside, but a bit human on the inside.

For an alien character to have a significant role in our story telling, we have to impart at least some human quality or qualities to it. The reader has to be able to relate to the alien on some level. Usually this isn’t a problem because it turns out that currently, most science fiction writers are themselves, human. Even here on WDC.

"If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn’t turn out very well for the Native Americans.” Stephen Hawking

You Looking At Me?

This special feature introduces a “can of worms” topic. Above, the discussion focused on what we think of aliens. But I wonder, if aliens came to visit, what would they think of us? The Fithp in Larry Niven’s Footfall are intelligent elephant-like creatures having two trunks with prehensile digits at the ends. They are heard-like in social structure, and therefore (usually) completely follow their “Heard Master.” They see humans as a race of rogues, exhibiting unpredictable individuality and generally erratic behavior. They couldn’t understand why our actual elephants weren’t Earth’s dominant species.

There are other viewpoints. Aliens might see us as a dangerous virus, in that we multiply, are violent, and drain resources. Or maybe they would see us as an innovative but young species, on the verge of coming into our own. If they look at technology, they might be impressed. If they look at social structure, they might be confused, at the very least. Maybe, like in Stephen King’s Under the Dome, the aliens really do see us as ants.

Anyway, I finally found the answer to this question. It is in the classic Nebula Award-nominated short story by Terry Bisson, They're Made Out of Meat   This is a very short story (769 words) that describes exactly what aliens think about us, and I highly recommend it. Check it out; you’ll be glad you did! But don’t forget to come back and finish the rest of the Newsletter!

This months question: What do you think visiting Aliens would think of us?
I would love to hear your ideas! Feedback and contact information is listed at the end of the Newsletter.

"Is it possible for another sentient, technologically-capable life form to exist? Maybe they did. Maybe they do! Maybe they will. Maybe they never will. Will we ever know? Answer: Maybe! In the meantime, we keep searching because of the way we are, curious." D.R. Prescott

For this issue's Editor's Picks, I scoured the portfolios looking for actual alien writers. And although I found a few ghost writers, almost everyone was a human (I actually did find one non-human writer, and if you’re curious, go to item #1614311). So this issue’s Picks involve alien visitations to Earth. Some of the aliens are humanoid, and some are not. But all of the stories are captivating and show off the creativity of our WDC members, and demonstrate why we love our science fiction so much. Enjoy!

ID: 1143079   (Rated: E) What about aliens?  Have we been visited by extraterrestrials? by D. R. Prescott

ID: 1698905   (Rated: E) The Diqini  Winning the Olympics should have been the star of his career. Then the invitation. by ShadowMouse

ID: 422982   (Rated: E) Field Trip to Earth  Pam is on a class trip to the planet Earth. Read about what her first day is like. by Maryann

ID: 1698040   (Rated: E) Protected Species  A hunt for wolves turns into something else. by Max Griffin

ID: 1581934   (Rated: ASR) Afternoon at the Carnival  A strange afternoon at an unusual Carnival. (990 wds) (Published--twice!) by LJPC - the tortoise

ID: 991743   (Rated: 13+) Little Green Men  A discussion with aliens about knowledge and truth, with a dose of irreverence. by Davy Kraken

ID: 1537443   (Rated: 13+) GALACTIC GUNSLINGER   Prompt: The Old West, a small town, a box social, horse manure and a heroic gunslinger. by Oldwarrior - Disabled Veteran

ID: 1685188   (Rated: E) THE GREAT EXPERIMENT  An imaginary story of extraterrestrial aliens or heavenly spirits. You decide. by CountryGranny reviewing again

ID: 726565   (Rated: ASR) The Abduction  He says he was abducted and has proof. Do you believe him? by Shaara

ID: 173155   (Rated: ASR) Children of Forever  For serious science fiction readers. A little out there... by EarlyHours-A Vigilante Ranger

Everyone knows that aliens love poetry:

ID: 1654023   (Rated: 13+) Invasion  Poem about an invasion of our world by amoeba-like beings. Iambic Heptameter (a rare one). by R. Walter Smith

Regarding the first issue, which focused on Worlds and World-building:

Kate~Rune Writing & Reading : What a splendid inaugural edition First defining and comparing science fiction as opposed to sci fi; then expanding on science fiction by focusing on the importance of world building, creating a believable tangible world by defining its parameters as experienced by the creatures inhabiting the world as opposed to dropping in a renegade robot or 'B-movie' monstrosity or alien creature. I would like to see future editions continue guidance and examples of worldbuilding with character development and interaction, belief systems, technology, to guide in creating believable science fiction otherworlds. The selections are a delight to read - well fit the theme of the newsletter.

LJPC - the tortoise : The part about people writing about alien planets with trees and grass and everything just like Earth bugs me, too. Your first NL is very well written and examines important points. I'm delighted with it. Thank you so much for taking the time to delight and inform your fellow writers and SF lovers on WDC.

Oldwarrior - Disabled Veteran : An excellent newsletter. Love the way you tried to define Science Fiction.

Shaara : I'd love to hear about aliens who have solved some of Earth's problems. How did they end the warrior state? How did they solve poverty, polution, and over-population?
These are great topics! We just scratched the alien surface this time, just enough to get a couple of drops of green ooze, but hopefully we can delve deeper in future issues!

Thank you so much everyone! I really appreciate the feedback from readers. Keep it coming! - ed.

Don't Be Shy! Write Into This Unofficial Newsletter!

Reader feedback and comments is important to the Unofficial Science Fiction Newsletter (USFNL). As we go forward, much of the Newsletter's content will be based on reader feedback and discussion. Feedback can always be sent directly to EarlyHours-A Vigilante Ranger , but to make discussion even easier, a USFNL Forum has been set up. Feel free to post and interact at the Forum; some of the discussion may end up here! And don't forget to add the Forum (below) to your list of Favorites, and post often!

ID: 1703191   (Rated: 13+) Science Fiction Newsletter Forum  Discussion of NL Topics, Reader Feedback, Ask & Answer by EarlyHours-A Vigilante Ranger

And check out the closest thing we have to a sponsor:

ID: 1617315   (Rated: 18+) The Sci-fi Writers Guild  Collaborations, discussions and reviews - Welcome to the Sci-fi Writers Guild by EvilDawg - A Vigilante Ranger!

Thanks for reading, and see you next month!