Aliens are here and 60 Minutes on May 16th revealed the story that everyone already knew: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ufo-military-intelligence-60-minutes-2021-05-16/. Of course we knew that aliens exist with the Drake equation. An early posting had some of the 36 intelligent civilizations, this is more complete. Who will be on those UAPs, UFOs or UFP, whatever they are calling them? So let’s dive deep into sci fi to come up with ideas. First, “aliens” that look exactly like humans, Sebaceans in Farscape save on make-up, but c’mon! No aliens with bumps on their heads, gotta be horns, or other colors. Plus no mutants or people mutated into other forms. Um, there are Star Wars aliens left out, reasons.
One of my favorite alien first contact movies is Contact based on the Carl Sagan novel. In terms of books, there is the H.G. Wells 1897 novel, The War of the Worlds. Topping the list is Edgar Rice Burroughs, A Princess of Mars (1917) and Barsoom! Alien life is explored in Ray Bradbury’s classic, The Martian Chronicles (1950). Another favorite, Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers (1959). The question of sentience is explored in one of the best sci fi novels, Little Fuzzy (1962) by H. Beam Piper. The Fuzzies had several novels, but they need a movie please! A classic is Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), of course, but recommended is Rendezvous with Rama (1973), the film’s development stalled for years. Another favorite sci fi alien novel, David Brin’s Startide Rising (1983) which should be made into a movie or series.
The tv series with the wildest aliens? Farscape. Animated film, check out Titan A.E. This one shows up a few times, a movie with diverse, strange aliens? Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. Next would be Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy! There are so many, about 63, that I selected 36 aliens in bold, what are your picks? Let’s start with the Conquerors; Aliens, Predators, and the Martian from the original War of the Worlds whose face looks like a Simon Says game. The Fighters; the Tharks from Barsoom, Dracs from Enemy Mine, (kinda reminds me of the Tamarians in ST:TNG episode “Darmok”), the fierce Luxans that inhabit Farscape, think the Middle-Earth Dwarves of the sci fi world, but tall, and can paralyze enemies with their tongues! Also there are Zabraks like Darth Maul, and from Star Trek; Klingons and Romulans would be in this category. Peacekeepers; the Judoon, rhino-like enforcers from Doctor Who, Togruta, the same people as Ahsoka Tano and the Tectonese from Alien Nation.
Philosophical People; Delvians (they show up in a few categories!) like Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan from Farscape, Kaminoans, and of course Star Trek's Vulcans. Peaceful Races; The Kelpians like Saru, The Pearls from Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, and the Ood from Doctor Who. Merchant races could be like Jawa, Hynerians such as Rygel from Farscape, and the more interesting Pakleds from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Entertainers; Glamopods (shapeshifters) like Bubble from Valerian, Twi'leks (we know the dancer Oola, but there is also Rebel captain and pilot, Hera Syndulla).
Don't forget, the Max Rebo Band including the band leader, a blue elephant-like Ortolan. There is also Droopy McCool, a Kitonak, and Pa’lowick lead singer Sy Snootles, and Star Trek’s Orions. The Criminals; Doctor Who’s menace, the Slitheen, Star Wars has the Hutts, Rodians like Greedo (but they are mostly like Senator Onaconda Farr so more politicians than criminals), and we can add Duros really in the form of bounty hunter Cad Bane, and the Weequay like Hondo Ohnaka. Aquatic people; Star Wars’ Mon Calamari plus the Nautolan seen as Jedi Master Kit Fisto, Saturnyns from Doctor Who’s “The Vampires of Venice”, the Poulong Farmers from Valerian, and the Xindi Aquatics from Star Trek: Discovery.
The Strange Races; Star Wars has the Aleen like the Podracer Ratts Tyerell, the Sullustan including pilot, Nien Nunb, Ithorians like the SW Hammerhead figure, Adipose from Doctor Who, and the Polis Massan, the doctors at the end of Revenge of the Sith. Slipped in Doctor Aliens with the Polis Massan, add in Farscape’s Delvians, also there is the Diagnosans from that show, and Valerian had glimpses of the Azin Mö. Furry Aliens, of course in Star Wars there are Wookies, Ewoks, nub yub!, but there has to be Teeks!
Reptilian Aliens include the brutal Gorn from Star Trek's "Arena", but also Silurans and Sea Devils from Doctor Who, Scarrans from Farscape, Trandoshans with Star Wars’ Bossk, and the Visitors from the 1983 V mini-series. Cat People; Catkind from Doctor Who or Caitian, gotta be cat people like M’Ress from the Star Trek cartoon, but slipped into the movies. Bird Aliens; First there is the Hawkmen of Flash Gordon both the 1936 movie serial and the campy 1980’s movie, the only alien here that can fly, the vulture-like Shansheeth of Doctor Who, Farscape’s Halosians were also like vultures, but extremely hostile, Buck Rogers had Hawk who had a cap of feathers, he was from the Tangata manu.
Pig Aliens; a strangely common alien with the Gamorreans and Ugnaughts in Star Wars, to the Tellarites in Star Trek, and the Borays from the original Battlestar Galactica. Insectoid aliens; the Arachnids from Starship Troopers, Star Wars had the bounty hunter Zuckuss who was a Gand, the bizarre Tritovore from Doctor Who’s ‘Planet of the Dead”, the original Battlestar Galactica featured the Ovions, and the Xindi-Insectoids from Star Trek: Enterprise. Plus, Thor: Ragnarok’s Miek, the Sakaaran warrior, and Mantis’ race from Guardians of the Galaxy.
The Plant Based Aliens? Of course there is Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy, Delvians are a plant species, and the Tree of Cheem from Doctor Who. Cyborgs; Borg are too incompatible like Daleks to fit in with other aliens, Cybermen from Doctor Who, how about Star Trek: The Next Generation's Bynars, and Omelites from Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, programmers. Rock Aliens; first of course is Korg from Thor: Ragnaork, called Kronans, the Excalibans from “The Savage Curtain”, telepathic, but one of my favorites is the Horta from "The Devil in the Dark", plus there are the Kastrians in the form of Eldrad in Doctor Who. Shapeshifters, Star Trek's entries include Salt Vampire, Chameloid like Marta in Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country, and Changelings featuring Odo from DS9, Star Wars had the Clawdite bounty hunter, Zam Wassel.
Energy aliens, The Companion from “Metamorphosis and the Argus X vampire cloud from “Obsession”, Redjac from “Wolf in the Fold”, the Gelth from Doctor Who’s “The Unquiet Dead”, and the Mary energy being in Torchwood’s “Greek Bearing Gifts.” So these are aliens with different purposes and cultures. They could be gauging our technology, you know they don’t have Proton Packs, maybe the Earth is a nexus that unlocks time travel or an interdimensional nexus point?, experimenting on our bodies with probes, or maybe just checking out the latest trends or Earth merch? Earth is outside of some jurisdiction?, a test planet for environmental concerns, a petting zoo? Who knows? We have sci fi fiction and our imaginations to explore alien life.
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