3 ms·
Tbh science fiction books without aliens is much more interesting category to explore/discuss, seeing that aliens are dime a dozen in scifi. In general scifi i
by zokier 3y ago
Tbh science fiction books without aliens is much more interesting category to explore/discuss, seeing that aliens are dime a dozen in scifi.
In general scifi is such a weird genre. Basically anything set in space gets labeled as scifi regardless if they have anything to do with any sort of science. But then you also have all sorts of non-space scifi too like cyberpunk.
- WalterBright 3y agoAliens are also always look like earth animals, or a chimera like a human with a cat head, and can have sex with terrans to produce hybrids.
- defrost 3y agoSure. Except for the alien ocean in Solaris, the cheela in Dragon's Egg, .. and all the other not earth-animal-like aliens. Those aside, sure.
- WalterBright 3y agoYeah, I've read Dragon's Egg. There are exceptions. But there are an overwhelming number of scifi books featuring aliens that are human except they have a cat head. Might as well have ChatGPT write them. I also move on when any synopsis says "the fate of the universe hangs in the balance" and "journey to the end of time". Star Trek, of course, is infamous for aliens merely having an appliance glued to their face. Zzzzzz....
- nine_k 3y agoEven aliens that formally resemble Earth animals, like those in Blindsight, can be made utterly, unhumanly, unearthly alien, if the author has deep ideas about what a radically different life form could be.
- bryanlarsen 3y agoReally? That's a good description of the SF section of literotica.com, as well as visual SF like movies, tv and comics, but written SF is much more diverse. If there is any trope, I would say that a disproportionate number of evil aliens are arachnid in appearance.
- nine_k 3y agoBooks like Neuromancer or Snow Crash have no aliens, but describe worlds that are weirder than in many books with aliens! I always read "scientific fiction" not as "scientifically correct fiction" but rather "fictional but plausibly-looking science". I think this goes all the way to G.H.Wells who described things like gravity-insulating material, and logical consequences thereof.
- PicassoCTs 3y agoNeuromancerwintermute explicitly states he has signals of another AI from Alpha Centauri.
- nine_k 3y agoI don't think the aliens play a key role there; more like a cameo, another sign we're in "the future".