Message-ID: <162@iwpba.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 22-May-84 09:32:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: iwpba.162
Posted: Tue May 22 09:32:11 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 23-May-84 19:03:53 EDT
References: <1899@mit-eddie.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, Il
Lines: 31

Greg Skinner says:

>>	After thinking about it awhile (and getting flamed at), I have
>>	reconsidered and now say yes, Spock is a good example of an alien
>>	portrayed as such in SF.  The thing that really makes him an 
>>	alien, though, is the externals (ears, green blood, etc.).
>>	Otherwise, he's not so different than what I'd imagine some Hindu
>>	or Buddhist scholars would be.  Problem is, in SF we have tended
>>	to take human ideas and give them to our aliens -- I guess you
>>	could say we've humanized our aliens a little too much.  I'd
>>	personally like to see some SF that introduced aliens who are not
>>	so human-like.

I suggest Frank Herbert's WHIPPING STAR.  The plot of the novel
revolves around the attempts of a human to communicate with a totally
alien being.  It is literally a matter of life and death for both
of them that they do communicate, but the creature (which is fortunately
semi-telepathic) is so alien that, for example, the only thing the
human is sure about his perception of the alien is that it is
wrong.

E.E. (Doc) Smith, in his clumsy way, did try to create true aliens
in his LENSMAN books.  Nadrek of Palain is a good attempt at a true
alien; and Worsel of Velentia is that great rarity of space opera,
a true bug-eyed-monster who is a good guy.

I'm sure that other people can suggest other aliens in sf.

			John Hobson
			AT&T Bell Labs--Naperville, IL
			ihnp4!iwpba!amigo