Today’s discussion topic sent in by QSF’er Michael Barnette: Aliens as “the bad guys from space” like those in many movies of late. Should the aliens always be the bad guys or can they be written – no matter how different they are from humans – as “good guys”?
It’s interesting to see how aliens go in cycles of good and bad in SF and SF movies especially, from the invasion paranoia stories like Invasion of the Body Snatchers to the ultra-cute alien in distress like ET. But when a culture and intellect is so different from out own as to be truly alien, is there a meeting point? Are we able to connect peacefully?
Watcha got out there?