#alien fiction

[talefoundryshow]

NOW ON NEBULA!

What will it be like when humanity takes to the stars? Ray Bradbury paints a particularly unnerving picture of what could occur…

[theotherpacman]

my most self-indulgent personal fantasy is that I am somehow taken to an alien planet. the aliens are peaceful and just want to learn more about my kind. they assign a team of linguists to decipher my language. I write as much as I can about Earth and use color coded alien highlighters to categorize every word by part of speech. over the next many weeks, using a series of drawings (by me) photographs (from them) and charades (by all of us) they get a grasp of written english and we are able to communicate. I tell them all the stories I can think of, and they are fascinated. during all of this I am treated as an honored guest. (they've also assigned a team of scientists to learn about my biological makeup and what foods are safe for me to eat)

[homosapiologist5]

why my human dermis dry not hot here why human flakey give medicines still flakey dermis -Grog from Jumbala 7

Greetings Grog! The human {skin} can be very sensitive, despite it's layered format. I understand that Jumbala 7 does not typically have a hot climate but it does have a {sun}. If your human is spending excessive time without protection in your {sun} it may be {sunburnt}. Is there a change of colour as well as the flakiness? Although, if you have tried different {medicines} you have probably ruled that out as well as {eczema} and similar conditions. Perhaps your human is dehydrated? Do they seem lethargic, and are their {lips} dried and cracked? Consider giving them more {water} to drink.

[theboarsbride]

“Truth of the Divine” Review

Rating: 3.75/5 ⭐

Genre: Science Fiction

Length: 496 pages

Review:  

 While Lindsay Ellis's first novel Axiom's End was about the meaning of language, both human and alien, her sequel Truth of the Divine was about personhood - and how it could, or should, be (legally, morally, and philosophically) applied to alien lifeforms. This book was... a lot. Not just with the themes of what makes a person a person, but also seeing the characters' journeys and the way the world is depicted in this alternate version of 2008. The portrayal of trauma and PTSD in this novel is so visceral and well-done (HIGHLY advise looking at warnings before reading), and it makes this an admittedly heavy read???? Like, despite all the aliens and the sci-fi elements at play, everything else feels very real, very dark, and borderline bleak at times. And, honestly, in a way this book felt very personal. Knowing Ellis and what she has experienced as a content creator especially within the past couple years and what she's talked about regarding her personal life, the things that occur within the narrative (especially surrounding Cora's character and how she handles her trauma) makes the story feel personal, more deep, and, honestly, more grim. Truth of the Divine is considerably darker in tone and subject matter when compared to Axiom's End, but ultimately I think it does a really interesting job in discussing its themes, at posing questions that feel new in the alien sci-fi genre, and creating characters that are both likeable and very, very human (even if they themselves are not human). Ellis' writing style is super easy to read, and it is also very quirky, and has a lot of humor and charm to it! And with that ending?? I am EAGERLY awaiting the next book in this series!!!!! (.....if there ever will be one) I absolutely recommend this to more lowkey sci-fi fans, people who like First Contact narratives, people who like aliens (and hinted alien romances *wink wink*), and people who like stuff like Michael Bay's Transformers movies or the Men in Black franchise or Denis Villeneuve's Arrival.

---

Part of a new series of posts I might try!!! I wanna try posting more book reviews/bookish thoughts, so I thought I’d start off with this book!! Next up on the TBR is Gallant by V.E Schwab! (as always, feel free to drop book recs and such in my ask box!)

[thestuffedalligator]

"We call it vff," said the alien. "It's - it's hard to describe to a species without vffsense. Imagine trying to describe light to a species that never evolved eyes. But there are forms of life that are only perceptible with vffsense, and they've visited Earth and fed on life as long as it's existed here."

There was a pause.

Then the human said, "That's the worst thing you've ever said."

"Don't worry about it."

"I think I have to, now."

"No, because - well - you have a species of spider which pretends to be an ant, correct? It's not capable of understanding the fact that it's mimicking an ant, but it instinctually mimics an ant in order to deter predators."

"Sure?"

"Humans produce a vff to mimic varths, predators only perceptible through vffsense. The organisms that would like to feed on you are terrified of varths, and so they leave you alone. You aren't aware you do it, you don't have the capacity to understand you're doing it, but you evolved to instinctually do it to deter predators you can't see."

There was a pause.

Then the human said in a very soft and thoughtful voice, "And are there varths on Earth?"

"Yes," said the alien. "Everywhere. But don't worry about it."

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

The Naga Maverick’s Determined Mate

by Robin O’Connor

Serpents of Serant #4

Another great addition to this alien romance series that sees two deserving characters find their perfect mate.

What I liked:

* Cosima: human female, survivor, betrayed by her country, captured, tortured, abandoned on a foreign planet, bright, grieving, fearful, comes out of her shell and grows through the story

* Zsekhet: from a desert clan of golden snake-like aliens, sent by his queen to find out if the Outcast group are a threat, orphaned as a child, bonded to a dragon in childhood, knows Cosima is his mate

* Sesethul: big beautiful dragon bonded with Zsekhet, protective, lethal, influential, would like to know more about dragons on this planet and what their habits and qualities are

* Zsekhet’s patience in wooing Cosima

* The way the Seqethos Clan came together to thwart those that tried to harm Zsekhet and Cosima – wonder if they will appear in the future and their queen will find her mate

* Getting to see the other couples, finding out how the group is doing as they build their new enclave, and thinking about how the many male outcasts will find mates of their own

* The hints at potential books to come

* All of it except…

What I didn’t like: * Who and what I was meant not to like

* Aser: King of the Bitter Storm Clan – wonder if he will be taken down in the future

Did I enjoy this book? Yes

Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

BLURB

Betrayed, I end up on a Naga-infested planet, and the golden one? He thinks he can be my knight. Cosima After a horrible hostage situation, I thought I was rescued, only to find myself betrayed and trapped on the next awful planet. There’s snake people here! They terrify me, and then one shows up with a freaking dragon. When Zsekhet, the dragon rider, casts me intense looks. My whole body lights on fire. I’m not ready to move on, but he makes me determined to prove him wrong. I am strong, I am smart, and I definitely don’t need him to rescue me, or give me the pleasure I see promised in his glances. Zsekhet I have so many secrets, but the biggest of them all? Cosima is my mate and I’d do anything to convince her to be mine. I want to take her to the skies on my dragon and show her all the wonders of my world. Sent to spy on the outcasts with whom she lives, I feel torn in two by dividing loyalties. But when a stalker threatens my mate, that choice becomes easy. I am hers and no one takes her from me. This is a standalone novel, and book four in the Serpents of Serant Series. This steamy sci-fi monster romance features one Naga Spy, a troubled but determined heroine, and a steamy HEA. (Oh, and let’s not forget the dragon!)

[lawrencedagstine]

Amazon Kindle: "New eBooks by Lawrence Dagstine..."

Well, after a year in the making, the five-novellas project comes to a close.  Five brand new releases for Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook, Kobo, Sony eReader (via Smashwords), Apple iPad (Smashwords), Smashwords.com, and I’m sure over the next few weeks a couple of more.  I have a wide range of science fiction, fantasy, horror, alternate history, satire and suspense titles available (including the…

[jayrockin]

I finally (got help) slapping Wordpress into shape and Runaway to the Stars is now releasing as a public webcomic! Thank you so much for your support over the years, and sticking with me while I'm slowly chewing my way through this book. I'm very excited to share this story! It'll be updating every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday thanks to the massive Patreon backlog. Patreon will continue to update as I finish pages, which happens on a sporadic non-schedule.

If you experience bugs with the site report them to me. Some things may occasionally break, as coding problems tend to be a very "whack-a-mole" affair; and I'm still getting used to the interface.

[wriitingcautious]

First They Came for the Aliens

Photo by Jeswin Thomas

The New York Times

October 31st, 2023

First They Came for the Aliens

By Jacob Ragnolf | 11:50 AM 

The introduction of this new kind of life to Earth reignites old questions about personhood—but did those questions ever really go away?

On January 13th of this year, Earth was invaded. That is, if you ask Republican Congresswoman and former Texas Governor Rebecca Demetrius. Fewer than twelve hours had elapsed before Demetrius released a statement decrying the lack of action from her home state’s current governor, and explicitly supporting the locals who responded immediately. “People are calling them a violent militia,” Demetrius said at a press conference, after being asked about the storming of the UFO landing site in Amarillo. “But I call them average Americans. Because in America, when we see a threat to our country, we do something about it.” 

However, if you ask the Association for All Civil Rights, January 13th was simply another day on which our concept of personhood was challenged. 

I spoke to Ellen Lobo, a representative of the AACR, about Demetrius’ statement. 

“I think it’s pure hypocrisy…How can a vampire who’s seen so many decades of bigotry against non-humans be so closed-minded?” 

Lobo also speculated with me about what kind of legislation the future might hold for the extraterrestrials. Currently, President Mann and his cabinet are debating whether or not our laws should apply to the Martians. Should an Earthling be arrested for assaulting a Martian? How about killing one? Should they be able to vote? Are they owed life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Do the aliens have unalienable rights?

Less than a century ago, these protections were called “human rights.” They excluded all other creatures, undead or living, from protection under the law because of the fear and prejudice rampant in the dominant human population. Humans used to wave pitchforks and torches at anyone different from them. They didn’t see us as people. Having grown up as the lone werewolf pup in a predominantly human neighborhood, I still have to wonder how well-integrated our country is. The readiness with which humans and (for lack of a better term) less “woke” non-humans came out to profess their hatred of our new neighbors raises questions about the stability of our civility. 

We have vampire congresswomen and werewolf Op-ED writers but we’re not done—not with securing our own rights and not with fighting for the rights of others. Our new neighbors, mercurial and unknown to us as they may be, are in need of advocacy, too. To paraphrase the eminent activist Victoria Sanguinista’s 1986 speech: They may not be humans, but they are people.

[mirandalevi]

My novel got a new cover!

Imagine "Back To The Future" entwined with the havoc-wreaking presence of an alien invader and the storytelling finesse reminiscent of John Scalzi or Octavia Butler. What fun is time travel when there’s a shape-shifting alien trying to kill you, your best friend is a ghost, and you can’t seem to escape even yourself for long? One man sees the future; another is trying to destroy it. After a brush with death at the tender age of nine, Faer Michelson has a near-perfect autobiographical memory. He has a good life, loving wife, and he's only mildly concerned about Y2K. Sure, no one else remembers Bobby Kennedy was president or that time an alien took over the TV to declare war, but what's that in the grand scheme of things? Then one day Faer remembers something that he can't shrug off: his own death in 1968. It turns out, the Time Warp isn't just a song in Rocky Horror. Faer finds himself stranded in the past with a shape-shifting alien and an apparition of his best friend. An unearthly decree is made before Faer can sort out how to get home: save yourself, then save the world.

[talefoundryshow]

NEW VIDEO!

Whatever you’ve imagined life on Mars to be, we’re willing to bet that THIS isn’t it.

[rainbowquartzpublishing]

New Cover Reveal! If you haven't had a chance to read Miranda Levi's Time Travel Scifi Novel, now's the time to check it out!

Imagine "Back To The Future" entwined with the havoc-wreaking presence of an alien invader and the storytelling finesse reminiscent of John Scalzi or Octavia Butler. What fun is time travel when there’s a shape-shifting alien trying to kill you, your best friend is a ghost, and you can’t seem to escape even yourself for long? One man sees the future; another is trying to destroy it. After a brush with death at the tender age of nine, Faer Michelson has a near-perfect autobiographical memory. He has a good life, loving wife, and he's only mildly concerned about Y2K. Sure, no one else remembers Bobby Kennedy was president or that time an alien took over the TV to declare war, but what's that in the grand scheme of things? Then one day Faer remembers something that he can't shrug off: his own death in 1968. It turns out, the Time Warp isn't just a song in Rocky Horror. Faer finds himself stranded in the past with a shape-shifting alien and an apparition of his best friend. An unearthly decree is made before Faer can sort out how to get home: save yourself, then save the world.

[homosapiologist5]

So actually it is not normal for your human to bite you and although their teeth do not have the strength to bite through anything tougher than [Untranslatable material] their saliva does carry a number of bacteria that is harmful to most other sentient species within the [Untranslatable] and [Untranslatable] quadrants. This doesn't mean harm and sickness automatically but should be watched out for. The lie that humans bite to communicate friendship when they bite with intent to cause harm is a misinterpretation of light friendly bites that some humans display for affection reasons most often towards each other and rarer towards owners.

[mimisanrio]