In a post on Lit Hub, Mike Chen explores the various ways writers use aliens to talk about all-too-human concepts. “In most cases, the aliens we see on-screen are based on a combination of storytelling practicality (someone’s gotta fit in that rubber suit) and thematic allegory,” Chen says. “Simply put, fictional aliens say far more about our hopes and fears than they do about reality.”
Some common themes explored via the use of alien characters include:
- Fear of the other. Steven Spielberg’s E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) is possibly the most well-known film to use an alien to explore the human fear of the outsider. “These ‘fear of the other’ stories hold up a mirror to our society, demonstrating that systemic aggression often overlooks compassion and understanding,” Chen says.
- Fear of the unknown. “Treating aliens essentially as spies and secret operatives infiltrating our systems and governments was something used for decades but used prominently in Cold War–era science fiction, a metaphor for the growing paranoia born of political tension and conspiracy theorists,” Chen writes. The modern version appears in The X-Files.
- Fear of ourselves. “In these scenarios, we rarely see the aliens themselves, as they’ve infiltrated human minds and bodies,” Chen writes. “This theme enables us to look in the mirror and ask ourselves if toxic behaviors are really so alien.” Chen suggests They Live as an example, and we’d add Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
- Fear of annihilation. “Fear of the end, no matter how we get there, also sparks hope that humanity will put aside its differences to face a common tragedy,” Chen says.
- Desire for diversity and collaboration. Star Trek famously relies on “infinite diversity in infinite combinations” to support its theme of cultural collaboration and understanding. In the Star Wars films, the legions of the Empire and First Order are mostly human and are dressed homogeneously. It’s in the freer, outside world and among the rebellion where we see diversity in species.
