One question that my editor asked me on the first round of copy edits was why all my characters were human or humanoid. Why were there no aliens who, basically, looked more alien?
I’ll confess that until then I hadn’t really thought about it but I had a logical explanation. For one thing, when writing a science fiction romance it, of course, makes it easier if the two main characters who are due to fall in love have a fairly close physical similarity. Sex scenes would obviously be a lot more involved and, er, convoluted shall we say, if the physical differences were very marked. Perhaps that’s something to explore when I’m more confident of my skills in the genre. :D
For my first book I wanted to keep things simple. And I felt that in a galaxy full of diversity, those species who had more in common with us would be more likely to interact, and to therefore form friendships or even romantic attachments. For instance--who do you spend the most time with? A best friend? A partner? Work colleagues? Family? Obviously with family you have that tie of blood and unity that (most) families take as the basis for their relationships together. You might not have chosen each and every one of your work colleagues to be with, but you’ve (presumably) all chosen to work in that profession and therefore have that bond. With a best friend you often have shared experiences and/or interests--things that unite you. With a partner there must have been some initial attraction that has led to a mutual bond and the desire to spend (hopefully) the majority of your lives together.
So in each relationship, there are one or more areas of related interest or goals that connect you. That compel you to spend time together. So it seemed logical to me that races with certain aspects in common might be more inclined to socialize and interact together than, say, those whose even basic needs are incompatible with our own. An oxygen-breathing race like us, for example, would be unlikely to want to spend time with a race that breathes or needs cyanide. A marine species may not want to risk asphyxiation in our atmosphere any more than we’d like to drown.
It wouldn’t be impossible, and the very nature of a completely different society would no doubt compel a lot of humans to pursue such interactions, but the average person would probably seek the simpler solution. How many of us learn to deep sea dive, for example? How many would want to learn? Of course, there may be other ways to adapt ourselves in the future--as an example I recommend Neal Asher’s books where cybernetic and genetic adaptations abound--which would make these interactions easier, perhaps even commonplace.
There are more alien-style aliens in the universe I’ve created. Few interact with the humanoid races that tend to have dominated my stories so far. But there are always opportunities to explore those in the future.
What’s your view on it? Do you think I’m just evading the issue with my reasoning? Do you go for the most outlandish species you can imagine, or do you prefer to keep yours close to human?
Maybe a little evasion there. Remember that an awful lot of humans find interacting with animals (horses, dogs & cats, dolphins) more enjoyable than with fellow humans. Extrapolating from that (and from misanthropy elsewhere) it's quite likely that many humans would prefer the alien.
ReplyDeleteYou raise some interesting points, and so does Neal.
ReplyDeleteI haven't given a lot of thought to this subject because, well...I don't write aliens. My novels explore the diversification of the human species that makes them sometimes seem alien, but genetically they're human.
It's hard to tell what sort of ET life forms we might stumble across in our galactic neighborhood, and if we'll even be remotely compatible with them. If some of the DNA seeding theories ever prove to be correct, we may have a lot in common with other species. Or they may be so different that even basic communication, much less complex interaction, might be impossible.
All part of the adventure of writing SF/R.
My aliens tend to be more humanoid for the sake of romance purposes, although they do have differences in culture and mating rituals. In my novel, I do include another alien species which reproduces through seed pods, but this species is included as an antagonist. I never thought about the cybernetics in helping two different species come together for a relationship. Now, you've stirred new ideas. :)
ReplyDeleteWhile some humans prefer animals, like Neal said, it is companionship and not romance they're seeking. I think non-humanoid aliens are interesting and I love them in John Scalzi's Old Man's War books I understand the need for humanoid love interests for SFR.
ReplyDeleteBut your couple aren't the only people on the planet/station/ship/whatever. Let the aliens mingle a little more.
Pippa, your reasons make sense to me, too. I don't have any aliens in my Ambasadora-verse because I explain them as being "us" haivng traveled on worldships from Earth, or a place they don't remember.
ReplyDeleteThat also made it easier to worldbuild with variations on human culture, names, etc.
You mentioned Neal Asher--one of my favorite SF books was COWL, by Neal, of course.
Great post!!
Oh everyone is making great points here. My first reaction was to say that it depends on the story you're telling (and I think I'll stick to that in the end) but as I got thinking on worlds I love and themes that explore the "human" condition...Sometimes showing just how the "human condition" manifests in very alien species, allows us to do such wonderful things with it.
ReplyDeleteI don't know, in the end I'd stay do what you feel is right for each book, and every once in awhile stretch out a little bit and try something far out there...if you hate the result, there's always that nasty red pen phase. ;)
Hi Pippa! Great post and great points made by all. For me, I did create love relationships between human and reptilian (an advanced humanoid reptilian species) in my Forbidden series. It's surprising how culturally 'human' another species can be if you use culture tropes from our own antho, as well as theories touched upon in science. I enjoyed exploring the differences and also the things that made my characters alike too.
ReplyDeleteBut I truly think it has to do with what an author is comfortable writing.
I think if you're going to have a 'romance' then the two involved have to be the same species. I confess I get a bit tired of humanoid 'aliens' who can have sex with humans. I just can't imagine that the universe would throw up another, unrelated species so like us physically = let alone all the other stuff. It reminds of the pulp comics where an alien monster carries off a nubile, semi-naked damsel. What for, one is tempted to ask?
ReplyDeleteIn one of my books, humans catch up with a group separated from humans early, so it's really an examination of two sets of humans with some genetic differences. But in my Iron Admiral books, there's no chance of the ptorix mating with humans.
I have both kinds of aliens in my books, although they are all humanoid in the sense that they are bipedal, oxygen-breathing creatures. As Pippa says, interaction with methane breathers or arachnoids or whatever is just more difficult as far as the day-to-day goes-- we have enough trouble just making ADA adaptations apparently. I wouldn't rule that out, though, especially as far as secondary characters go. There was a memorable TREK pro novel where one of those silicon-based tunneling creatures (that looked like a big moving shag carpet) served on the Enterprise. Even Kirk wouldn't try to, uh, mate with it, though.
ReplyDeleteDonna, I loved those silicon-based monsters. They moved through rock like we move through air. But as a crewmember? Hmmm, what was it's function? It didn't have opposable thumbs, in fact, I don't think it even had digits. Or feet. Or a face. That puts some severe limitations on its MOS. Maybe swabbing the decks?
ReplyDeletehave to say i'd go with similar also. I have aliens, but my humans don't have romances with them, they have friendships and interactions much like with cats, dogs etc. sorry, Neal. then again, once i got used to looking at Beast and learned what a kind heart he had, i could understand why Beauty fell in love with him. he was, however, humanoid. ummm, sounds like i'm contradicting myself, but then this is science fiction.
ReplyDeleteIn my Urloon book(S) I do have sentient alien beings, though communication has not been established with them and they were thought to be intellegnt animals, like dolphins.
ReplyDeleteThe rest are humans, though some are DNA modified. And there are humanoids who are able to procreate with Terrans, due to ancient ties.
Laurie, I think the Horta on the Enterprise was listed as a geologist, if I remember correctly, but I don't remember how it communicated or even moved around without burning holes in everything! But, yes, such are the challenges of SF!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how helpful or otherwise this is, but a character in one of my WIPs is a two-headed octapus-like creature called a Helpie. To be honest, I have no idea where they (using plural as the Helpie's two-headed) came from, but they're great with the comebacks. I wouldn't try to have a relationship with them tho ... they're rather ... slithery - in more ways than one.
ReplyDelete