For science fiction lovers, aliens are a common feature within the genre. Science fiction is a genre that is concerned with scientific and technological ideas and concepts in the future and the stories take place in a world that is not ours, with events and ideas that do not exist in our reality. Sci-fi is one of the most popular genres, and there are many great examples of science fiction stories across many types of media, from books and graphic novels, to tv shows and movies.
What is an extra-terrestrial?
The term ‘extra-terrestrial’ literally translates to ‘outside earth’ and is used to refer to lifeforms that did not originate on Earth. In science fiction, space travel and extra-terrestrials are two common tropes that are frequently seen in works belonging to this genre. However, while science fiction is just that, a fiction, many people believe that aliens, or some forms of extra-terrestrial life, really do exist and there is plenty of ufo news, information and sightings to look through and decide for yourself. Either way, the thought of humans not being the only living creatures in the universe has captivated and inspired people for many years, leading to the creation of some memorable alien and extra-terrestrial characters and figures throughout science fiction media.
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The Doctor
Doctor Who is a popular British TV show that began in 1963. The stories follow The Doctor, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, as he journeys through time and universes. One of the defining traits of The Doctor is his ability to regenerate, and as of 2020 there have been 13 ‘official’ Doctors.
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ET
Perhaps one of the most well-known aliens, and the one that pops into people’s heads when they think of them, is ET the Extra-Terrestrial. Steven Spielberg's 1982 movie of the same name introduced the world to ET, the alien botanist abandoned on Earth. The film was a commercial and critical success, and is considered one of the greatest science fiction movies of all time.
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Na’vi
The 2009 James Cameron movie Avatar was the highest grossing movie for almost a decade, bringing in over $2billion dollars worldwide. The extra-terrestrials in the movie are called the Na’vi, and they are 10ft tall inhabitants of the planet Pandora. The Earth that is featured in the movie is one that is suffering an energy crisis which has been caused by humans having depleted the natural resources of the Earth. This is just one example of the way in which our modern-day issues such as global warming and climate change are used in speculative science fiction, to imagine a future that may occur if we do not change our ways.
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Xenomorph
Another incredibly well-known science fiction movie franchise is Ridley Scott’s Alien series. The alien species in these films is the Xenomorph, the vicious predator with acid blood that terrorizes the crew of the Nostromo in the first movie, leaving only Ellen Ripley and Jones the cat alive. The Xenomorph continue to be the antagonists of the series, appearing in the next 3 movies.
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