Monday 16 February 2015

Aleriona

I cannot visualize but I can at least understand verbal descriptions of some fictional aliens, like Merseians or Puppeteers. Niven's and Pournelle's Moties are more difficult because they are asymmetrical. Ythrians are quite difficult and I cannot form a clear idea of Poul Anderson's Aleriona:

long legs;
forward-leaning body;
150 centimeters tall;
deep chest;
spare waist;
mobile counterbalancing tail;
sleek, silver, sparkling fur;
digitigrade feet;
three long toes;
gracious, gesturing arms;
slim neck;
furless head;
marble-hued face;
enormous eyes with long lashes and nictitating membranes;
arching brows;
small nose;
vividly red lips;
wide cheekbones;
narrow chin;
muliebrile features;
pointed ears;
a long golden mane extending down the back and half way down the tail.

Does that give you a coherent picture? Inhuman perfection, as we are told, or just an odd jumble of disparate features?

2 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Hi, Paul!

I have wondered, in your struggle to understand Poul Anderson's description of an Aleriona like Cybe, would it helf if you compared to the descriptions of Cynbe with those we have of Aycharaych of Chereion?

Sean

Paul Shackley said...

Sean,
Maybe somewhat. But Aycharaych is avian and appears on covers. I still think Cynbe sounds like bits of different bodies stuck together.
Paul.