"Remember the days when androids didn't have personality problems, every Earthman was a hero and the only good alien was a dead one?"
Maybe there were some such days although it is also the kind of thing that we think we remember. John Carter killed a lot of green Martians but also befriended a lot of them. He was a chieftain of Thark. But that was in sword and science, not in space opera.
Needless to say, real life and history are more complicated. Allies and enemies change sides. In Mirkheim, XV, a Hermetian man, a Wodenite and a Cynthian fight against four men. The four work for the Baburites and could just as well have been Merseians, Gorzuni or Donarrians.
When Dominic Flandry accompanies a group of Dennitzans into their Parliament, he is conscious of the fact that the only member of that Parliament that he knows is Merseian by species - and an ally.
I see that I have quoted that provocative publisher's slogan twice before. See here. (Scroll down.)
3 comments:
Well, it depends on how you define "alien"... 8-).
Brian Aldiss plays with words. In one short story, he refers to "aliens," then says that these aliens have not come for another planet - that is an old idea!- they have been born among us. Of course, the usual word for this is "mutants" but he changes our perceptions just by changing the word.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
On Earth, here and now, "alien" is most commonly used referring to humans who are not legally the citizens or subjects of States A, B, or C. If/when contact is made with non-human rational beings from other worlds terminology will need to be revised/coined to that into account. Anderson made a start with that coining words like "xenosophonts."
Ad astra! Sean
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