How can I write creative alien races?

Discussion in 'Science Fiction' started by beehoney, Dec 28, 2017.

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  1. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    Lets not argue folks
     
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  2. Trubbshore

    Trubbshore Banned

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    Yes, I do.
    Like Spongebob, use your imagination.
    If it fails you, then Science Fiction will not be your area of expertise.
    Others can advise you on grammar, punctuation, spelling, but without imagination you will not a writer make.
     
  3. Trubbshore

    Trubbshore Banned

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    [QUOTE="Just to stress the point, I'm going to repeat what others have said and actually give them depths. I cannot stand aliens that have one unified planet that all wear the same uniform, it's stale and impossible."

    Anything is possible in fiction, especially science fiction.
     
  4. James Hellfire

    James Hellfire Member

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    do something that's never been done before
    make it inspiring
    that's what I always do
    I Love writing alien stuff by the way :D
     
  5. Feo Takahari

    Feo Takahari Senior Member

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    I was pretty sure I was being creative with my telekinetic armadillos and symbiotic lizards and dragontaurs who're walking Maxwell's Demons. Then I realized every species in the entire setting could be summed up as "they have one Dungeons and Dragons stat really high and one stat really low."

    Creativity is hard. It's easier to just hope nobody notices what you've stolen.
     
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  6. Madman

    Madman Life is Sacred Contributor

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    It really is hard to come up with something original.

    I've thought of ethereal beings that phase in and out of our existence like ghosts, able to make any form they want and interact with the physical world when they need.

    Then there are the blood and guts aliens that can take any form you can concieve of. A quadruped lizard like entity with two arms in the middle, its fingers able to bend in any direction, and small horns instead of hair?

    Imagination can be difficult to conjure at times. I think it is lazy to take creatures from our world and alienize them, but I do it myself. I wish I could force my imagination to think further, what would be a truly alien creature? Something our mind would have trouble understanding?

    I think you can make them look a lot like us, but give them extraordinary biological features and they can still be interesting.
     
    Last edited: Feb 1, 2022
  7. PaperandPencil

    PaperandPencil Active Member

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    I personally think that any species even if entirely non-humanoid can develop intelligence. In David Brin's "Uplift" series of books humans adopt dolphins and orcas to "uplift" them to higher intelligence and functioning. They wear special appendages/suites around their body to allow them to manipulate tools and stuff.

    A completely different species uplifts a creature that's capable of opening space-time shunts to distant remote locations with their minds.

    I say you should feel free to go completely wild with any far fetched idea especially when brainstorming.
     

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