Talk:Extraterrestrial life in culture

Images
In response to the prior comment
 * Seems like this article is begging for images...--Tchalvak

I've attemped to enrich the article with images and linked them to the MAJ12 SOM101 -supposedly forged ofcourse- doc descriptions. Dhatz 19:22, 2 September 2006 (UTC)

Talk from "Aliens in Fiction"
'The article "Aliens in Fiction" was merged with and redirected to this article. The following discussion took place at "aliens in fiction", retrieved on 31st August 2005, some time after the merge:'

"Modemac (Copied text from 'Planets in fiction' to prevent duplication)"

Nice move. Thanks. :-)

Reverted. Surely intelligent/unintelligent is more important than humanoid/non-humanoid.

For the purpose of classifying fictional alien species, the difference between "humanoid" and "non-humanoid" probably offers a better way to list them in Wikipedia. After all, we're talking about fictional alien species, and the vast majority of aliens portrayed in science fiction are "intelligent." Yes, there have been a number of stories about "non-intelligent" alien species, but the most popular stories I know of (in both print and film) are dealing with "intelligent" species. And in the movies and TV especially, "humanoid" aliens are certainly portrayed more often than "non-humanoids." Look at Star Trek, for instance. The Klingons are certainly "intelligent," and they are also "humanoid" -- as are just about every alien race in the Star Trek universe. But the Mysterious Aliens of 2001: A Space Odyssey are also certainly "intelligent." Are they "humanoid?" Modemac


 * "And in the movies and TV especially, "humanoid" aliens are certainly portrayed more often than "non-humanoids." - But this is an artifact caused by the necessity of human beings playing them.

COMPLAINT: some of my recent contributions were erased by the next guy. I'm willing to accept that this was an honest mistake, but can we please be careful not to erase other people's work without good reason. Thank you. - Lee M 14:30, 9 Sep 2003 (EDT)


 * Restored my additions. - Lee M

What this page really needs is a little history of 'aliens in fiction' With the number of Sci-fi buffs we have here surely we can do better than the couple of sentences we have here. I'm going to make a start - please add what you know. DJ Clayworth 18:37, 24 Nov 2003 (UTC)

Note to self (or anyone else who is nearer their books): add in the various Lensman aliens. Velantians spring to mind (dragons?) and those tub-shaped chaps with the multiple arms, and then there's the really cold ones. And that's just the other 2nd Stage Lensmen, what about the villains? Phil 15:14, Nov 25, 2003 (UTC)
 * OK, so that's the Velantians and Rigellians, now to try to remember what the nitro-breathing cold suckers were called, plus that shed-load of others. Phil 17:25, Nov 26, 2003 (UTC)

Seems like this article is begging for images... --Tchalvak

(end of old discussion)

poetry
The stuff I've just added was plunked in the middle of Cosmic pluralism recently and threw the page for a loop. I'm adding it here because it makes a bit more sense on a page dealing with fiction. Marskell 13:45, 24 February 2006 (UTC)


 * No sensible person thinks that the history of the idea in the 18th century belongs here. Deleted. --Wetman 20:14, 25 February 2006 (UTC)


 * I agree with Wetman that it is quite peculiar to find Milton, for example, in this article. I would suggest a new article, Extraterrestrial life in literature perhaps. Alexander 007 02:19, 27 February 2006 (UTC)


 * What about a rename here to Extraterrestrials and culture? A general page that can logically take anything of this sort? This page needs a good re-working anyhow. Marskell 09:31, 27 February 2006 (UTC)


 * I went ahead and moved this to Extraterrestrials in culture. I hope this partly addresses Wetman's concerns.


 * An obvious attempt was made at some point to systematically link to this page all over the place and I've spent 2 hours on what links here already. I think we should link to Extraterrestrials, first and foremost. It's a comprehensive page and this page is noted at the very top of it, if people would rather just read on this topic.


 * I think, the next step is to improve this page. Marskell 13:31, 1 March 2006 (UTC)


 * Now that there is an appropriately contemporary section on Extraterrestrials in Poetry, I'm curious if it and the following section Historical Ideas should be somewhat merged, since poetry is the source. Perhaps not. B Merrell 10:04, 21 September 2006 (UTC)

The word "alien"
Where does the word "alien" come from? I know it also means a person from another country, but since when did it start meaning an extraterrestrial creatures? Who started that usage?--Sonjaaa 17:15, 26 April 2006 (UTC)

Move back requested
I suggested this be moved back to Extraterrestrial life in culture. The reasoning is explained on Requested moves. Comment as you like. Marskell 15:10, 29 April 2006 (UTC)


 * I've move-protected this page and the redirect pending the outcome of the move request. Tom Harrison Talk 16:03, 29 April 2006 (UTC)


 * I think extraterrestrial life in popular culture might be a better destination. There has recently been some effort to wrangle other "real or hypothetical X in fiction/literature/pop culture" articles together into Category:In popular culture. -Sean Curtin 00:50, 3 May 2006 (UTC)

Or maybe extraterrestrial life (popular culture)? I don't like "life in culture" because it makes me wonder if culture means something else, like a culture of life organisms growing.--Sonjaaa 05:08, 3 May 2006 (UTC)


 * "In popular culture" rather than just "in culture" would be fine. The bracket might make sense but it's not Wiki style at the moment. Marskell 06:18, 8 May 2006 (UTC)

Can we please move to extraterrestrial life in popular culture or extraterrestrial beings (popular culture) then?--Sonjaaa 11:38, 23 May 2006 (UTC)


 * Again, without the bracket. That is not the format people have been using. Marskell 11:58, 23 May 2006 (UTC)

Removal
Beginning with the sentence "Some assert that it is often the case in reality" the Typical characteristics section went on to give pride of a place to an extensive conspiracy theory. Wiki is not the place for this. Marskell 10:07, 22 September 2006 (UTC)

What To Do About Long Long Lists
I'd like to question the wisdom of including, in this article, lists of fiction/video games/anything which have elements of extraterrestrials in them, because obviously there are hundreds of thousands if not millions or tens of millions of such works.

I propose:
 * removing all these list elements
 * making a Wiki Category to represent each of these categories- because Categories scale much better than lists in articles

What does everyone think? brain 00:46, 21 April 2007 (UTC)

Sam Cassell
I removed Sam Cassell from the list of types. Since there does seem to be some popular connection between his appearance and that of fictional aliens, perhaps he should be mentioned somewhere in the article, but not as a category of extraterrestrials. Lusanaherandraton 06:36, 21 October 2007 (UTC)