Aliens: Extending the Definition
Extraterrestrial beings offer enormous scope for writers, but they are more often portrayed as villains than angels. This is understandable, as our modern scientific minds probably see them as coming from space, from a star, planet, or galaxy light-years away. Since we have recently managed to send an active robot to Mars, its arrival implies technical superiority. The history of the earth tells us that when a technically superior culture comes into contact with an inferior one, the latter is exploited. So the alien being probably inspires suspicion and fear. Those emotions are excellent material for the story and the film, so “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” is quite typical of what we are offered: dangerous enemies. There are exceptions, of course, like ET from the movie about him, but not many.
Another limitation of the scientific approach is that less attention is paid to the nature and background of the aliens themselves. Questions like where did they come from, and how did they get to be what they are now, and their motivation and their own interpersonal problems. There are areas to explore and examples we can follow.
Less scientific generations assumed aliens came from heaven or hell, with the proper motivation. They can be gods in person, like the Greek pantheon based on Mount Olympus, or angels or demons sent as agents. The acceptance of the supernatural meant that there was no need to describe how they arrived or how they communicated with their base or anything about technology. They just showed up, like the Big Brother Twins who fought on the Roman side at the Battle of Lake Regilus. (Lord Macauley). The Roman leader was suddenly “conscious of a princely couple riding at his right hand.” Evidently they were aliens, because the poem goes on to describe the quality of their armor, which cannot, the poet says, have been man-made.
Spiritual rather than scientific as a source of ideas makes it easier for an alien to be friendly with humans. The Bible has numerous examples, one of the best coming from the Book of Tobit in the Apocrypha. Tobias was looking for a guide to accompany him on a journey and “he found Rafael who was an angel.” A few lines later Rahael says: ‘I will go with you, and I know the way well’.” (Tobit Ch.5 v.4-6). Raphael has appeared in human guise and they make a long camel ride together. a fish, and Raphael tells Tobias to keep some parts of them because they have magical powers, they complete their journey and use these magical pieces of meat to save the heroine from a ghastly fate, Tobias duly marries her.
Having done their job, these aliens are likely to disappear without warning. Raphael does, as does The Great Twin Brethren. This literary freedom also animates the modern story of Frederick Forsyth’s The Shepherd in which an airplane pilot, disoriented and out of fuel, is guided to his destination by an airplane from an earlier age that magically appears beside him. .
The benevolent aliens also invite creative writing about how they think and feel, what they do, and where they go when not interacting with us. It happens less when they are enemies and the protagonists of the story are ourselves, and how we suffer and how we finally get rid of the intruders. With the benevolent type one can ask and answer a variety of questions. Are they sent to us in visible or invisible form? If they are invisible, is there an observable consequence of their actions? Are they constantly at work (the guardian angel concept) or are they given one-off tasks? How is your success judged? Do they leave loved ones behind when sent on a mission? They get tired? Are they sometimes infuriated by the stupidity of the humans they are sent to help? Are you ever undecided? Are they strictly informed by God or Satan or do they have great discretion? Do they ever fail? A story has to have definite characters to love or hate, and aliens can be endowed with human and non-human attitudes and emotions. The first often arouses our sympathy: the second could well be shocking. Both emotions make for a good story. Watch as the Greek gods battle each other on Mount Olympus and choose favorites to support on earth.
There are books in which we get clues about emotions, although not enough. Mephistopheles at Malowes Dr. Faustus is clearly pleased when he drags Faustus to Hell. In James Thurber’s The Thirteen Clocks we meet an angel from the devil (El Todal) who is sent to “punish evildoers for doing less evil than they should.” One wonders how his level of success is judged and what excuses he offers if he is considered to have failed.
Maybe an alien is an open-minded explorer. In our world, exploration has become connected with colonization, trade, power, and the concept of personal or national gain. For the benevolent alien it may not be so. He (or She or It) may be here because ‘home’ has no skiing or surfing facilities and the activity is similar to tourism. Or perhaps our art, music, and literature are thought to be superior and offer progress. There is scope for a creative story about introducing Him (or Her or It) to the human concept of humor. Why exactly is it fun for a person to slide on a banana skin? How is this communicated to an extraterrestrial intelligence?
The alien may not be superior to us even in technology. Particle physicists have already considered the possibility of alternate universes, and perhaps something has slipped through a crack between them. The story is then about protecting Him (or Her or It) from fearsome dangers that we naturally recognize and avoid.
The word ‘alien’ is very inclusive, not restricted to beings that actually visit us. They can influence our lives by acting as intermediaries or from a distance. The Shaman is capable of creating in himself an ‘altered state of consciousness’. ‘During these states they ascend to heaven or descend to the underworld of imagination.’ (Achtenberg) In these other worlds, the shaman encounters powers, often in the form of animals, who provide information and advice that can be used effectively in our world. He is sometimes able to describe his journey and his contacts. Some shamans even provide continuous commentary.
Perhaps these ideas will inspire the writers to exploit what I call the angel analogy and create new characters and entertaining adventures.