If Aliens Arrive, Fiction Must Change
We all enjoy fictional stories like Star Wars, Back to the Future, Harry Potter and Bridget Jones’s Diary. How amazing would it be to travel through time? Or wave a wand to make something appear? Fall in love with a beautiful person? Yes, please.
Fiction is based on the possibility that something amazing could happen. In science fiction, this includes amazing technology such as warp drives, transporters, cloaking devices, time travel, holographic people, intelligent robots and phasor rifles. We accept that there are all kinds of baffling lifeforms could be possible, like Chewbacca, green blooded Spock, the half-robot Borg or the all-powerful Q.
At the other spectrum are the characters like Superman who can fly, Iron man who has a nuclear reactor in his chest or Deadpool who cannot die. We also have the magic characters like Harry Potter. And then there are westerns, romance and mysteries. This wide spectrum of entertainment is quite enjoyable. But…
Someday, an alien spaceship might land, and the aliens on board would have unimaginable knowledge. From that point forward, we would know what is possible and what is not. That will be an amazing day full of fantastic discoveries. Yet there is a big problem.
It will be a bad day for fiction writers. Scientists have already proven that many technologies we interweave into fiction do not exist. Transports, time travel? Probably not. Amazing aliens? Biologists have clearly shown that evolution prefers basic lifeforms with practical features. Creatures with green blood, telepathy, X-ray vision? Never. Half-robot cyborg? Impractical. Heroes with super abilities? Nope. Magic spells? Definitely not. Today, we cling to the belief that these concepts are a tad out of reach. Just one more atom here or an extra watt of power there and POOF! Time travel exists. Magic? It certainly is possible. We just are not looking in the right places.
The day after the aliens arrive, humans will face a stark reality. They will definitively prove the fictional concepts we cherish are incorrect. Readers and movie audiences will suddenly have to make significant changes, and beloved stories like Star Wars will instantly become outdated. Perhaps even racist (against our alien friends). The powerful image of Superman will be relegated to a silly children’s story. Magic? Yeah, right.
What about Westerns? Surely aliens know nothing about the Texas panhandle or barbed wire. Heck, they probably have never even ridden a horse. Actually, they have had their western period and know stories that even famous western novelist Zane Grey could have never imagined. As a result, the existing western books would become outdated, and writers of additional works would have to adapt radically.
Romance? Well, aliens would bring new ideas about love, biology, logic (how beings interact), and their own love stories. Like westerns, existing works would be outdated, and writers would have to adapt. Mysteries, young adult, adventure, humor, poetry, and thriller? It’s the same issue and the same outcome.
It sounds like we need an example. Aliens land and reveal, “From our analysis, when humans fall in love, they give off radio signals. Using this simple receiver, you can tell when this occurs.” After that information becomes common knowledge, readers will expect to see this device in romance stories. Is this radio signal realistic? Who knows what is possible? Recall that Alexander Fleming found Penicillin in a moldy sample.
Does this mean that all fiction writers are out of a job? Or will they have to make a considerable adaptation to the new facts? Our core strength has always been the ability to adapt. The likely outcome of an alien landing will be a renaissance of “earth fiction,” where fiction writers must adjust their “universe” to the correct reality.
For example, Star Trek would get a reboot. The new stories would confirm the actual technology and habited alien worlds. We would ignore old shows except for their media historical value. Superhero stories would be limited to characters like Batman, a real person without superhuman abilities. It would take a much further leap for those diehard fans who must have superheroes, magic and science fiction. For example, Superman would only exist in a completely different universe (the multiverse).
What about my books? Would they be relegated to the “not recommended classics.” Wow, that is a depressing thought. Perhaps fiction authors could attend a book/comic/DVD burning party the day after the alien’s land. Bummer.
Yet, I would love to know how the universe works. Meeting lifeforms from other worlds? Yes, please. I guess this means I am torn about an alien landing. Alright, truth. I worked hard to create my books. Hey, aliens. Stay away from earth!!!
You’re the best -Bill
December 26, 2018 Updated December 02, 2023
Fiction is based on the possibility that something amazing could happen. In science fiction, this includes amazing technology such as warp drives, transporters, cloaking devices, time travel, holographic people, intelligent robots and phasor rifles. We accept that there are all kinds of baffling lifeforms could be possible, like Chewbacca, green blooded Spock, the half-robot Borg or the all-powerful Q.
At the other spectrum are the characters like Superman who can fly, Iron man who has a nuclear reactor in his chest or Deadpool who cannot die. We also have the magic characters like Harry Potter. And then there are westerns, romance and mysteries. This wide spectrum of entertainment is quite enjoyable. But…
Someday, an alien spaceship might land, and the aliens on board would have unimaginable knowledge. From that point forward, we would know what is possible and what is not. That will be an amazing day full of fantastic discoveries. Yet there is a big problem.
It will be a bad day for fiction writers. Scientists have already proven that many technologies we interweave into fiction do not exist. Transports, time travel? Probably not. Amazing aliens? Biologists have clearly shown that evolution prefers basic lifeforms with practical features. Creatures with green blood, telepathy, X-ray vision? Never. Half-robot cyborg? Impractical. Heroes with super abilities? Nope. Magic spells? Definitely not. Today, we cling to the belief that these concepts are a tad out of reach. Just one more atom here or an extra watt of power there and POOF! Time travel exists. Magic? It certainly is possible. We just are not looking in the right places.
The day after the aliens arrive, humans will face a stark reality. They will definitively prove the fictional concepts we cherish are incorrect. Readers and movie audiences will suddenly have to make significant changes, and beloved stories like Star Wars will instantly become outdated. Perhaps even racist (against our alien friends). The powerful image of Superman will be relegated to a silly children’s story. Magic? Yeah, right.
What about Westerns? Surely aliens know nothing about the Texas panhandle or barbed wire. Heck, they probably have never even ridden a horse. Actually, they have had their western period and know stories that even famous western novelist Zane Grey could have never imagined. As a result, the existing western books would become outdated, and writers of additional works would have to adapt radically.
Romance? Well, aliens would bring new ideas about love, biology, logic (how beings interact), and their own love stories. Like westerns, existing works would be outdated, and writers would have to adapt. Mysteries, young adult, adventure, humor, poetry, and thriller? It’s the same issue and the same outcome.
It sounds like we need an example. Aliens land and reveal, “From our analysis, when humans fall in love, they give off radio signals. Using this simple receiver, you can tell when this occurs.” After that information becomes common knowledge, readers will expect to see this device in romance stories. Is this radio signal realistic? Who knows what is possible? Recall that Alexander Fleming found Penicillin in a moldy sample.
Does this mean that all fiction writers are out of a job? Or will they have to make a considerable adaptation to the new facts? Our core strength has always been the ability to adapt. The likely outcome of an alien landing will be a renaissance of “earth fiction,” where fiction writers must adjust their “universe” to the correct reality.
For example, Star Trek would get a reboot. The new stories would confirm the actual technology and habited alien worlds. We would ignore old shows except for their media historical value. Superhero stories would be limited to characters like Batman, a real person without superhuman abilities. It would take a much further leap for those diehard fans who must have superheroes, magic and science fiction. For example, Superman would only exist in a completely different universe (the multiverse).
What about my books? Would they be relegated to the “not recommended classics.” Wow, that is a depressing thought. Perhaps fiction authors could attend a book/comic/DVD burning party the day after the alien’s land. Bummer.
Yet, I would love to know how the universe works. Meeting lifeforms from other worlds? Yes, please. I guess this means I am torn about an alien landing. Alright, truth. I worked hard to create my books. Hey, aliens. Stay away from earth!!!
You’re the best -Bill
December 26, 2018 Updated December 02, 2023
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