Den of Geek Book Club discussion

In Binti, we meet the Meduse, aliens that look like human-sized jellyfish.

"Their domes' flesh thin as fine silk, their long tentacles spilling down to the floor like a series of gigantic ghostly noodles," writes Okorafor. There are also some pretty scary stingers somewhere in there.

Aliens can look pretty uniform in fiction, but Okorafor goes to great lengths to describe the different physical and cultural differences in Binti's many species of aliens.

What are some of your favorite alien designs in fiction?

One of my favorite alien species is David Brin's Tymbrimi (cf. The Uplift War), marsupial humanoids with temple tendrils, limited telepathy, and potent enzymes. Friendly to humans a la Vulcans, they are nevertheless galactically infamous practical jokers.

The aliens that are my favorite are the buggers in Ender's Game book. They are killed and treated as a threat to humanity, but Ender finds the queen and communicates with her to understand their purpose.

Mine are the one's that come hear to help mankind. But have that secret agenda. So much of the world falls into place for them much like followers to a cult leader.

I love Alan Dean Fosters 'Pip' the flying alyspian dragon who could read emotions .. and did I mention fly? I remember seeing this book for the first time as a teenager. The cover had the dragon and I fell in love with the design and my yearning for a loyal BFF that would be with me forever.

Oankali in Lilith’s Brood by Octavia E. Butler

Alan Dean Foster's Nor Crystal Tears has a great insectoid protogonist. Can't remember his name right now.

Also "the mother thing" in Heinlein's "Have Spacesuit, Will Travel"

I read that book when I was a little kid. Loved it.

yes, Heinlein wrote great "juveniles" as they were called then, and Have Space Suit—Will Travel is one of the best. Still holds up even if you are an adult.

Is Nor Crystal juvenile lit?

No, Nor Crystal Tears is not YA, it is a first contact story. It's the first meeting of Thranx and Human. There are lots of books he's written in the Humanx universe. Now if they would just put this particular one out in Kindle . . . (Thranx is the name of the insectoid race)

Oh, yeah, all of Niven's alien's are great. Ok, I change my vote! :-)

Rich wrote: "Oankali in Lilith’s Brood by Octavia E. Butler"

I second this one! A great trilogy with amazing worldbuilding, and a complex alien race.

Klaatu, from the The Day the Earth Stood still. Also, but for completely different reasosns, the alien children from The Midwitch Cuckoos and its fulm version, the original one by Wolf Rilla in 1960, Village of the Damned

Here for the V.E. Schwab giveaway!

I'd always go for Douglas Adams' good ol' Zaphod Beeblebrox, because I'm tickled at how ordinary and mild-mannered he is!

Dune's Navigators.

The Trisolarans from the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy. There entire system of dehydration to survive was fascinating.

Pretty much everyone in A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.

I agree, Annie! I like how Chambers explores details of her aliens' everyday lives, and doesn't reduce them to murderous monsters. No one will make a movie from her novels -- not enough "action" for 10-year-olds -- but her universe in which humans are a minority, and not particularly special or liked, is really refreshing.

Here for the Full Frontal Nerdity giveaway!

From a pure design standpoint, my favorites will always be the Sesame Street Martians (aka the Yip-Yips). Turn a velour hat upside down, add Ping Pong ball eyes and pipe cleaner antennae, and voila! They're amazingly expressive, and I'll always relate to their intrepid adventures armed with nothing but their Earth Book for help...