On creating alien and inhuman characters and societies

[Teresa Edgerton]

Doing a little research on one of my favorite science fiction and fantasy writers, C. J. Cherryh, I came across this (it comes from the wikipedia):

She has described the process she uses to create alien societies for her fiction as being akin to asking a series of questions, and letting the answers to these questions dictate various parameters of the alien culture. In her view, "culture is how biology responds [to its environment] and makes its living conditions better."


Some of the issues she considers critical to consider in detailing an intelligent alien race include:

The physical environment in which the species lives

The location and nature of the race's dwellings, including the spatial relationships between those dwellings

The species' diet, method(s) of obtaining and consuming food, and cultural practices regarding the preparation of meals and eating (if any)

Processes which the aliens use to share knowledge

Customs and ideas regarding death, dying, the treatment of the race's dead, and the afterlife (if any)

Metaphysical issues related to self-definition and the aliens' concept of the universe they inhabit

I think this provides some very good guidelines, not just for creating alien societies in science fiction, but alternate-world and/or non-human cultures for fantasy. And I especially liked this part: "culture is how biology responds [to its environment] and makes its living conditions better."

What do the rest of you think?

 

[GOLLUM]

Thank you for posting this. I'm not big on alien races per se but this seems to be an excellently thought out list. Of course coming from the best author I've ever read, albeit not extensively, at describing alien races this does not surprise. As you say, from a fantasy viewpoint, it also covers some of the major issues you would want to look at if developing a 3-D society. If you ever get the chance to read Ricardo Pinto's wonderfully dark social fantasy trilogy in progress Stone Dance of the Chameleon (Book 1 The Chosen, Book 2 The Standing Dead) you'll see that he has taken a number of these aspects to heart.

 

[Chabio]

Thankyou for bringing this subject up Teresa. I found it very useful.

As I had not consciously made out a list of parameters for my "alien" race within my novel, I found it a great tool, in making sure all these parameters were covered in my background notes. I seemed to have covered them, more or less, but they have helped me give more definition to my notes.
I was not too sure what was meant by " Metaphysical issues related to self definition..", so hoped some one here could enlighten me on this more.

I began to look for more parameters for my "Alien" race to further enhance their background and came up with some more ideas. I ask you to bare with my clumsy attempts, as I am new to this Forum and totally unqualified on all aspects..

1. Interpretation of their culture by other inhabitants that come into contact with them.

2. The manner they traverse from one location to another within their settled enviroment.

3. The enemies they have encountered and how they have adapted to combat them.

4. Their past history as masters or slaves, or if it was a culture in exile or expansion.

5. An aproximate evolution or adaptation to present and previous enviroments.

There are most likely other parameters I have missed and would be most interested to hear of ideas from the more experienced community.

 

[j d worthington]

On the "metaphysics" question, consider the definition of "metaphysics"; I think that will help:

"1. the branch of philosophy that treats of first principles, includes ontology and cosmology, and is intimately concerned with epistemology." Ontology is that which is concerned with the basic nature of existence or being; cosmology is that which "deals with the origin and general structure of the universe, with its parts, elements, and laws, and especially with such of its characteristics as space, time, causality and freedom". More recently, it's that branch of astronomy concerned with the general structure and evolution of the universe. Epistemology is concerned with "the origin, nature, methods and limits of" knowledge. All of this, of course, has an impact on how we (or any species) define ourselves. For example, for most of human history, it has been a given that we were the center of the universe, everything was created for our benefit. Because of this view (the only likely result of limited knowledge/experience and total lack of even a hint of the universe-at-large) we developed certain views of the world around us, and of our place therein, our rights and privileges and responsibilities, etc. Now, with the growing knowledge of the vastness and impersonality of the universe, and our minuscule position therein, our views are undergoing a fundamental shift, causing severe disjuncture with the past and considerable chaos in developing ethics and cultural mores, not to mention questions concerning our conceptions of religious issues, the afterlife, is there such a thing as the soul, is there an overall purpose to things (teleology), etc. And this is reflected on both a societal and individual level.

As for the other things you posit: These are essentially, I would say, refinements or subclauses of those given by C. J. There have been a great number of really good papers done by sf and fantasy writers on this topic, including people such as Poul Anderson, Hal Clement, Anne McCaffrey, Thomas N. Scortia, Fred Pohl, Frank Herbert, etc., many of which were collected together in Science Fiction: Today and Tomorrow, edited by Reginald Bretnor and published in 1974 (Penguin did a pb of this in 1975). I believe it's still o.p., but it's fairly easy to find on the 'net, and can prove very useful. Larry Niven also has some thoughts on this sort of thing in his N-Space and Playgrounds of the Mind. Ursula K. LeGuin, being the daughter of an anthropologist, also has some very good thoughts on the subject in some of her essays.

 

[Chabio]

Thankyou J.D.
Most informative and precise.
I do have a few leaves growing on my sapling of cosmology and Ontology already, but you have shown me the roots from which it will grow and flourish into a tree of providence.
I need to go deeper with this and you have handed me the shovel ( I hope it didnt come from the basement, I didnt bring any money)
appreciated.. < goes to find a dictionary>

 

[j d worthington]

You're quite welcome.

I need to go deeper with this and you have handed me the shovel ( I hope it didnt come from the basement, I didnt bring any money)

Well, actually, it wasn't money I was referring to.... You see, it has to do with some of the odd things that live down there.......

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

1. Interpretation of their culture by other inhabitants that come into contact with them.

2. The manner they traverse from one location to another within their settled enviroment.

3. The enemies they have encountered and how they have adapted to combat them.

4. Their past history as masters or slaves, or if it was a culture in exile or expansion.

5. An aproximate evolution or adaptation to present and previous enviroments.

I think those are all subjects well worth considering during the world/culture building process, Chabio. If you are already thinking in those terms, it sounds like you are well on your way.

Somewhere about the house there is an outline I wrote for a writing class I taught, including a list of things to consider (climate, geography, history of invasions, etc.) in creating a mythological background. If I can unearth it ...

 

[chrispenycate]

Cherryh's list is good (as could be expected of someone who's introduced some of the most convincing alien cultures of recent decades, but I can't help feeling that most of the points hold for human societies

The physical environment in which the species lives

Humanity has already, by it's tool using abilities, colonised a number of "unsuitable" environments

The location and nature of the race's dwellings, including the spatial relationships between those dwellings

From longhouses and yurts to skyscraper blocks, hermits to communards, we've tried wide ranges of residential solutions. If we get a nomadic alien, living in a tent, are his solutions going to be that different from his terrestrial equvalent?

The species' diet, method(s) of obtaining and consuming food, and cultural practices regarding the preparation of meals and eating (if any)

Same argument as the precedent, except insomuch as specific dietry requirements (pregnant females must eat blue caterpillars in the third month or the chid…) can trigger ressource crises

Processes which the aliens use to share knowledge

No argument at all. Communication (and lack of same a ke factor in any society (Assuming that a "society" and not a "race" is what you wish to portray)

Customs and ideas regarding death, dying, the treatment of the race's dead, and the afterlife (if any)

For me, minor, and widely covered in homan history

]Metaphysical issues related to self-definition and the aliens' concept of the universe they inhabit

Tightly tied in with their physiology and above all, their sensory ogans, which, in turn are linked to the environment in which they evolved (or, if there are any rabid anti-evolutionists out there, the environment for which they were created)

I'd like to suggest :- Their sensory apparatus, and the picture this gives them of the universe around them
The capability of their manipulatory organs (even if now superceded by hightech replacements, the pre-tool capabilities reflect into their modern societies)
Reproductive strategies; a society will not develope the same with even minor changes in this most basic of survival details; one based on binary fission of its members will be drastically different from an egg- laying species', a group of mutisexual oganisms will not develope the same way as one whose sexual roles are fixed,widespread competitive breeding won't give the same results as few breeders and a sterile majority.
Their evolutionary background; the species that preceded us still linger in our customs and organisation.
Art forms; the entire width of human society has a basically equivalent set of art forms; nothing tells us that, even with equivalent sensory organs, another race would choose the same ways of tickling them.
It is quite possible that my aliens would prove to have too little in common with humans for realistic communication to be possible, but that has been said of me, in the past.

 

[j d worthington]

A very good general source book, to see how this sort of thing is done, is to find, beg, borrow or steal a copy of Medea: Harlan's World, edited by Harlan Ellison. Regardless of how one feels about Ellison and/or his self-promotion, the introductory matter here -- a good portion of the book -- is the brainstorming between the various writers developing the world of Medea; its revolution about its primary, the nature of that primary, the types of species that would evolve under such conditions, their cultures and traditions/histories, etc. This would give a very good view of the sort of things involved, and some good pointers in how to develop your own.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

customs and ideas regarding death, dying, the treatment of the race's dead, and the afterlife (if any)

For me, minor, and widely covered in human history

I don't know how you can consider these minor, chris, since they could have a very profound effect on a culture -- or on the events of a story and the fates of the characters (see Antigone). Wars could be fought over differences in burial customs.

That all these issues could as easily apply to human terrestrial cultures is rather the point of the excercise, since the idea (I take it) is that these might be considered universals for any intelligent species that would be reasonably comprehensible to human readers.

 

[Hawkshaw_245]

In studying nature, and animals, one can get some good ideas for creating aliens, and the worlds on which they live..

For instance, consider that all animals fit into a particular niche in their environment.

Each environment is populated by predators, prey, scavengers, herbivores, and omnivores, to name but a few.

You might also consider the social structures of animals. Are they solitary? Or social, like pack animals? Do they have a communal hive society, like insects?

Gravity and atmosphere can dictate many things about their physiology. It can also effect their ability to interact with humans, or to occupy human-friendly environments.

I try to think of the Darwinian approach to creating aliens.

I take the above factors, and start thinking about an animal. Then once I've created the animal, I fast-forward to see what it might look like if it evolved into an intelligent being.

I think this is helpful to create colorful alien races.

To give an example, I thought of making a creature similar to a Meerkat.

Meet the Dhogo.

It was small and quick, inquisitive and agile. It lived in burrows on a planet with gravity greater than what Earth had.

With its nimble opposable digits, enlarged brain, and night-vision, it mastered tool use, and exploited food, water, and other resources that other animals could not. Especially at night.

Though these creatures never attained space flight, they learned to exploit the technologies of other races they encountered. They spread across areas of space, and lived among other races. Their inquisitive nature made them a nuisance, due to their penchant for petty theft and rampant breeding. In gravity simlar to Earth's they are extremely nimble, and can leap higher and run faster than any human.

 

[j d worthington]

I take the above factors, and start thinking about an animal. Then once I've created the animal, I fast-forward to see what it might look like if it evolved into an intelligent being.

Very good points raised here. I'd like to do a spin on this one particular one, though. Even if they haven't reached the stage of what most would consider "intelligent beings" -- that is, to the point of developing beyond the Neanderthaler stage, for example, perhaps not even that far -- nonetheless, taking these things into consideration can allow you to develop interesting pov's, telling the story from their angle, which would allow you to see any humans (or other species) they interact with through their eyes and their understanding/mythmaking? possibilities. Lester del Rey, I recall, once did a story ("Day is Done", I believe, was the title) from the pov of the last Neanderthal, as his people were finally driven to extinction by the Cro-Magnon -- not maliciously, but simply population pressure and an ability to function on a higher plane with the environment around them. It was a very, very touching story that presented all parties in a rather sympathetic light. So don't just think of ones who are capable of adjusting to new technologies; even indigenous peoples who are a dying or simply stagnant species can also provide a wonderful part of your worldbuilding.

 

[Toby Frost]

This is a very good list, I think. I have used the "animal extrapolated to its logical extreme" technique in my writing, albeit for comic effect - but even comic effect has to ring true.

One thing that needs to be taken into account is the fact that the story may require the creatures to be a certain way: in which case, the author has to reverse-engineer the process. Say for whatever reason our aliens absolutely have to eat people for the purposes of the story. In that case, they must be quite similar to people in basic biology (not necessarily in culture or looks) for humans not to be poisonous to them. That in itself suggests that their world may not be utterly unlike our own to produce something able to interact with us in that wa. Or is the eating merely ritual, instead of for nutrition? That in itself raises interesting ideas...

I always liked Wells' example in The War of the Worlds: the Martians have evolved to the point that they simply transfuse their blood instead of eating: however, their planet is so advanced that they no longer have any diseases to fear. Immediately Wells has set up strengths and weaknesses for them, which will affect the plot. Someone once said "Plot is character" - plot is virtually species here!

If it's still around, Dougal Dixon's book The New Dinosaurs is well worth a look for this sort of thing.

 

[ChrisQ]

I tend to like to add politics to my q & a when creating a new species of being.

Who rules? How do they rule? How is this decided? Are there classes and if so can one change ones class or are they static. How do religions/beliefs effect how things are done? etc.

I don't have a set of questions like some people, but I do ponder these types of questions and just start rambling away until I have a solid political system which many things end up stemming from.

 

[Blackrook]

I think modern people overlook what's most important about a culture and that is it's religion. The rest are just details that are not all that central to the story, whatever it is.

Religion defines everything important about a culture:

* How people view their place in the world.
* How people view the relationship between men and women.
* How people view their relationship with God/the gods.
* How people view their relationship with animals.
* How people view the value of human life.
* How people view war.
* How people view commerce.
* How people view the poor.


If a culture has no religion, then that is the most important fact about it. But something must replace religion, a philosophy or an idealogy.

If a culture has competing religions, then one must discover what philosophy or idealogy is binding that culture together.

 

[J-WO]

The Cherryh list is very impressive. Personally, I'd use it to finesse an 'idea seed' than as the beginnings of creation itself.

From what I can gather, a lot of people use a 'what if...' method of species/culture creation, starting with a question and pursuing a largely intellectualized process from there on. A lot of astounding civilisations have flowered from this method.

As for myself, its all very unconscious. I'll be in the middle of washing up and something will detonate in my brain- a visual image of a specie's bodypart, a spacecraft/vehicle or perhaps a just word. (I remember the word 'Bal-Theek'- almost voiced by Patrick Stewart- popped in my head one morning as I laid on the sofa. I spent the next three weeks trying to ascertain who these Bal s*ds were and what they wanted exactly.)

After that, its an incredible amount of reverse engineering and Biocultural polyfiller all round.

Does anyone else work like this or should I go get me coat?

 

[J-WO]

I'll get me coat.