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February 27, 2012
Regarding common attitudes, beliefs and emotions about “aliens,” the next snippets are what we are currently dealing with from among those who are linked to National Public Radio (NPR) on Facebook. These commenters are already a subset of a subset within mostly Liberal, open-minded people, compared to the majority…. Sigh.
In the excerpt, below, from the 90+ comments posted so far, today, to this posting by NPR, I delete most repeat recommendations and group the other comments at the end of the recommendations. Mistakes are the posters'.
Sci-Fi Invasion: A Weird, Brilliant Vision of Earth
Get ready: In 2013, an alien race called the Boov are going to invade Earth. Or, at least, that's what happens in Adam Rex's vision of the future. Author Gin Phillips says that The True Meaning of Smekday stuck with her. Do you have a favorite book about aliens? Let us know in the comments below.
Eshe' : Tommyknockers
William: Hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy.
Krysta: Phantoms by Dean Koontz, it's not really the end of the world, but I love the aliens in it.
Ammon: The Forever War was a good one, but my favorite sci fi series is the Ender's Game series, written by Orson Scott Card. Amazing books!
Le'ah: The Host
Linda: Don't know if it's a book, or just TV, but definitely Red Dwarf!
Andrew: Lensman books.
Paul: All the Niven aliens...
Natalie: The Short Story "They're Made Of Meat." And, Of Course, Bradbury's "Martian Chronicles."
Nathan: also the trlmafadorians from kurt vonnegut's Slaughterhouse 5...
Joshua: I actually quite enjoyed those in Anvil of Stars by Greg Bear.
David: the Lensman Series by E.E. Doc Smith. 1949? I think...
Liza: Psion By Joan D. Vinge. (and the sequel, Catspaw). Very unique and interesting take on what could happen if humans and another race of human-type lifeforms co-mingled and had babies.
Andrew: And yes, the Bromeliad trilogy as well, along with Strata.
Anthony: - those books are too badly written, and full of too many plot holes to be considered good in any way. Even Twilight is written better. The other one that really gets me, is Star Wartz by Patrick Tilly
Greg: Dragon's Egg and Starquake by Robert L. Forward. HARD SF.
Jared: Contact by Carl Sagan and Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke
Pamela: The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet. Eleanor Cameron, 1954.
Peter: The Gods of Eden
Barry: The Gateway series by Frederick Pohl.
Cynthia: I like The Mural by Sheri Tepper. The aliens try to smack some sense into us.
Christine: E.T.
Jerry: "Farewell to the Master" is a science-fiction short story written by Harry Bates. It was first published in the October 1940 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. It provided the basis of the noted 1951 film, "The Day the Earth Stood Still," and its 2008 remake. Better ending.
Jacqueline: The Mote in God's Eye
Stephanie: Oh my gosh, where to begin? Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis trilogy; Ursula Le Guin's Left Hand of Darkness; Arthur C. Clark's Rama series; Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land; David Brin's Uplift series; okay, I'd better stop here and get back to work. :-)
Gregory: Left Hand of Darkness ... Ursula K. LeGuin ... atypical alien, with benefits.
Julia: Contact by Carl Sagan was my favorite among many, with Childhood's End by A.C.Clarke a close second.
Emily: "Mars Needs Moms" by Berkeley Breathed. (not the movie). Such a touching story, I love reading it to my little son!
David: Childhood's End, the Sirens of Titan, Voltaire's Micromegas, the insanity spawned from Event Horizon, and us. We are aliens to other unknown ET's out there
Doug: Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles, not about aliens per se, but very adept at showing how human nature might and might not change in the future.
Elaine: Brothers of Earth or Cuckoo's Egg by C. J. Cherryh (or anything of hers); The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin; the Uplift series by David Brin; The Mote in God's Eye by Niven and Pournelle; Mary Gentle's Golden Witchbreed; how many do you want?
Troy: I need to read this. It vaguely reminds me of the novels of Jeff Noon, especially Vurt (and the character The Thing from Outer Space).
Kristina: the author is David WEISNER - the book is entitled Flotsam - find in the children's section of big stores.
Nikki: The Twelfth Planet by Zacharia Sitchin.
David: Yeah, The Gulf Breeze Sightings...it even has numerous Polaroids of actual flying saucers...unfortunately it refers to the "grays" which are nasty little guys; was written by Ed and Francis Walters.
Ed: Amanda Knox has a weirder vision of Earth
Glenda: The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell. In it, humans are the aliens on another planet. It's a very literate look at culture clashes, religious beliefs and human nature--all with lots of humor thrown in.
Liz: A WRINKLE IN TIME.
Micah: The ancient Indian Sandscripts
Bryan: Saga of Pliocene Exile and Galactic Milieu Series (Julian May)
Steven: Childhood's End
Barry: STARMAKER, by Olaf Stapledon, written in 1939 and focusing on the evolution of consciousness throughout the universe.
Julia: Ender's Game.
Michael: 2001: A Space Odyssey and its sequels.
Titi: Dune.
Tim: Any of the creatures from David Brin's Uplift series (Startide Rising).
Stacy: The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. All time favorite book on 'aliens.' Jesuits-led mission inhabits another planet to represent Humans. An amazing read.
Kerry: Though aimed at grades 6-8, I thought Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer was good and I was in my late 30s when I read it. Though no aliens and not funny it tells of the end of the world through the eyes of a teenager.
Elaine: The Foreigner series by C. J. Cherryh - absolutely excellent! Can't believe I forgot to mention those earlier.
These, below, are the more “multiversal” comments:
Aaron: if so... they should take one look around and realize we are still primitive and can't take care of our own and leave
Debbie: wait! I thought the world was going to end this year. I guess I heard wrong.
Greg: What do WE care if Earth is invaded in 2013? We won't be here after Dec 21st, 2012. =) lol
Paul: Ack-Ack! We come in peace.
Tyler: Feeling spacey today, NPR?
Robert: "Resistance is futile."
Brian: Aliens, if and when they decide to contact us, will be so much more intelligent and an advanced civilization. There won't be a war and we would not win. So, quit always projecting them in a negative way. GROW UP !!!
Steven: NPR you can find better news then [sic] this, can't you?
In these last comments, notice the reference to the “end of the world” and the given date of December 21, 2012, for that end. I do not know any of these posters. I post my comment at the end:
Clara Ackerman Branon: My upcoming book, the first of a series, is due out in 2013 or later.... Look for it. The series and the book will become many of your favorites, I promise~!
February 29, 2012
From Facebook:
Cassandra Ackerman to Clara: Maybe this would be a good use of your free time?
SETI Site Up Again And Searching For Intelligent Life
NPR website
This week, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI) is re-launching its website and allowing anyone to join in the quest for intelligent life on other planets. Audie Cornish talks to Jill Tarter, director of the Institute's Center for SETI Research, about the site, the search and how...[Click to read more]
Clara Ackerman Branon: SETI is for amateurs.... I have a direct line....
Cassandra Ackerman: HAHAHAHAHA!