The race was explicitly designed to try and avoid “humans in funny suits”, and have a culture that’s probably more foreign than the 1960s. But I’m only 29, and haven’t traveled outside of English-speaking countries, so take that with a dash of salt!
On a 0-10 scale, with myself at 0, humans in funny suits at 1, and the 1960s at 2, I’d rate my creation as a 4, and a subset of humanity exists in the 4-5 range. Around 5, I have trouble with the idea that there’s coherent intelligent reasoning happening, because the process is just completely lost on me, and I don’t think I’d be able to easily assign anything more than a 5, much less even speculate on what a 10 would look like.
Trying to give a specific answer to “how alien is it” is a lot harder than it seems! :)
If I may make a recommendation, if you are concerned about “alien aliens”, read a few things by Stanislaw Lem. The main theme of Lem’s scifi, I would say, is alien minds, and failure of first contact. “Solaris” is his most famous work (but the adaptation with Clooney is predictably terrible).
Not sure if I’ve read Lem, but I’ll be sure to check it out. I have a love for “truly alien” science fiction, which is why I had to try my hand at making one of my own :)
The race was explicitly designed to try and avoid “humans in funny suits”, and have a culture that’s probably more foreign than the 1960s. But I’m only 29, and haven’t traveled outside of English-speaking countries, so take that with a dash of salt!
Well reading fiction (and non-fiction) for which English speakers of your generation weren’t the target audience is a good way to start compensating.
I’ve got a lot of exposure to “golden age” science fiction and fantasy, so going back a few decades isn’t hard for me. I just don’t get exposed to many other good sources. The “classics” seem to generally fail to capture that foreignness.
If you have recommendations, especially a broader method than just naming a couple authors, I’d love to hear it. Most of my favourite authors have a strong focus on foreign cultures, either exploring them or just having characters from diverse backgrounds.
… it is really sad that I completely forgot that anime and manga isn’t English. I grew up around it, so it’s just a natural part of my culture. Suffice to say, I’ve had a lot of exposure—but not to anything older than I am.
Any recommendations for OLD anime or manga, given I don’t speak/read Japanese? :)
I’ve got a lot of exposure to “golden age” science fiction and fantasy, so going back a few decades isn’t hard for me.
Which time period do you mean by this? “Golden age of science fiction” typically refers to the 1940′s and 1950′s, “golden age of fantasy” to the late 1970′s and early 1980′s. If you mean the latter time period, read stuff from the former as a start. Also try going back at least a century to the foundational fantasy authors, e.g., Edgar Rice Burroughs, William Morris’s The Well at the World’s End. Go even further back to things like Treasure Island, or The Three Musketeers. Or even further back to the days when people believed the stuff in their “fantasy” could actually happen. Read Dante’s Divine Comedy, Thomas Moore’s Utopia, an actual chivalric romance (I haven’t read any so I can’t give recommendations).
A good rule of thumb is that you should experience values dissonance while reading them. A culture whose values don’t make you feel uncomfortable isn’t truly alien. Also for this reason, avoid modern adaptations as these tend to do their best clean up the politically incorrect parts and otherwise modernize the worldview.
The race was explicitly designed to try and avoid “humans in funny suits”, and have a culture that’s probably more foreign than the 1960s. But I’m only 29, and haven’t traveled outside of English-speaking countries, so take that with a dash of salt!
On a 0-10 scale, with myself at 0, humans in funny suits at 1, and the 1960s at 2, I’d rate my creation as a 4, and a subset of humanity exists in the 4-5 range. Around 5, I have trouble with the idea that there’s coherent intelligent reasoning happening, because the process is just completely lost on me, and I don’t think I’d be able to easily assign anything more than a 5, much less even speculate on what a 10 would look like.
Trying to give a specific answer to “how alien is it” is a lot harder than it seems! :)
If I may make a recommendation, if you are concerned about “alien aliens”, read a few things by Stanislaw Lem. The main theme of Lem’s scifi, I would say, is alien minds, and failure of first contact. “Solaris” is his most famous work (but the adaptation with Clooney is predictably terrible).
Not sure if I’ve read Lem, but I’ll be sure to check it out. I have a love for “truly alien” science fiction, which is why I had to try my hand at making one of my own :)
Well reading fiction (and non-fiction) for which English speakers of your generation weren’t the target audience is a good way to start compensating.
I’ve got a lot of exposure to “golden age” science fiction and fantasy, so going back a few decades isn’t hard for me. I just don’t get exposed to many other good sources. The “classics” seem to generally fail to capture that foreignness.
If you have recommendations, especially a broader method than just naming a couple authors, I’d love to hear it. Most of my favourite authors have a strong focus on foreign cultures, either exploring them or just having characters from diverse backgrounds.
Anime&Manga, particularly the older stuff is a decent source.
… it is really sad that I completely forgot that anime and manga isn’t English. I grew up around it, so it’s just a natural part of my culture. Suffice to say, I’ve had a lot of exposure—but not to anything older than I am.
Any recommendations for OLD anime or manga, given I don’t speak/read Japanese? :)
You’re probably best of asking on a manga/forum, but Barefoot Gen is a good, and depressing, start.
Which time period do you mean by this? “Golden age of science fiction” typically refers to the 1940′s and 1950′s, “golden age of fantasy” to the late 1970′s and early 1980′s. If you mean the latter time period, read stuff from the former as a start. Also try going back at least a century to the foundational fantasy authors, e.g., Edgar Rice Burroughs, William Morris’s The Well at the World’s End. Go even further back to things like Treasure Island, or The Three Musketeers. Or even further back to the days when people believed the stuff in their “fantasy” could actually happen. Read Dante’s Divine Comedy, Thomas Moore’s Utopia, an actual chivalric romance (I haven’t read any so I can’t give recommendations).
A good rule of thumb is that you should experience values dissonance while reading them. A culture whose values don’t make you feel uncomfortable isn’t truly alien. Also for this reason, avoid modern adaptations as these tend to do their best clean up the politically incorrect parts and otherwise modernize the worldview.