Chat log of OMNI's SF/Fantasy chat room held 7/18/95 from 11pm to 1am, hosted by OMNIChthon.
I DON'T GOT TO SHOW YOU NO STINKIN' EXTRATERRESTRIALS. Where have all the weird creatures, some lovable, some loathsome, gone in Science Fiction? SF these days seems introspectively preoccupied with human foibles, and not with an extroverted look to the heavens and the promise and peril it might hold. We dogged this topic down several lanes. Proposed explanations included: (1) the fortunes of aliens in SF follow that of the space program (so, maybe the movie "Apollo 13" will lead to a revival of aliens in SF?); (2) Aliens are a plot device for unknown, frightening things, and we now have equally suitable metaphorical devices, such as bioengineering run amock; (3) We are in an introspective, confused state, and this is reflected in the human-centered SF; and (4) We're simply sick and tired of `em - time to move on to some new turf! No view prevailed - there seems to be truth in all these views.
