tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post2566281653803066253..comments2024-03-25T09:56:16.164+00:00Comments on An Awfully Big Blog Adventure: Writing non-human characters - by Cavan ScottUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-8114913421729366912014-11-27T19:32:09.077+00:002014-11-27T19:32:09.077+00:00Ray Bradbury wrote a short story about a race of p...Ray Bradbury wrote a short story about a race of people on an extremely hostile planet who only lived a week. Can't remember the name of it now...Jo Hallhttp://www.hierath.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-1256770394749845312014-11-26T19:25:59.522+00:002014-11-26T19:25:59.522+00:00For a truly alien and fantastically written SF cre...For a truly alien and fantastically written SF creature that we really get to know, I'd recommend Neil Asher's Prador - crab-like aliens with a really bizarre age-based hierarchy. Most SF aliens are humans with funny attributes - these are simply from another world entirely...C.J.Busbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12288574235370421625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-5438676415049603322014-11-26T19:14:39.385+00:002014-11-26T19:14:39.385+00:00Glad you enjoyed it Sue!Glad you enjoyed it Sue!Cavan Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16618353058521370179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-86020299110659245982014-11-26T12:25:54.626+00:002014-11-26T12:25:54.626+00:00Really enjoyed this...
Really enjoyed this...<br />Sue Purkisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-50210659617057841282014-11-26T11:56:27.848+00:002014-11-26T11:56:27.848+00:00That's a really interesting point. I guess it ...That's a really interesting point. I guess it comes down to the viewpoint characters as well, how they define the speedy aliens.<br /><br />Love the sound of that story too. <br /><br />It's got me thinking though. If they think faster, could they actually act faster? <br /><br />See, this is why I love this stuff!<br /><br />Cavan Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16618353058521370179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-78616340492857216542014-11-26T11:22:13.449+00:002014-11-26T11:22:13.449+00:00I see what Sue means. From your own point of view,...I see what Sue means. From your own point of view, your lifespan is your lifespan. A mayfly-like alien is not aware of living only for one day, any more than we are aware of living 'only' for 90-odd years. We adjust our internal clocks accordingly (to The Doctor, we are like mayflies, yet he respects us just as much).<br /><br />A mayfly-alien would therefore be hardly any different from us, in terms of how they pass on knowledge and develop technology etc. They'd just think faster.<br /><br />There is actually a SF story about just such a race - can't recall the author. Mankind lands on a primitive world with neolithic, short-lived aliens. While the humans are setting up their colony/empire, the short-lived aliens develop an advanced society, overtake the humans and enslave them, before they've even fully unpacked. :-)Nick Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08191176209084540085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-92084381159733488602014-11-26T10:23:51.762+00:002014-11-26T10:23:51.762+00:00Ha!
Yes, I didn't mean an actual mayfly rathe...Ha!<br /><br />Yes, I didn't mean an actual mayfly rather a being who lived for just a day. Sorry, didn't make myself too clear there. Must have been all the talk of dolphins that distracted me!<br /><br />Cavan Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16618353058521370179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-15445992242499632792014-11-26T10:12:00.532+00:002014-11-26T10:12:00.532+00:00Lovely post - I enjoyed it a lot. But, but, but......Lovely post - I enjoyed it a lot. But, but, but... Surely, from the POV of a mayfly, their life is as long as our three-score-and-ten? And they've already had quite a long life as a ferocious underwater mini-beast. Their life on the wing is just rutting-season, so they could devote all that sub-aqua time to other things...<br />Sorry. I'll get me coat.Susan Pricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738737493756183909noreply@blogger.com