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Extraterrestrials, A Field Guide for Earthlingsby Terence Dickinson and Adolf Schaller Published by Camden House Publishing,
Ontario, Canada, 1994
ISBN 0-921820-86-0 (bound) ISBN 0-921820-87-9 (pbk.)  |
Perhaps written for a target audience younger than what we typically see here at Orion's Arm, this book is still a valuable source for the aspiring world builder who wishes to create his own alien species, be it intelligent or not. The Content of the book ranges from aliens in popular fiction and movies, to the possibilities of life in other worlds of our own Solar System, to a wide range of worlds beyond the Sun. The book is augmented with the artistic talents of Mister Schaller, both as simple sketches and in depth paintings.
By and large, the book concentrates on the possibilities for intelligent life, but I've found that one can easily adapt the information to create non-sapient species as well. The same rules apply, after all. Most helpful are two chapters on alien senses, dealing with everything from the standard five senses we all know, to other less familiar senses, including the ability to detect various frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum (other than visible light), even as far as touching on the ability of a species to produce and receive microwaves. If anything, though, the book is frustrating general in these aspects, serving as a leaping off point for further research, should one wish to design an alien.
Most interestingly to me are the chapters which use planet types as examples for alien building. Included are low gravity planet, high gravity planet, glaciated world, ocean world, jungle world, atmospheric life (as in Jovian-based creatures), and even two chapters on life as we don't know it. Of course, a planet with a single biome, while certainly not impossible, would certainly be highly unlikely. But even so, one can adapt the jungle planet, for instance, to fit a jungle biome on a designed world.
Perhaps my greatest criticism would be for how the aliens described, even generally, tend to be very Earth-centric. The creature focused on in the glaciated world chapter, for instance, is a virtual twin for Earth's walrus. While similar conditions might create similar forms on a single world (the fascinating concept of convergent evolution), the odds would be literally astronomical for such a thing to occur on two separate planets in two separate star systems, likely hundreds of light years from one another.
All in all, I would recommend this book for any budding world builder. I found my copy on Amazon.com, a paperback edition in fair shape, for approximately $12 (US currency). Dig a little harder, and you may find a better price.
