Non-human biological pilots
UFOs and and alien civilizations have been one of my one of my original “special interests.” I can recall happy memories finding comic books from the 50’s and 60’s at my local library about all sorts of fantastical scenarios involving alien encounters. I watched all of the X-Files. I love the TV series Fringe. I geek out over anything Stargate. Of course, Star Trek and Star Wars are in there too. Looking backward, I love the “ancient aliens” genre and authors like Zecharia Sitchin, as well as the more modern stuff from Tom Delonge (Sekret Machines).
In recent US Congressional hearings, testimony was provided that the US has a program for recovering crashed UAPs (UFOs). It was disclosed during this hearing that the US has recovered “non-human biological pilots.” Another word for these pilots would be “aliens.” This is huge. But, my skeptical brain has me asking, “why now?”
It got me thinking about humanity’s fascination with the subject. Based on my research, yes, we autistics are good at researching our “special interests,” some of the earliest examples of what we now consider science fiction works featuring aliens and/or UFOs include:
“A True Story” (2nd century CE) by Lucian of Samosata - This ancient Greek satirical prose work has been described as an early forerunner of science fiction due to its fantastical premise and descriptions of alien societies on the moon and interplanetary warfare. It is considered one of the earliest examples of science fiction in Western literature.
“The Blazing World” (1666) by Margaret Cavendish - This early proto-science fiction novel describes a woman is taken to an alternate world via the North Pole, where she becomes empress of a society populated by bizarre hybrid animal-humans and other strange beasts.
“Micromegas” (1752) by Voltaire - A French philosophical short story featuring alien visitors from Sirius and Saturn who come to Earth in a flying machine and meet human philosophers.
“A Princess of Mars” (1912) by Edgar Rice Burroughs - The first in Burroughs' Barsoom series of pulp fiction novels set on Mars, featuring alien civilizations and creatures. Published in 1912, it pre-dated the term "science fiction" but is considered an early foundational work of sci-fi featuring alien worlds. I’ve written about how this book blew my mind in No Place for Autism?
Why am I fascinated with this subject?
I don’t know if it’s unique to me and my experience. But, I have met quite a few autistic people who are interested in this topic. Looking back on notes from therapy, I can see many themes playing out in my love for this genre.
Curiosity about the unknown - we autistics have an innate desire to explore and understand the world and universe around us. The possibility of life beyond Earth perhaps satisfies our curiosity about the cosmos. The books of Peter F. Hamilton are some of my favourites in this area.
To contemplate our place in the universe as autistic people (as “different” or “others”) - Imagining other-worldly life allows us to philosophically contemplate our place in the grand scheme of the universe. Are we unique? Do we have a special purpose? Or are we small and ordinary within a vast, diverse cosmos? Are we in-fact distinct within humanity, or just an ordinary variation of the human experience on this planet? Joshua T. Calvert’s Teleport series is an an excellent example.
Dissatisfaction with life - Fiction about alien worlds often serves as social commentary and allegory. Alien societies allow authors to critique, satirize or idealize elements of human civilization. I think about the amazing Snow Crash or the Speed of Dark within this area.
Understanding life's origins - Speculating about extraterrestrials allows us to better understand how life originates and develops. Aliens can reveal insights about biology, evolution, intelligence, technology. Here again, the works of Hamilton are a great example of complex societies made up of non-human entities, so is Zecharia Sitchin’s Earth Chronicles series.
Awe and wonder - The sheer sense of wonder and excitement we get contemplating celestial beings in atmospheric environments provokes our emotions and creativity. Here, we have LeGuin, Heinlein, Azimov, and Sagan.
Technological inspiration - From early voyages of discovery to the space age, visions of cosmic travel have inspired new inventions and modes of transport to explore beyond our earth. From Sagan’s “Demon Haunted World,” to Harry Harrison’s “Stainless Steel Rat” books, to Poul Anderson’s books on time travel, how many innovations were inspired by these amazing authors.
Summary
Some pundits are saying that the latest flurry of of books and movies about alien invasions and alien worlds is a set-up from the governments of the world to get us ready for the release of information that humans have been visited by aliens, and that we’ve been working together with aliens at the governmental level for some time. From Oppenheimer’s work on the bomb, to the development of the integrated circuit, humanity’s eventual collision with non-human biological pilots has been inevitable - and now it’s time to let the cat out of the bag, so to speak.
But since gaining literacy in my 20’s, I’ve been devouring books on this subject and have found that humanity has been fascinated by this topic since the dawn of time. I share some of my favourite authors and books here to spark a conversation, and to provide those new to this topic with a great reading list.