In the first post in this series, I introduced you to me… but not this me, the one trying save that other dimension from an invasion from yet another dimension. Now, in my ongoing attempt to get you interested in the fourth novel in my action/humor science fiction series; The Otherwhere Chronicles, let me introduce you to some of the alien individuals and races that inhabit these other dimensions.
The notes under each image are cut and pasted directly from the first three novels—> available over there—> in my sidebar—>
Once again, with the pure volume of science fiction out there, making up dozens of alien races is not easy to do. Go ahead. Try to think up an alien that doesn’t remind you of any alien you ever saw on a screen… we will wait…
I wrote these books without planning ahead at all past the next sentence. I wrote them the way that other Arthur overcomes the obstacles he faces in the story. No plans… just keep going and trust in dumb luck. I mean, yes, I had a rough outline. It went like this:
Book one, Arthur saves the alien space station where he is a janitor.
Book two, Arthur saves Earth… (I scaled that down to just the San Francisco Bay Area).
Book three, Arthur takes a vacation… while things are going crazy.
Book Four, Arthur saves the entire universe, and maybe many universes.
So, trust me, it came as a surprise to me when that other me became first, the CEO of the biggest alien/human corporation in any history, and then, in this book, the Supreme Commander of all the allied fleets. And now, if you have been following along with book four as I post it, he is trying to win a space battle against the Black Fleet, which outnumbers his own forces by millions to one. He is doing okay, so far.
Lastly, while I was writing these novels, whenever I need the plot to pick up speed, or change direction, or get a bit dangerous… or silly… I would throw in some more aliens. I drew a small sketch of each new alien, and made a few notes. This was to help me remember how many digits or limbs they had, how big they were, number of eyes, noses, mouths and so on, and also some key characteristics of that new species. And, because the English language is sweeping the universe, I would come up with a funny accent in my head for each new character. This way I could converse with them and get to know them. Many of them ended up sounding like bad movie villains.
Anyway, lets meet some aliens, shall we?
The Xxo
Humans call them ‘Giant Broccoli’. No one knows how to pronounce Xxo. If it helps, here is how I pronounce it; it rhymes with ‘show’, but starts with a soft ‘j’ sound, or ‘zh’ maybe. They look a little like two-ended giant broccoli, or two sea anemones stuck together at the base. They are at least eight-feet-tall, just to where their top tentacles start. They have tentacles on top and bottom. They have eyes all around the center of their torsos like a belt, and can focus any or all of them. They have multiple mouths that are vertical slits that circle trunk between each eye. They are green with purple swirls and veins like marble. They give birth by dividing from top to bottom. The slightly larger half maintains the original personality, while the other half makes a new individual. They live for thousands of years. They tend to sway back and forth when drunk or angry. They think in terms of strategy and have a very military mindset.
- Brain-Friends
They look like toads that can stand up. They are bright blue in color. They stand about one and a half-feet-tall. They are very wise, and remember almost everything they ever see or learn. They translate and speak for the Slugs.
The Reavers
They look a little like friendly talking hippopotami, but they are not all that friendly.
They have big tusks jutting from their lower jaw. They are tough and vicious, and hire themselves out as mercenaries. They also make high-tech weaponry.
The Qualm
They are empathic. They have no individual names. They have a group personality. They are six feet or so in height, thin, blue, and translucent, like floating veils. They would be beautiful if they didn’t have faces like a bowl of wiggling spaghetti. They float around without touching the ground. They feel the emotions of most races, but can’t really read minds. They tend to react to alien thoughts incorrectly and misinterpret things. They are prone to quick judgments, overreaction, hysterics, melancholy. They worry about everyone’s moods. They are gossips and busybodies. They love to help, they just don’t usually know how.
The Tribes of Taaleem
Humans call them ‘Bats’ or sometimes Trexes, which is just a short version of T-Rex, because they do look a little like small versions of those ferocious animals. They are two-feet-tall or so. They are reptilian bat-like creatures with black scaly skin and vestigial wing membranes under their arms. At one time they adapted to flight but they didn’t like it. They have three-tipped tails. They have a Feudal, very hard to fathom social structure. They are masters of court intrigues and plots. Royal families make up about 98% of their race. There are very few commoners. There is also no money left in royal coffers. There has been much inbreeding. This has weakened the bloodlines and caused a trend toward freakish genetic traits. Huge ears, overbites, sloping foreheads, and so on, are quite common. They are very sociable, but pompous and stuck up. They like to put on airs. They were the second alien race to land on Earth.
Okay, I did notice that the descriptions I cut and pasted were from an early, unedited version of my character and race notes, included in each novel. There are a few mistakes and typos. But, since I invented hundreds of characters and dozens of races, the notes are an easy way to go back and remind yourself of who you are reading about as you go. Also, I included here just the race notes, not any individual characters. No sense making this even more confusing.
Pouring My Art Out 