"One day, we might receive a signal from a planet... But we should be wary of answering back. Meeting an advanced civilization could be like Native Americans encountering Columbus. That didn't turn out so well."—Stephen Hawking
This is what the brilliant Stephen Hawking had to say when discussing Gliese 832c, a possibly habitable extrasolar planet 16 light years away. It seems our favorite authors largely agree with him as oftentimes, the aliens of science fiction are painted as malevolent beings or, at the very least, those whose interests pose a serious threat to humans. But like anything, there are levels, and in the interest of turning our attention to a terror not presently making headlines, this week we are taking a deep dive into the scariest alien invaders of science fiction.
We've jump-started the conversation with a few suggestions of our own, but we want to hear from you! Add your nomination(s) for most terrifying alien invaders below and then vote on your favorite(s). If you need a little inspo, take a peek at this post from Discover Sci-Fi's own Daniel Arenson from back in January. You guys had some strong opinions on what did and didn't make Daniel's list back then and now is your chance to be heard!
As always, we base our lists on the votes and nominations from this blog and our Facebook Reader group, and we want to hear your opinion!
What Are the Most Terrifying Alien Invaders in Science Fiction (Books)
The Scum from Daniel Arenson's Earthrise 10%, 47 votes
47 votes10%
47 votes - 10% of all votes
The Borg from Star Trek Next Generation et al*8%, 36 votes
36 votes8%
36 votes - 8% of all votes
Got to be the Daleks*8%, 35 votes
35 votes8%
35 votes - 8% of all votes
The Slugs from Robert A. Heinlein's "The Puppet Masters"*8%, 35 votes
35 votes8%
35 votes - 8% of all votes
Weeping Angels from Dr Who*7%, 33 votes
33 votes7%
33 votes - 7% of all votes
The Thing*6%, 29 votes
29 votes6%
29 votes - 6% of all votes
Humans*6%, 26 votes
26 votes6%
26 votes - 6% of all votes
Aliens,*4%, 18 votes
18 votes4%
18 votes - 4% of all votes
Moties from 'The Mote in God's Eye'*3%, 15 votes
15 votes3%
15 votes - 3% of all votes
Alien convent were he puts Alien in a space ship full of sleeping humans*3%, 15 votes
15 votes3%
15 votes - 3% of all votes
The Buggers from Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game 3%, 12 votes
12 votes3%
12 votes - 3% of all votes
The Posleen*2%, 10 votes
10 votes2%
10 votes - 2% of all votes
The Posleen from John Ringo’s “The Legacy of the Aldenata”*2%, 10 votes
10 votes2%
10 votes - 2% of all votes
The Body Snatchers*2%, 10 votes
10 votes2%
10 votes - 2% of all votes
The Martians from H G Wells The War of the Worlds*2%, 9 votes
9 votes2%
9 votes - 2% of all votes
The Overlords from Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End 2%, 9 votes
9 votes2%
9 votes - 2% of all votes
Boskone from the lensman series*2%, 9 votes
9 votes2%
9 votes - 2% of all votes
The Shadows from Babylon 5*2%, 8 votes
8 votes2%
8 votes - 2% of all votes
The replicators from Stargate SG-1*2%, 7 votes
7 votes2%
7 votes - 2% of all votes
The Gbaba from the Safehold Series*2%, 7 votes
7 votes2%
7 votes - 2% of all votes
The Organics from Nicholas Sansbury Smith's Orbs 2%, 7 votes
7 votes2%
7 votes - 2% of all votes
beings that force humans to listen to Neil Sedaka 24 hours a day. causing total frontal lobe atrophy*2%, 7 votes
7 votes2%
7 votes - 2% of all votes
HP Lovecraft's Elder Gods*1%, 6 votes
6 votes1%
6 votes - 1% of all votes
The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney.*1%, 6 votes
6 votes1%
6 votes - 1% of all votes
The Chtorr, you're just a snack*1%, 5 votes
5 votes1%
5 votes - 1% of all votes
The Sythians from Jasper T. Scott's Dark Space 1%, 5 votes
5 votes1%
5 votes - 1% of all votes
The organism from the Thing*1%, 4 votes
4 votes1%
4 votes - 1% of all votes
Triffids from "The Day of the Triffids*1%, 4 votes
4 votes1%
4 votes - 1% of all votes
Thread from Anne McCaffrey’s Pern series*1%, 3 votes
3 votes1%
3 votes - 1% of all votes
Pneumavores from Ansible: Season One by Stant Litore*1%, 3 votes
3 votes1%
3 votes - 1% of all votes
Skitters in Falling Skies*1%, 3 votes
3 votes1%
3 votes - 1% of all votes
The Achuultani from David Weber's Mutineers' Moon (Empire from the Ashes)*1%, 3 votes
3 votes1%
3 votes - 1% of all votes
The Silence, from Dr Who (forgotten as soon as you look away from them)*0%, 2 votes
2 votes
2 votes - 0% of all votes
The Nights Dawn from Hamilton's Neutronium Alchemist series*0%, 2 votes
2 votes
2 votes - 0% of all votes
Yuuzhan Vong from Star Wars Legends*0%, 2 votes
2 votes
2 votes - 0% of all votes
Anti-life from Allen Kuzara's Anti-life series*0%, 2 votes
2 votes
2 votes - 0% of all votes
The Organians from Original Star Trek: simply unfightable.*0%, 2 votes
2 votes
2 votes - 0% of all votes
The Kanamits from The Twilight Zone's "To Serve Man"*0%, 2 votes
2 votes
2 votes - 0% of all votes
The qu from All Tomorrow's should have been included, they are extremely terrifying.*0%, 1 vote
1 vote
1 vote - 0% of all votes
Puppetmasters*0%, 1 vote
1 vote
1 vote - 0% of all votes
The Shrike from Hyperion Cantos*0%, 1 vote
1 vote
1 vote - 0% of all votes
The Void Kraken from the Black Ocean: Astral Prime 9-12 by J.S. Morin*0%, 1 vote
1 vote
1 vote - 0% of all votes
The organism from Mars in the movie Life*0%, 1 vote
1 vote
1 vote - 0% of all votes
the vang, christopher rowley*0%, 1 vote
1 vote
1 vote - 0% of all votes
Aliens in the Seafort series by Feintuch.*0%, 1 vote
1 vote
1 vote - 0% of all votes
The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham*0%, 1 vote
1 vote
1 vote - 0% of all votes
The Zantis from The Zanti Misfits*0%, 1 vote
1 vote
1 vote - 0% of all votes
2001 SPACE ODESAY*0%, 1 vote
1 vote
1 vote - 0% of all votes
Total Votes: 458
April 7, 2020
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https://discoverscifi.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Most-Terrifying-Alien-Invaders-in-Sci-Fi-Literature-1.png6801200Discover Sci-Fihttps://discoverscifi.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/discover-scifi.pngDiscover Sci-Fi2020-04-09 10:49:552020-04-09 10:50:10What Are the Most Terrifying Alien Invaders in Science Fiction?
10replies
Chrissy says:
The darkness from Hunters run it’s not really scary but it’s unbeatable and that makes it scary
I guess I am older (69) but I immediately thought of Puppet Masters as well. I read it when I was very young and it terrified me. I actually had a nightmare about it not awfully long ago, so it really did make an impression!
Yes, I am older and the Puppet Masters upset me when I was younger. So many of the newer boogy-men are copies of the Puppet Masters. The PM represented a subversion of our individuality and personality into a mass mind antithetical to our own aims, personality, and existence. Most of the rest just want to kill us (although the Posleen also want to eat us) and they can be killed. I don’t fear anything that can be killed. Avoid yes, bit is being subsumed to the point of actively cooperating in my own demise and that of those I love that terrifies me!
[…] As always, these top ten lists are not meant to be all-inclusive or definitive, but give a finger on the pulse of our communities interests and favorites. Want to see who missed out? Here's the original nomination list from the blog. […]
The darkness from Hunters run it’s not really scary but it’s unbeatable and that makes it scary
I suspect that the number of readers of The Puppet Masters is confined mostly to older readers.
I guess I am older (69) but I immediately thought of Puppet Masters as well. I read it when I was very young and it terrified me. I actually had a nightmare about it not awfully long ago, so it really did make an impression!
The Burgers were also pretty scary.
Yes, I am older and the Puppet Masters upset me when I was younger. So many of the newer boogy-men are copies of the Puppet Masters. The PM represented a subversion of our individuality and personality into a mass mind antithetical to our own aims, personality, and existence.
Most of the rest just want to kill us (although the Posleen also want to eat us) and they can be killed. I don’t fear anything that can be killed. Avoid yes, bit is being subsumed to the point of actively cooperating in my own demise and that of those I love that terrifies me!
Species was pretty horrific.
The Aliens from the Quiet Place.
The Venusian bacteria in Eric Frank Russell’s Three to Conquer.
Dr Who’s Cybermen always spooked me when I was younger…
Oankali from Octavia Butler Xenogenesis books