Naming alien species and planets

[Trike]

You can tell Brenda is a writer. Or stoned. Two sides of the coin.

I read a short story years ago along similar lines (might be in a Year's Best collection) about a man who wanted to experience the rapturous performance of some alien art form, because human senses simply couldn't perceive what they were seeing. The aliens told him there was an operation they could perform to allow him to experience one of these performances, but warned him it would be temporary. He eagerly decided to go along with it. Once he experienced what they were able to see, he was beside himself with joy... but then could never experience it again. Like getting a glimpse of paradise yet never allowed to enter.

I would recommend listening to the excellent Radiolab episode "Colors." It is truly mind-blowing and will alter your perceptions. Mantis shrimp can see things we literally can't imagine because their visual range is so much greater than ours. An art form based on the infrared would be lost on us because we can't see it, and photographic representations are pale echoes of the richness inherent in it.

[Brenda]

Cordwainer Smith has also written something like this. Can't remember the title.

[[deleted user]]

Brenda wrote: "The very fact of the aliens invading (and in a militaristic way) shows that they are very like us indeed. Unimaginative!

If they were really REALLY alien they would not send battle-bots. They woul..."

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind?...

[Steve]

I have to say that I can see a time when racism will be replaced by 'ET'ism'. A point I elude to in my new book.

Going back to the O/P, and finding names for planets and aliens etc. I'm facing that dilemma at the moment. So I'm looking up names of cultural and religious Gods and Goddesses. When we do land on other planets what would we call our communities? Unlike when the Europeans arrived in the America's I don't think it will be in our name, or in the name of a town we knew (New England, New Brunswick etc).

[Steve]

I'm having this exact issue at the moment, not only with naming aliens but also, planets and materials new to man.

I work on the three basic principals as below:

1) Planets and Colonies would be named after Gods/Goddesses as are star constellations.

2) Aliens would be given Human names, (as my book is read solely by humans*) Based on appearance, sound, level of aggression.

3) Materials, such as new metals, would retain one known syllable then start of finish with a completely made up one or two existing metals; one with a name that looks almost latin. E.G Alutainiumn - made up from aluminium and titanium.


*At least I think so.