Because it isn’t very likely that aliens from other worlds have ever visited Earth, they can be imagined in any number of ways. Are they tentacled, bulbous-brained beasts? Are they green-skinned seductresses in brass bikinis and weird headgear? Are they friendly little, big-eyed chaps who just want to go (and phone) home? Are they hostile? Neutral? Are they super advanced or super primitive? Are they from distant galaxies or our very own moon?
Because aliens can be imagined in any number of ways, they have been ripe for interpretation in popular culture for as long as popular culture has existed. They have symbolized humans’ deepest fears of and desires for otherness. They also tend to look cool, so a colorfully illustrated book such as Alien Invasions! The History of Aliens in Popular Culture is the right way to boil down decades of UFOs and BEMs.
Editor/writer Michael Stein draws together four other fellows to help him discuss various aspects of the mythology from alien appearances in literature to pulp novels to pulp comics to A-movies to B-movies to TV to porno. Because this is such a juicy topic, the 35-or-so full-text pages can’t do much more than provide a general introduction to Weird Science comics, Star Trek, The Twilight Zone, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Robert Heinlein, H.G. Wells, E.T., The X-Files, the infamous Roswell incident, and the many, many, many other pop artifacts of alien-invasion lore. The writing is entertaining but a bit too fleet-footed, and because all of the writers are men, it lacks perspective, especially since pulp sci-fi glories in so many sexist tropes.
Visually, I have no complaints about Alien Invasions! The History of Aliens in Popular Culture. Since most pages are dedicated to full-color repros of wacky movie posters, pulp novel and comics covers, movie and TV stills, and fine art, I’m guessing the book’s main purpose is to invade your eyes with dazzling images, and it certainly gets that jobs done.
