Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you
01/11/2008 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
As you might have noticed in the past couple months of reviews, Uncle Geoff has been looking at the second 'Invasion Of The Bodysnatchers' film and, more recently, the first season of 'The Invaders' 1960s TV series - anyone else having problems getting their DVD player playing this? Buy Invasion of The Bodysnatchers in the USA - or Buy Invasion of The Bodysnatchers in the UK  Hello everyone
As you might have noticed in the past couple months of reviews, I've been looking at the second 'Invasion Of The Bodysnatchers' film and, more recently, the first season of 'The Invaders' 1960s TV series (anyone else having problems getting their DVD player playing this?). One thing I didn't really focus on was the belief going right back to the first original 'Bodysnatchers' film was that the alien invasion was a metaphor for the red invasion. Well, they would, wouldn't they? I mean, who's going to admit that real-life aliens are actually here and going to take over the world. Well, not unless they want to risk being taken and replaced or brainwashed.
Compared to that, the 'commie menace' looked mild in comparison and something more acceptable. We could fight the soviet countries off or even get them to back down but aliens...?! Better to say it's a terrestrial menace then infringe on our own reality with something that could beat the human race hands down with superior technology or just capable of replacing you with a duplicate.
Give a menace that ordinary people could draw some comparison to and territorially, it made sense in the western world to say it was those nasty people behind the Iron Curtain. Mind you, even the early SF fans just saw it as just another alien menace wanting to take over. Any insidiousness was just a different M.O..
Problem is we haven't really drawn a red menace comparison to British TV series like 'Doctor Who' where for any Earth-based story alien invasions happened all the time (sic) or Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's 'UFO' TV series where the aliens were more organ-snatchers than reds-under-the-bed.
Granted, there weren't any Russians in the SHADO organisation but then again, for all we knew, there might have been branches in Russia, just that we never saw them and the aliens were more keen on bodies than taking over the world. Kenneth Johnson's 'V' TV series was invasion and a metaphor for World War Two with parallels to Nazi Germany than any red menace.
The same can be said for other alien menace films and TV series since, especially since the Cold War ended. If anything, the paranoia level has dipped and just concentrated on the good guys, usually humans, against the bad aliens who still are intent on taking over the world in one form or another. The SF image not the commie menace metaphor has remained which goes to show that either the aliens aren't here or no ones calls them red any more.
Does that mean that the metaphor was wrong? People take meaning out of stories that doesn't necessarily follow the author's original intention. I mean, if they really wanted to make a stronger metaphor then it would be easier to put it on with a spade than say communist agent lookalikes replaced your kin. Actually, that was done in 'The Outer Limits'. Certainly, a fifth column would need more than a scattering of agents to do anything much. It's also an expensive business placing agents in foreign countries, more so when they are caught.
Invasion is a good theme any genre. War stories use it as much as SF. When it comes to SF film or TV series it is also something that Joe and Joan Public anywhere in the world can easily make sense of. It was doubtful if any SF films from the West made it into Russia before the Cold War ended or how they might have interpreted it. I doubt if a, 'This is how we will defeat the West' was uttered by any of the higher-ups over there.
Making aliens look human also keeps a lid on the budget and can use only a small cast who find out when everyone else disbelieves. The only thing the actors have to remember is the aliens have a different mindset. 'The Bodysnatchers' went for body replacement and...er...lack of emotions. 'The Invaders' went for the quirky pinky digit and lack of emotions. It's a good thing the Vulcans were never portrayed as world invaders!
These days, short of hitting anyone's fingers with a hammer - not recommended by the way - any modern alien invasion could hide themselves behind a smiley face in a text message. They don't even have to show their faces, just plug into our computer system and live out of town. Alien invaders could infiltrate and the majority of the population wouldn't lift their hands from their digital messages to spot them. They could even use their communication devices and no one would spot they were doing anything out of the ordinary.
As to why aliens would want to invade? Looking at the number of Earth-like planets hereabouts, we would probably look like an oasis peering out of the dark if you'd been stuck in a generation ship for any length of time. This wouldn't be a big invasion as it would be unlikely if such vessels would carry that big a population, especially if kept in hibernation. It would be a lot easier to blend in than knocking at the doors of the White House or the Kremlin asking for sanctuary or immigration papers. Well, not unless you have a giant robot backing you up.
A real-life alien invasion wouldn't even want to draw attention to themselves. Plenty of room on this planet. Why kick out the local life? There's plenty of grandstand seats to watch the human race self-destruct than do anything themselves. Wouldn't even have to even go against their own version of the Prime Directive if they have one. Probably not even have to pay taxes but when does anyone who's illegal? Probably not dynamic Science Fiction but probably closer to the truth if such a thing happened. It would be less survival of the fittest and more last sentient standing. The only thing that differentiates Mankind from the rest of the animal kingdom is our lack of respect for the environment. We've discovered our error in that regard and it's only a question of time as to whether we can change things soon enough.
If you really want a metaphor to play around with then it's a soul-less Mankind destroying its own planet which is something that needs to be contemplated. The fact that the metaphor hasn't been used in Science Fiction is largely cos no one has seen beyond aliens invading the Earth to mean anything else. The worse menace is the one we fail to recognise and that is always ourselves. The alien invaders are already here and to excuse the bad English, 'We is them!'
Thank you, take care, good night, be safe and look up from the keyboard and smile.
Geoff Willmetts
editor: SFCrowsnest.co.uk
Observation: Has anyone else spotted that new TV series 'Merlin's star Colin Morgan with his haircut and poise looks practically Vulcan?
Observation: With Dr. Who showrunner Russell T. Davies revealing that Prince Charles was offered a part in the series but his people refused 'on his behalf', its about time his mother got annoyed with him. After all, its been revealed her Maj is a fan. At the least, she should demand he changes his staff, abdication or make him Dalek fodder.
A Zen thought: A sunset means not only another day passing but a symphony of colours to see it off.
Another real Zen thought but this time for potential writers: If you can express an opinion independently of others and aren't likely to bend to the masses then you might show potential as a writer.
Zen for those who are scared by all the instructions below: Many of the instructions are things you should be doing automatically if you're developing your writing skills. If you do them already then focus on the ones that you don't get right. They are there to help you as much as me to get the best writing from you. If you think you're 80% there then I'll help you get the final 20%. Trust me, I'm an editor and I can get things right.
BOOK REVIEWS
Do you love books?
Do you like curling up and reading a book?
Do you have a preference for fantasy, SF or horror? We really could do with some fantasy readers!!!
Do you find it the greatest pastime you have next to being on your computer?
Are you very vocal about what you like and don't like in what you read?
Would you like to share your thoughts with others about books?
Would you like an endless supply of books to do this with?
Do you live in the UK?
Can you spare an hour every day?
Are you finding the recession is hitting your book buying habit?
If you've been nodding your head up to this point then link in below and see if you have what it takes to be a reviewer at SFCrowsnest. If you have that special knack to read and write or want to develop said skill then the only way you're going to find out is to take the plunge yourself rather than wait for others to do it first. Reading a lot of books is a requisite for any writer. Being able to say what makes them good or bad hones your own skills. Even if you're just happy with reading with a little writing on the side then this might be for you. It's got to be better than waiting for the sun to come out in this weird summer. It's also amazing how much you can read in an hour a day.
If you've survived this far in the editorial, let me reiterate something from the website newsletter and the above editorial. As you can see from the main page, we have one of the biggest SF/fantasy/horror monthly reviews columns on the Net. Our success has increased the number of books that comes in and our policy is to read everything and give it a roadtest before giving a review so you have some idea of what you're letting yourself in for. You want the bottom line about what you're going to choose to read. That means we need people actually willing to read the book and tell others they're opinion in reviews. For that, we're always on the outlook for more reviewers.
Do you think you have what it takes to review a book? It's a skill that can be easily mastered and we need a few more. If you love fantasy, we have more than enough to keep you busy for instance.
Apart from the ability to put words into sentences, you also need to know how to précis, do a little research on associated subjects and can express opinions constructively about the good and bad points about the books you read. We even let you choose from our pile of received books rather than foster something on you that you wouldn't normally read. You'll even get a little editorial help in how to write good copy and that can always lead to other things. I'm not as scary as I sound editorially and its better to do the test review and see how you fare than not attempt to see how well you did. I did say you have to love books and willing to read beyond your favourite authors, didn't I?
If you like reading books in the genre and can average two or three a month, can really think and show you can write a decent review and, most importantly, live in the British Isles (sorry, expense, time and distance travelled mostly prohibits elsewhere), then use the link below and see our requirements. We can't pay you but a review for the price and regular supply of new books, this has to be a good incentive to see if you have what it takes.
Do you think you're up to writing a review? If you think you can, then you're really going to think you've landed your hands in the biscuit tin. It won't hurt to try and see if you have the right stuff by sending me a sample review to show me you can write. If you want an added incentive, it can also be good for your CV.
Look up the Review Guidelines by linking here: with a press of a mouse button.
SHORT STORY SLUSH PILE
We always have an interest in short stories which can be anything from one to thirty or so pages long. We're always willing to give short story writers a chance to be seen if they can withstand my scrutiny even if we can't pay for their efforts, your material will be seen by a lot of people. If you can get a short story written well then it'll make it easier to move up to novel-length.
Look up the Short Stories Link by linking here with your mouse.
FLASH OR ONE-PAGE FICTION
We've also a teaching ground of one page stories, so check out the rules elsewhere on the website. It's far too easy to just write and write and hope something good comes out of it. What writing a one page story does is test your ability to control your word count and still tell a story in a concise way. This doesn't mean we don't accept stories of different lengths - a short story can be anything up to 30-40 pages long after all - but opens up the means for really short stories from ideas that don't need as much space.
Flash fiction stories by linking here: with your mouse.
NOVEL-LENGTH SAMPLES IN THE FIRST INSTANCE
For those keeping track, I'm actually now caught up but don't tell everyone as I'm undecided as to whether to keep looking at novel-length story samples, move over specifically to short stories - which we do anyway for the website - or get a couple of my own book projects completed. The latter, I still intend to do anyway.
They are there to help you do some of the right things and reduce the number of times I'm repeating myself over silly grammatical errors and spelling mistakes that you shouldn't be making if you're serious about becoming a writer. It makes editing a lot easier if any editor has less work pointing out poor English which you should have been sorted out in the first place and more focused on other areas of your work that deal with plot and the other serious elements of storywriting. As a writer, it is your command of the English language and its grammar that will show how serious you are about writing.
There might not be much of a wait unless I get a deluge, however those sending in ebook samples, please read the Guidelines by linking here with your mouse here or through the bottom line menu on the opening page of the SFC website.
EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WRITING BUT AFRAID TO ASK
General advice for those who want to become writers of any sort: There's an old editorial adage, if you can't aim for perfection why should an editor nurse-maid you to that state? Nominally, my job is to catch minor glitches not total mishaps. If you're a writer, then you should understand the words, sentences and grammar of the job you're supposed to be writing or are you considering it as mundane and boring as any other job to get right? Fall in love with making every sentence the best you're ever written, read up and understand the rules of grammar. Put the time in researching any subject you're using in the story. Be prepared to put a story away for a few weeks and go back to it for a self-edit. Even I do that. You look good. I make you look better but you have to start off with good.
A lot of the time, errors will just stare you in the face when you didn't see them the first time round. Once you know where your weaknesses are, they can be sorted out and allow you to move a little higher up the ladder towards making your material look its best and more importantly, getting your material seen by readers.
The link here will show you the Common Problems Link page and what I see mostly with your mouse. It's the smart writer who doesn't get caught out with these.
Good luck. Geoff |
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