1. Introduction
2. Understanding Alien Biology
   1. Choose a Base Creature
   2. Species Sustainment
   3. Unique Story Related Traits
   4. Environment and Physiology:
3. Writing Exercise: Designing an Alien/Fantasy Species
4. Conclusion

Introduction

From Star Trek and Star Wars to the Lord of the Rings, alien species are key to all things science fiction and fantasy. I know you may already say that aliens only belong in science fiction, but I disagree. Alien is a term used to generalize the foreign, the unknown, and the different from the norm. There are plenty of stories out there where the humans are the aliens and the ones seen as the terrifying figures. Elves, orcs, and dragons (depending on your type of dragon) can easily fall under the same rules that sci-fi authors battle as they take on creating alien species on strange planets.

Alien species design in science fiction and fantasy is important because it offers a way to represent different historical civilizations, represent our civilizations strengths and flaws, or even offering a possible civilization that has yet to be tried. New concepts are always much easier to face when portrayed through a fictional world. Just a quick note, when I talk about aliens in fantasy, I’ll most often refer to them as species. This is to keep the language around this topic familiar to the respective genre authors.

Note: Originally, this post included alien societal development and alien interactions with humans. The biology portion blew up into its own full sized post, so the Societal Development Post is going to be the next subscriber’s only post! With the alien interactions with humans to follow.

So get ready to experiment with alien species through biology, and the factors that develop the key details readers will remember.

Understanding Alien Biology

Aliens are the ultimate unknown but also the most debated about topics when it comes to their creation. There are many sides to the debate, but many fall into two categories: Human-like aliens vs. True Aliens. That may be a debate for another day, but the argument alone gives you a great starting point to look at your alien species. Let’s look at three main considerations for your alien species. You’ll start by selecting a base creature, then consider how the species sustain themselves, and finally add some unique traits to support your story.

Choose a Base Creature

Why are there so many creatures that remind us of other creatures, real animals, and mythical beasts? Because it gives writers everywhere a great base to work off of. In creating the alien species, so many are human-like because we have a base knowledge of our biology and something to work off of. A great example of this is from fantasy stories where you have dwarves, gnomes, giants, humans, and elves. These are a human base with variations in their biology and physiology. Some aliens with human-like qualities appear in series like the Bobiverse by Dennis E. Taylor with the Pav, a meerkat-like creature with many human community attributes, and Expeditionary Force by Craig Alanson with the Maxolhx a cat-human often referred to as the Kitties by the humans.

What if you want to create a brand new alien species? Then the reins are yours! A great way to get ideas for unique alien species is to study the known creatures/beings, and note your favorite traits from them. Build an entire list and start plugging and playing to see what aliens you come up with. This is also a great way to build new fantasy species. Try to really give these aliens your own spin as you understand them. If they end up having human-like attributes in the end, that’s okay. Your readers will need to understand these new alien/fantasy species and their place in your story, so using humanistic traits can be a great way to create an initial connection.

Species Sustainment

Once you’ve created your base appearance and biology of your aliens/species, the next step will be determining the species’ sustainment. Species sustainment can range from their basic survival needs to the reproduction and population control processes. A great tool to help you with this process is one that has existed since 1943, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. These are the areas where you can really make your species unique. Physiological needs cover the items required to keep your species healthy and functioning. Safety is how your species not only defends themselves but also how they survive the environment you’ve thrust them into. Belonging and love are one of those needs that each culture seems to make their own. Even in our own world, the societal expectations differ between countries and you can almost tell where someone’s from based on how they connect and convey love to others. The same can be said about esteem, but this is often how respect, recognition, and status are determined. You’ll also find the individual’s self-esteem, strength, and sense of freedom here. The highest point and last concern, according to Maslow, is Self-Actualization, becoming the most they can be. There is an array of ultimate goals of a society, group, or individual that fall into this, and it will ultimately depend on the society you develop.

Species sustainment can easily be a subject that you lose yourself down a rabbit hole as you explore the topic. With that in mind, remember to focus on the aspects that pertain to your book. I remind myself that not everything I write about a new species will be in the books. So, if I leave some incomplete histories or descriptions in my species’ notes, it won’t bother my perfectionist side as much.

Unique Story Related Traits

Just as you’ve used the geography to add a layer of challenges or ease, you can also use the traits unique to your alien race/species to do the same. A quick, easy example of this concept is Clark Kent’s (AKA Superman) genetic makeup to withstand a greater gravity on Krypton. These are small things that make sizeable differences in your character’s life and in your story. When you’re looking for those unique traits to help your story, you’ll want to find a balance.

Balance is a common concept in the universe and is a great way to keep your species from becoming so powerful they are unstoppable. A truly unbeatable species makes it harder to relate to, because your readers have their own flaws and shortcomings. It allows for almost no hope of suppression except by those who are ready to charge through death’s door without hesitation. So how do you implement balance in your traits?

Yes, but, is a great way to think about your species unique traits. Yes, your species can live completely underwater, but they’re forced to surface every full moon to rejuvenate in its light or else risk death. This would pair well with a story where traditions are challenged, familial issues, or a story of breaking out of the hermit lifestyle the character has so carefully planned. Yes, your species can breathe fire, but during their adolescent years, it’s near uncontrollable and only those with the skills to tame it can survive to adulthood. This would be great for a coming of age story, a story of knowledge vs. experience, or a story of generational differences.

Try out the Yes, but model with any of your current species and share what you’ve come up with.

Environment and Physiology:

Environment is an amazing thing that can create and justify many variations in the species you’ve developed. Outside forces have a slower impact on your species changing, but by the time you’re reaching the point of your character’s story, it’s most likely made some major changes in physiology. We can see it in human development where the different colors of skin were originally because of the location of the people on the earth. The intensity of the sun along the equator drove the genetics of heavier melanin density than what was required in the northern regions. Our bodies, being the supercomputers they are, recognized the common requirement and made it a part of the genetic code that helped humans survive on the equator with less damage from the sun. Now, my scientific explanation may not be exact, but I hope it gets you thinking of one way the environment can impact physiology. Let’s look at the examples I gave earlier in this context.

For the first example, where the species lives completely underwater but must return to the surface to absorb moonlight to continue living, let’s call them the lunanauts. There are a few ways you can determine how the Environment impacts physiology. Look at their history, and then what are the current challenges? There are a slew of questions you can ask, but for the purpose of this discussion, I will give you just one of the questions I asked, because my mind will easily get distracted in story mode.

• Were they always underwater?
  • No, I don’t believe so. I imagine them living on land for a long time and sleeping out under the moon to make it more sustainable. I’ve imagined a full moon cycle that happens every fifteen days, though I could make it longer to make it less of a hinderance to their lifestyles. That’s a different conversation, though. Something drove them to the water that they had to adapt to living there. But that would be a hard transition. How would the water be the next safest option and not the caves? Answers to this may lie in magic or science depending on the genre we take this story down.

As you can tell, this brainstorming can get pretty chaotic, but I hope it helps you ignite your thinking process in questions to ask about your species. To summarize what types of questions I was asking myself about the lunanauts, see the questions below.

• What are the environmental conditions of their native habitat?
• How does the species interact with its environment for survival?
• What are the evolutionary pressures that shaped their biology?

I hope this helps and please add questions that may have come up from this conversation in the comments below!

Writing Exercise: Designing an Alien/Fantasy Species

1. Choose a Base Creature:
   • Make a list of real animals, mythical beasts, or existing fantasy races that interest you.
   • Pick one from the list and use it as the base for your new alien/fantasy species.
   • Describe the physical appearance and basic biology of your chosen base creature.
2. Species Sustainment:
   • Use Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a guide to determine how your species fulfills its physiological, safety, belonging/love, esteem, and self-actualization needs.
   • Describe the unique methods, processes, or cultural practices your species has developed to meet each level of needs.
3. Unique Story-Related Traits:
   • Brainstorm a list of unique traits or abilities that your species could possess to create challenges, conflicts, or opportunities in your story.
   • Use the “Yes, but” model to balance these traits (e.g., “Yes, they can breathe underwater, but they require sunlight to photosynthesize”).
   • Describe at least three unique traits and how they might impact your story’s plot, characters, or themes.
4. Environment and Physiology:
   • Decide on the primary environment or habitat where your species evolved or currently resides.
   • Consider how the environment has shaped your species’ physiology, adaptations, or evolutionary path.
   • Describe the environmental conditions and how your species’ biology has been influenced by them.
5. Write a Scene:
   • Using the details you’ve developed, write a short scene introducing your alien/fantasy species to readers.
   • The scene could showcase their unique traits, cultural practices, or interactions with their environment.
   • Focus on immersing the reader in the world of your species and highlighting their distinctiveness.

Remember, this exercise is meant to spark your creativity and help you develop a well-rounded, believable alien or fantasy species for your stories. Feel free to modify or expand upon it as needed to suit your specific writing goals.

Conclusion

Designing alien species is a big challenge, but it’s important for creating awesome science fiction and fantasy worlds. First, think about what kind of creature your aliens might be based on. Then, consider how they meet their needs following Maslow’s Hierarchy. Give them special traits that drive the story and let the environment shape how they look and act. The real trick is putting all this together. It’s okay to explore many ideas – that’s how you’ll discover the little details that make your aliens seem real. But remember to focus on what fits your story. Embrace your creativity and confidence when inventing species. Approach alien civilizations with curiosity and thoughtfulness to create ones that readers will adore.

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