Having Alien Races that's Mostly Human/Humanoid

[ToxicRamen]

While working on ideas for my sci-fi comic, one of the alien races that I created (Genetically modified super soldiers) were humanoid but later on I recently came up the idea of having the alien race to be insect monsters. I thought it would be more interesting to have super powerful race of aliens that also look like monsters but are really just misunderstood.

But I just thought of something. While I know that are plenty of sci-fi shows/comics that have non-human aliens in them (Like Ben 10 and Star Wars), I've noticed that in other ones (Like Tenchi Muyo! and Star Trek) the majority of alien races are human/humanoid.

Why is that? Is it easier to draw/write humanoid aliens and just giving super powers or advance technology makes them more alien like? (I mean in Dragonball Z, the Saiyan race look like humans with the exception for the tails and they have super human strength)

But does it really matter? Am I thinking too much into it?

[HGohwell]

Mostly, it doesn't matter. There are people who will say it's not creative enough to have humaniod aliens. There are people who will question why aliens would evolve to look humanoid unless their planet is a double of Earth (precursor or distant relatives of humans is often a way to get around this). And there are people who will tell you it's easier for the audience to connect to characters who are "same" aka look or act or feel similar (note I said easier, this is something people often miss. It's not impossible, just easier.)

Stark Terk, and others of a similar era, they look mostly humanoid, because it was a lot easier in those days to put a man in a mask or make up or simple costumes, than to create complex cgi monsters or complicated props. In more modern times, it's got easier to and cheaper to create practical effects or cgi that looks good. It's also just a matter of creator preference. Some people think it's easier to draw humaniod aliens because they're humanoid, so you're used to drawing them. Some people think it's easier to draw non humanoid because it can be anything, there's no rules, go crazy. There's also a noted difference that humanoid aliens are often good guys while the more non humanoid, the further you slide down the scale of evil or amoral, for the reasons of easier to connect to "same" and therefore see them as good while instantly labeling "other" as the enemy.

In the end, it's your preference and it doesn't really matter. Whatever you do, there's for or against. Just ask how does it work in your universe. Do humanoids make even a little sense? Do insects make sense on the planet their on? Do you just not care and like the design? All are valid options and all have people for or against, both as readers and creators.

[Cavechan]

I agree that it would depend on preference. For my comic, my aliens were originally true aliens. Evolved completely separately from Earth. Honestly, it's pretty difficult to imagine how creatures on another planet would evolve. I went to a talk where a biologist was talking about this and how the life forms wouldn't have DNA but some other way to build them.

I decided to go a simpler route anyway. I was thinking that even on another planet it's possible for some things to be similar such as how bodies tend to be mostly symmetrical (I forget the exact word for this and can't find it >_>). So I kept the body shape similar, but also considered how they might have unique aspects so I put the nose and mouth on opposite sides of the head. I also thought about how the bone structure would be different and tried to create some unique bone joints.

The possibilities are really endless. Nowadays, they look much more humanoid because of a freak accident that happened when they were on Earth. So the look is somewhat plot relevant.

And, well.... it's also my personal preference. >.>....

[Anithia]

My aliens dont have form! They shape- shift into anything that fits their mass. They dont appear directly on the story because they are hidden, but hybrids between humans and aliens do. But they dont have shape shift, they stay with human bodies, except that their hai glows

[RiidDisBuk1]

I have a main character that's a human-like alien. Just like that of Goku and Superman.

[AVXP]

I answered this in another similar thread and it didn't go over well, but I'll try again here.
Humans relate to close-to-human things.
That's you answer. It's biology...or some such.

We see ourselves in EVERYTHING. We attach human sentiments to everything we come across.
Show the Lions as the 'humans' and the Gazelles as 'food' and we root for the Lions.
Show the Gazelles as the 'humans' (as in develop their story/personalities) and we see the Lions as animals.

We watch videos on YouTube of insects and someone says "That spider was like [insert human emotion, attitude and phrase]"
If you create a race that is (looking fully) inhuman, we will not relate. You will need to always add TONS of human personality to get, even the smallest attachment. The same goes for robots. You can do a lot with the personality to make a character out of something non-human.

Faces are important. We LEARN peoples' faces by how much they differ from our base expectation.
That is why people of another race always look similar until you build a library of their faces.

For any artist creating a strangely different race, you will have the challenge of making very similar aliens, but still have them differ from each other - enough to recognize the individuals.

Orcas have different spot patterns. Cheetah have different spots. To humans, they all look alike.
That's one more problem to deal with.

---

It would be wild to see the work of an alien artist depicting humans.
We would all be the same size, have the exact same face and haircut, but have different skin and hair color.

[Iris-Grimoire]

Pretty much said the main point there. As alien as the story can be(even xenofiction), you're still writing for humans. However, I think you can still find equivalents to what humans want to relate to if you want to really get crazy, but that takes extra worldbuilding to get the reader to be on the same mindset as the characters.

[OttoGruenwald]

Part of it is that its simply easier to have characters emote when they're humanoid. So long as they got the basic human setup they can gesture and make expressions. Two Klingons can do a scene from Shakespeare. Two Hortas can't.

It's why in my own comic Stardust naturally looks like this:

But grows himself a human form like this:

For Stardust, it's not just that he wants to transform people. He wants to try and help them. He wants to communicate with people in his own weird alien way.

From:

The Power of Stardust | Tapas

Another reason is convergent evolution. Assuming some alien race had to evolve with genetics and natural selection and weren't constructed like Cybertronians or are completely removed from genetics like (insert Star Trek energy alien here) they had to develop technology. So that means at some point they needed hands, and the ability to form speech, and the ability to communicate thoughts and feelings to one another via expressions or gestures. You take all that into consideration you're going to end up with something vaguely human in form.

[monkeyKG]

Mine is plot relevant for comedic purposes. They're inspired by Hylians from LOZ.

IMO, it doesnt really matter, the only thing that ever ticks me off is when people make alien- or any non-human species, where the men are more nonhuman in appearance and the women are.. well. you know.

[AVXP]

Part of it is that its simply easier to have characters emote when they're humanoid. So long as they got the basic human setup they can gesture and make expressions. Two Klingons can do a scene from Shakespeare. Two Hortas can't.

I don't mean to be THAT GUY, but when we're looking at Sci-Fi, most of us are sooo HUMAN, we can't understand/appreciate/accept anything else, which illustrates my point.

All we know is what can be expressed in human terms.
Without going into a long -winded-technical-something,

EVEN going by animals on our own planet.
Humans have a very low threshold of experiencing our own environment and communicating with each other.

Insert a creature with better hearing (like Dogs that can hear frequencies we can't)
Birds who can magnify beyond our sight....
Sharks....magnetic fields....
Colors, smell.....frame rates, vibration.....sonar.....chemicals

These are all ways of receiving information that is BEYOND humanoid abilities....
And none of those creatures/animals require a humanoid shape.

[J.Lovelace]

Personally I just go with whatever pleases me visually when I create alien races. If I want them to be humanoid then I do so. If I feel creative or when I need a monstrosity or something bizarre, then I do so.

I mean, I wouldn't want to be stuck with drawing something I don't enjoy working with. So if I have humanoids, that's because I like it that way.

[OttoGruenwald]

The ability to sense magnetic fields isn't going to help you convey emotions and ideas to an audience of humans. And unless your'e a VERY avant garde writer, you are writing for humans.

[AVXP]

@OttoGruenwald

So it's a big reveal that humans understand 'human things' more easily?
And as a writer, it'd be wise to communicate your ideas TO HUMANS by using the things they relate to?

Like human speech, looks and motives?
You have uncovered the big secret as to why aliens often look humanoid, have human emotions, desires and goals and are almost always speaking the language of the movie audience.

[indagold]

We all know the real reason... face it you can't bang a sentient ball of floating gas.

[AVXP]

You mean THAT'S why there are so many naked and sexy aliens?
And why we're always getting probed....