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From: JWHITE%MAINE.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: What to do when the aliens arrive.
Message-ID: <3291@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU>
Date: Thu, 15-Aug-85 10:10:32 EDT
Article-I.D.: topaz.3291
Posted: Thu Aug 15 10:10:32 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 18-Aug-85 01:38:45 EDT
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Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
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From: JWHITE%MAINE.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA  (Jim White)

When the first creature from another planet first sets foot, (tenticle,
pod, or whatever it may 'set'), on Earth, if it is within our power to do
so, we should kill it and eat it.

E.T. and Close encounters of the Third Kind aside, real extra terrestrials
are unlikely to be so kind and benevolent. A space faring race of beings
would be way ahead of us technologically. Being the case, and assuming a
continued interaction of two cultures that are many orders of magnitude
removed from each other technologically, the less advanced race, (us)
would undoubtedly suffer a wide spread collapse of sociological coherance.

Consider the cases on Earth that, during the colonial era of 70 to 200
years ago, left advanced western/european societies imposing many of
their cultural norms on the countries/areas they occupied. The American
Indian, Australian Aboriginal and much of Black Africa today still
suffers from the colonial period. Their loosely organized societies were
unable to stand up to the much more structured cultures of the colonial
powers.

That fate would likely await us also. Their culture would undoubtedly be
much different from ours, and their technology would be suited to their
culture. For us to thus take advantage of their advanced goodies, a
dramatic cultural upheaval would be required.

Does anyone know of any Sci-fi that deals with this issue? Most I've read
runs along these lines;


1) The E.T. type- benevolent cuddly aliens
2) The Childhood's End type- powerful saviors
3) War of the Worlds type- violent encounters
4) The Janissaries- slavers

Oh well enough for now. I would be interested in titles/authors that have
tried to approach the issue of cultural interaction between very different
cultures.


Bye
Jim White