What Should The Next Science Fiction Monster Be?

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Discussion Overview

The thread explores ideas for a new science fiction monster, discussing various concepts and creative directions that could be taken. Participants share their thoughts on what makes a compelling monster, referencing existing examples from film and media while proposing original ideas.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants feel that recent sci-fi monsters lack originality, suggesting a need for a new direction.
  • Ideas for new monsters include a brain-controlling parasite, a gigantic alien that consumes planets, and a black hole creature that rips apart its victims with tidal forces.
  • There are humorous suggestions such as murderous fruit or vegetables, and a 4D monster that can interact with its environment in unique ways.
  • Participants discuss the potential of a black hole monster, with some questioning whether it is simply a black hole or something with intent.
  • There are playful debates about the effectiveness of various monster concepts, including the "killer pluot" and its anti-gravitational abilities.
  • Some contributions introduce whimsical elements, such as cute creatures thwarting powerful monsters, and the idea of a sexy monster as a new trope.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion features multiple competing views on what constitutes a good sci-fi monster, with no consensus on a single idea. Participants express differing opinions on originality and effectiveness of proposed concepts.

Contextual Notes

Some ideas reference existing media, indicating a reliance on familiar tropes while attempting to innovate. The discussion includes speculative elements that may not align with traditional monster characteristics.

Who May Find This Useful

Fans of science fiction, writers looking for inspiration, and those interested in creative brainstorming about monsters in media.

zoobyshoe
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This is a big problem because I think they ran out of good ideas a long time ago.

The last one that struck me as any good was the graboid in Tremors, but that film is pretty old now.

The film Alien really turned the whole genre around and most stuff that's come afterward seems to have it's roots in that film, one way or another. Mimic and Species, which both had good sci-fi monsters, still reminded me a lot of Alien.

I think we need a new sci-fi monster that comes from a different direction.
 
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zoobyshoe said:
I think we need a new sci-fi monster that comes from a different direction.

https://www.physicsforums.com/image.php?u=25586&dateline=1125369479
 
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Seriously though, I don't know. I was going to suggest some kind of parasite that takes over the brain, but I get the feeling some variation of that has already been done a few times.
 
How about a race of aliens so big that when they come along, they just eat the Earth like a big apple?

Hmmmm, it would be a short movie I guess...
 
Ivan Seeking said:
How about a race of aliens so big that when they come along, they just eat the Earth like a big apple?

Hmmmm, it would be a short movie I guess...
Already been done, sort of, in the Transformers cartoon movie:

http://www.garaje.ya.com/agltox/Unicroeaten.jpg

That's a moon getting consumed by a gigantic humanoid robot that itself transforms into a giant robotic planet with planet-eating mandibles (here seen in giant robotic planet form). Ah, childhood memories.
 
hypnagogue said:
https://www.physicsforums.com/image.php?u=25586&dateline=1125369479
[/URL]
This is certainly from a different direction.
 
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hypnagogue said:
Seriously though, I don't know. I was going to suggest some kind of parasite that takes over the brain, but I get the feeling some variation of that has already been done a few times.
Yeah, one of the first sci-fi films I ever saw as a kid was about brain parasites. They hung on your shirt collar and inserted two probes in the back of your neck. It was ust sort of sickening, not scary.
 
Hmmm, okay, how about a black hole beast? You get ripped apart by the tidal forces whenever it gets near. It just sucks you up and then gets bigger and stronger.
 
Ivan Seeking said:
How about a race of aliens so big that when they come along, they just eat the Earth like a big apple?
This is pretty much what they were up against in one of the original star treks. I think they called it The Planet Killer. It was a giant space worm, really, with a big mouth.
 
  • #10
Ivan Seeking said:
Hmmm, okay, how about a black hole beast? You get ripped apart by the tidal forces whenever it gets near. It just sucks you up and then gets bigger and stronger.
That's not too bad.
 
  • #11
Ivan Seeking said:
Hmmm, okay, how about a black hole beast? You get ripped apart by the tidal forces whenever it gets near. It just sucks you up and then gets bigger and stronger.
Um... isn't that just a black hole? :bugeye:
 
  • #12
zoobyshoe said:
This is pretty much what they were up against in one of the original star treks. I think they called it The Planet Killer. It was a giant space worm, really, with a big mouth.

That used an energy beam. Not quite as elegant as being eaten like a big apple, IMO. :biggrin:
 
  • #13
hypnagogue said:
Um... isn't that just a black hole? :bugeye:

Sort of, but it acts with intent and can fit in your Geo.
 
  • #14
http://www.tiendaociojoven.com/ezimagecatalogue/catalogue/variations/150x600/234017-150x600.jpg

i think sephiroth should be the new bad guy
 
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  • #15
How about some sort of assult by murderous fruit, or maybe murderous vegetables?
 
  • #16
Okay, Zooby liked my last answer. I'm stopping before I ruin the moment.
 
  • #17
A 4D monster might be cool. It could rip your heart out without puncturing your chest. And other neat stuff.
 
  • #18
Hurkyl said:
How about some sort of assult by murderous fruit, or maybe murderous vegetables?

Attack of the Killer Tomatos? No, that won't do. Attack of the Killer Pluots?
 
  • #19
Attack of the Killer Tomatos? No, that won't do. Attack of the Killer Pluots?

Attack of the green leafy vegetables?
 
  • #20
hypnagogue said:
Um... isn't that just a black hole? :bugeye:
The image that came to my mind was of a hulking humanoid thing that slowly trudged around sucking people in by it's personal super-gravity. You'd see them striped apart layer by layer: skin, then muscle, then bones.
 
  • #21
I think we're making good progress in this thread. Now we can start asking the really interesting questions. Who would win in a fight, the black hole monster or the killer pluots?
 
  • #22
hypnagogue said:
I think we're making good progress in this thread. Now we can start asking the really interesting questions. Who would win in a fight, the black hole monster or the killer pluots?
Well, how does the killer pluot kill?
 
  • #23
zoobyshoe said:
Well, how does the killer pluot kill?
Its strange genetics generate an intense anti-gravitational field. Plus, it's kind of weird.
 
  • #24
Yah, don't you know weirdness always trumps raw power?
 
  • #25
hypnagogue said:
Its strange genetics generate an intense anti-gravitational field. Plus, it's kind of weird.
pluot - Google Image Search
Address:http://images.google.com/images?q=pluot&ie=ISO-8859-1&hl=en&btnG=Search+Images

I don't buy it as the right kind of foil for a black hole monster. And, as every crackpot knows, all anti-gravity would do for it is give it the ability to levitate.
 
  • #26
Hurkyl said:
Yah, don't you know weirdness always trumps raw power?
That's why the weird, purple jellyfish could pretty much beat anything. The pluot is merely "sort of" weird. Not good enough.
 
  • #27
That's why the weird, purple jellyfish could pretty much beat anything.

Nah, cuteness is the most powerful force in the universe.
 
  • #28
Hurkyl said:
Nah, cuteness is the most powerful force in the universe.
You prolly never saw Bambi meets Godzilla.
 
  • #29
no, it's true

Here we see the black hole monster being thwarted by a cute, disembodied kitten head.
 

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  • #30
Attack of the black hole bunny rabbit?

Subtitle: Cute kills/How cute, is TOO cute?
 

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