All Questions
26
questions
17
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Looking for SF short story about first contact and humans have to destroy evidence before aliens reach Earth
I read a really great SF short story published in an anthology from the late 1990s (maybe 1996-1997?) that involved humans making first contact with a more advanced alien species whose ambassadors are ...
- 179
13
votes
0
answers
179
views
Short story of an alien society without the concept of suicide until first contact with humans
I’m looking for a very short story about a disastrous first contact between humans and aliens, involving a sort of memetic cross-infection. The aliens had never come up with the concept of ‘suicide’ ...
14
votes
1
answer
580
views
Dinosaur eggs preserved by alien hatch, alien comes back for them?
I'm looking for a novel about intelligent dinosaurs and aliens.
Probably published in the early 90's. Paperback, English.
Cover was a green alien resembling a small, predatory dinosaur (similar to ...
- 7,508
11
votes
1
answer
503
views
Short story involving Aliens attempting to make contact with humanity at a distance
The story involves multiple sets of aliens attempting to make contact with humanity, but not by visiting. Instead, these aliens are broadcasting towards Earth. One group (possibly the first) of aliens ...
- 288
10
votes
1
answer
367
views
80's or earlier story called "There Stands a Statue"(?)
In the 80's(?) I read a story in an secondhand anthology that may be called "There Stands a Statue." The plot I remember is something like this.
In the park there stands a statue; like many others it ...
- 109
16
votes
1
answer
668
views
Humans Stumble Upon Low-Tech Aliens
More than five years ago, I started reading a sci-fi book about advanced humans making first contact with (definitely pre-industrial but might specifically be iron-age, medieval-era) humanoids. I don’...
- 211
8
votes
1
answer
210
views
SF first contact story where it is revealed that it is humanity's destiny to merge with alien
I believe story was written between 1950-1970. I read it in a large paperback anthology in the 1980s. It was a short story - deep space encounter with alien intelligence. The first astronaut to ...
- 81
7
votes
1
answer
724
views
Sci-fi book/series with feline aliens, and a female astronaut [duplicate]
From what I remember, the astronaut made first contact with a race of felines that live on the other side of the Galaxy. They had always been able to see Earth, but Earth couldn't see them because ...
- 131
13
votes
1
answer
377
views
Short Sci-fi Story about a door on the Moon?
I read it in a sci-fi collection book, like a "Greatest Sci-Fi Of XXXX". I read a story years ago while underway on a submarine, about a door that appears on the moon, and a retired astronaut is ...
- 133
6
votes
1
answer
162
views
Pre-1990 short story, Earth space probe (NASA?) lands somewhere like Titan and is found by a female alien
As the title says, this would have been pre-1990. A short story in which a space probe from Earth, presumably NASA, lands on a world like Titan and is found by a female member of the local species. I ...
- 143
7
votes
1
answer
566
views
Looking for a short story title about an alien that encounters a probe on its own planet [duplicate]
This short story concerns an alien creature of some kind that is slowly feeding on the surface of its home planet. It must stay "in its lane" so to speak because others of its species feeds on either ...
- 705
8
votes
1
answer
298
views
Short story told from vegetarian alien's POV observing astronaut behavior, including laughter [duplicate]
Probably mid to late 20th century story. I believe the title is something like "Farewell Ilya" or "Goodbye..."
The alien tells the story. Actually, perhaps the astronauts are the aliens, since I ...
7
votes
0
answers
161
views
Short story: ship for first contacts, species most like those contacted would seem to be in charge
This story was from the 1960s or earlier, read in a hardbound collection of stories, possibly all from one magazine.
The spaceship was large and sent on first contact missions. It had several ...
- 42.2k
6
votes
1
answer
254
views
Book about suppressing First Contact? Character "Polly Ling"? [duplicate]
This paperback was probably from ca. 1970. The well-off don't want their apple-cart upset by alien tech. Hero saves "Polly Ling" from an alien monster, which turns out to be her husband- she's an ...
- 63
7
votes
1
answer
450
views
Short Science Fiction story similar to "Story of Your Life"
I'm looking for a short story that's similar to "Story of Your Life", I read the story through lightspeed magazine, but can't seem to find on their site. I also think it was a lightspeed magazine ...