Writer needs your help! Who would you bring?!

[DSE)Ghost.Town]

Who would you bring?!... to meet aliens for the first time. Read on if interested.

Ok I am writing a book and I need to ask as many people this as possible, think outside the box please and if you feel your examples needs an explanation, give it. If we were told to make a group that would (eventually) meet an alian race for the first time ever, face to face, who would you include in this group? Remember, they (the aliens) MAY know nothing about us, then again they may have been watching us for years and know a lot. All the same let's go into this thinking they do know nothing about us. Who would you send, and of course there would be a dry run first involving only humans to make sure we have the right group for one, and also so that we can decide if we have common goals (which in this situation, involving this many people, all with their own agendas, it's going to be tough). Anyway, the group, to even come close to achieving success will need to find that common goal which I am guessing is going to be peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial trade. No the group will also have to decide what about ourselves must be kept secret at all cost, what we want them to know and not to know, etc, etc, etc? If you have answers to those questions, What we don't want them to know and what we definitely do want them to know about us, answer those as well and e-mail me if you're so inclined. Anyway, I need your help, please if this interests you, it is of immense value to me as a writter, spread it everywhere, just make sure the answers get back to me at Freelancer_SS@yahoo.com. Anyway, here's a few to get you started. I feel we should bring to the human meeting (some of these will be weeded out for a number of reasons): World leaders (of all countries regardless of government, Scientists (of all denominations: physicist, biologists, physicians, psychologists, anthropologists, astronomers, theoretical physicists. Physicist in all their breeds or this will be far too long, as it's already too long, Artists of all types, painters, dancers, writers, singers, musicians, sculptors, etc. Religious leaders (of all world religions, as long as the religion's believers constitute .5% of the worlds population (the .5% if arbitrary, but you get the idea), Military Generals and high ranking staff members in the military, Linguists (of all known languages and especially those who pick up new languages quick (think, we may even be dealing with non-vocal languages or languages that the human voice just can't pull off), so we'll have to pull in body language experts and hope that they (the aliens) have similar body language (though they may not even look like us), we'd bring babies, children & adolescents as well as elderly people (both boys and girls, so they see how humans grow and change over time). SUPPOSED UFO experts (who knows some of them may have been legit or very close), heads of trade organizations as trade between cultures usually keeps them on peaceful terms. We could have plentiful amounts of an item they consider priceless or lifesaving and vice versa, trade is a must. several We'd need severl people each with different backgrounds from a variety of races, white, black, asian, spanish, etc, showing the differences within our own race and the differences between these people's cultures, as well as the differences in stations, specifically where they work and where they live and what they eat, how they survive. Their outlook on life, (and this goes for all members, no one elected for this group got in just because of their job, their whole being is there for the aliens to get information from). Farmers and the soil/light/tools they need to practice and teach their craft, or with videos showing them working throughout a season and with them on hand to answer questions. Engineers and Architects are a must, many, many, many engineers. ETC. Please let me know who you'd bring and I'd really appreciate it. Thanks again. I have been inspired with a great idea for a book and I am looking to you, the people most likely interested in these questions, for answers. I feel I might lose something great if I depended on my own mind alone. Thanks again, Stephen Shuford

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[Ayem]

I would bring paragraphs.

One thing you might forget in your haste to pick characters of different disciplines is that a great many people change their vocations and specialisms part way through their lives, or pursue them simultaneously as polymaths. Alan Turing was a philosopher, programmer and mathematician. Leonardo Da Vinci was an artist and engineer. Sir Christopher Wren was an astronomer, mathematician-physicist, architect and anatomist. Marcus Aurelius was a philosopher, co-emperor of rome and a general in the field. Arnold Schwarzeneggar is an actor, producer, director, was a state governor and was a professional body builder.

The list goes on.

One of the greatest issues with the Alien prequel, Prometheus, was in the scripts devotion to type, rather than character. You had the "biologist", the "archaeologist(s)" the "impatient heir apparent" and the like. They were cardboard, and whatever character they'd developed in one scene would be utterly contradicted in the next. The only characters that actually seemed human were the bridge crew, in my opinion.

This focus on type was then further destabilized by submission to illogical plotting. The "geologist" whose speciality seems to be mapping cave structures, somehow gets lost in a cave structure he's only just mapped. Lost for hours. The people who -didn't- map the cave have no trouble finding their way out. And I'm not even going to get started on the "biologist" and his scientific method.

I have worked on the line in factories, as a gardener and landscaper, painter and decorator, and in universities. Each has shaped my understanding of the world and lie in my mind like a palimpsest, each experience influencing my recollection of the others.

I'd recommend reading "Pushing Ice" by Alastair Reynolds or "Eon" by Greg Bear, since those are among the finest novels I've read and are closely relevant to your subject. Eon is dated, while Pushing Ice is quite recent, published 2005. The characters are consistent, but adaptive in their arcs.

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[nOmnomnOm]

LR group obviously.

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[DSE)Ghost.Town]

Hi, I apologize for the lack of paragraphs. It was pasted from my skype chat. As for characters being cast as their occupations and nothing more, that is not a problem I am worried about. Each character will have his own personality, his own agenda and wants, and there of course will be several characters working towards secret goals of their own while doing their best to appear to be forwarding the goals of the masses.

As for reading, I appreciate your pointing a few good authors out to me. I read voraciously, from all genres, history, biography (or autobiography), fantasy and sci-fi being my favorites, at one time or another.

All the same, and I was afraid this would happen, people would preconceive ideas about my goals and writing skills and try to advise me on those instead of answering the questions. I specifically put as little as I could in there about the story to try and avoid that, but it may have backfired. Since you were so kind as to offer me so much advice, would you please give the question serious thought and offer some realistic people that may get into that group.

I understand you may have to say, Astronomer, or something, as aliens would obviously have much more info on the star systems, our star system even, than we do, but who is to say that this Astronomer wouldn't be bought off or blackmailed by someone with motives of his own and be used like a tool. You don't have to worry about one dimensional characters, there will be conflicted characters, characters under the gun, characters in catch 22's, but really ALL I need from whomever is kind enough (like the 1st poster) to read my poorly formatted rant, is for that person to list someone of a certain position or profession that I have not thought of. Thank you so much everyone and I hope more respond.

I would bring paragraphs.

One thing you might forget in your haste to pick characters of different disciplines is that a great many people change their vocations and specialisms part way through their lives, or pursue them simultaneously as polymaths. Alan Turing was a philosopher, programmer and mathematician. Leonardo Da Vinci was an artist and engineer. Sir Christopher Wren was an astronomer, mathematician-physicist, architect and anatomist. Marcus Aurelius was a philosopher, co-emperor of rome and a general in the field. Arnold Schwarzeneggar is an actor, producer, director, was a state governor and was a professional body builder.

The list goes on.

One of the greatest issues with the Alien prequel, Prometheus, was in the scripts devotion to type, rather than character. You had the "biologist", the "archaeologist(s)" the "impatient heir apparent" and the like. They were cardboard, and whatever character they'd developed in one scene would be utterly contradicted in the next. The only characters that actually seemed human were the bridge crew, in my opinion.

This focus on type was then further destabilized by submission to illogical plotting. The "geologist" whose speciality seems to be mapping cave structures, somehow gets lost in a cave structure he's only just mapped. Lost for hours. The people who -didn't- map the cave have no trouble finding their way out. And I'm not even going to get started on the "biologist" and his scientific method.

I have worked on the line in factories, as a gardener and landscaper, painter and decorator, and in universities. Each has shaped my understanding of the world and lie in my mind like a palimpsest, each experience influencing my recollection of the others.

I'd recommend reading "Pushing Ice" by Alastair Reynolds or "Eon" by Greg Bear, since those are among the finest novels I've read and are closely relevant to your subject. Eon is dated, while Pushing Ice is quite recent, published 2005. The characters are consistent, but adaptive in their arcs.

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[Ayem]

I feel we should bring to the human meeting (some of these will be weeded out for a number of reasons): World leaders (of all countries regardless of government, Scientists (of all denominations: physicist, biologists, physicians, psychologists, anthropologists, astronomers, theoretical physicists. Physicist in all their breeds or this will be far too long, as it's already too long, Artists of all types, painters, dancers, writers, singers, musicians, sculptors, etc. Religious leaders (of all world religions, as long as the religion's believers constitute .5% of the worlds population (the .5% if arbitrary, but you get the idea), Military Generals and high ranking staff members in the military, Linguists (of all known languages and especially those who pick up new languages quick (think, we may even be dealing with non-vocal languages or languages that the human voice just can't pull off), so we'll have to pull in body language experts and hope that they (the aliens) have similar body language (though they may not even look like us), we'd bring babies, children & adolescents as well as elderly people (both boys and girls, so they see how humans grow and change over time). SUPPOSED UFO experts (who knows some of them may have been legit or very close), heads of trade organizations as trade between cultures usually keeps them on peaceful terms. We could have plentiful amounts of an item they consider priceless or lifesaving and vice versa, trade is a must. several We'd need severl people each with different backgrounds from a variety of races, white, black, asian, spanish, etc, showing the differences within our own race and the differences between these people's cultures, as well as the differences in stations, specifically where they work and where they live and what they eat, how they survive. Their outlook on life, (and this goes for all members, no one elected for this group got in just because of their job, their whole being is there for the aliens to get information from). Farmers and the soil/light/tools they need to practice and teach their craft, or with videos showing them working throughout a season and with them on hand to answer questions. Engineers and Architects are a must, many, many, many engineers. ETC. Please let me know who you'd bring and I'd really appreciate it.

Any first contact will likely involve radio transmission or whatever form you have in your novel. This means the first people to make any kind of contact are likely to be radio astronomers, whether professional or amateur. So I'd take them.

Trained diplomats with experience in defusing wartime situations, probably with personal experience in the middle east. Diplomats are also given license to offer trade negotiations on behalf of nation states. (Though large companies with specific interests might need to send their own representatives.)

Military representatives as you say, but generals with a proven history of both effective military strategy and calmness under pressure.

I wouldn't take world leaders (but they may insist) because if the aliens go nasty and kill everyone in the first contact mission the death of those world leaders would provide no alternative but war. If a few diplomats and scientists die you can just chalk it up to accident or miscommunication.

With linguists, I'd focus on those who studied ancient and dead languages, due to their experience in translating languages without the aid of current societies or living teachers. There would be no direct frame of reference if the language were entirely alien, which would leave most general linguists scratching their heads.

A specific mission security team trained in EVA, shipboard combat and hostage rescue, likely drawn from terrorist response teams or special forces.

A psychiatrist or two to help them cope with a high stress situation.

I'd take the engineers, scientists and astronauts necessary for the running of the craft used to transport these people, and that's about it.

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[DSE)Ghost.Town]

[1:59:22 PM] Occam Razor: whats your forum name?
[1:59:31 PM] anonymous.hippopotamus: DSE)Ghost.Town
[1:59:51 PM] Occam Razor: maybe you should change that
[2:00:06 PM] Occam Razor: http://discoverygc.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=95316
[2:00:09 PM] Occam Razor: this was you
[2:00:16 PM] Occam Razor: what a coincidence
[2:02:17 PM] anonymous.hippopotamus: No that is perfect, last one was closest to what I was looking for.
[2:02:23 PM] anonymous.hippopotamus: Obviously radio contact would be first.
[2:02:45 PM] anonymous.hippopotamus: I jumped ahead, I left out the context of the story and put you in a "HERE is where we are, who are we going to bring," situation.
[2:03:36 PM] anonymous.hippopotamus: Trust me, the advise I am getting could be insulting,as it's so obvious to me, but of course I expected it and they mean well, and once they say that, sometimes they have a good idea.

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[Ayem]

If you think this is insulting, I wouldn't advise offering me a first draft.

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[Starsunder]

Here's my team:

2 x world leaders who can sorta represent us but we can afford to lose in case aliens are evil

1 x scientist specializing in space stuff

1 x successful businessman/entrepreneur/philanthropist

3 x celebs

2 x youtubers



I believe that in the event of alien contact, the wrong people to send in would be
[a] American politicians,
[b] religious personnel, and
[c] anyone holding a gun.

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