Alien by Alan Dean Foster

Alien: It’s more than just a novelization of the movie.

Alan Dean Foster’s ALIEN is fantastic. That having been said, you can easily guess the direction of this book review. Normally, I do a formal review but this one just seemed to be stifled by a synopsis and straightforward critique. Instead, I want to explain why Alien is a great novel even without the Alien universe that it is tied to.

Alien pacing and atmosphere is something that made the movie successful but it works even better in narrative form. Actually, the entire exploration turned survival tale works better in print. Most Science Fiction relies too much on character thought and events. Although these are essential, they can sometimes become the only tools to push the story forward. The story’s narrative seems to be the ship. Although it isn’t, the relationship between the unnamed narrator and the vessel become the small universe where our protagonists battle a creature more terrified than anyone’s subconscious could ever fathom.

Alan Dean Foster’s talent for writing great Science Fiction has breathed new life into this reviewer. Aliens and Alien 3 are novelized by Foster (already purchased) and a new series, unfortunately not by Foster, launches the series forward.

If you read Science Fiction/Horror, Aliens is a necessity. Despite your love for the Alien universe, Foster’s Alien is unique and at times, a story all its own—with alternate scenes from the movie and an altered ending.