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My Teacher Is an Alien is a four-book science fiction children's book series authored by Bruce Coville. [1] The titles include:
The plot is about three children, Peter Thompson, who is called a nerd, Susan Simmons, the protagonist, and school bully Duncan Dougal. Susan eventually discovers that Mr. Smith, their teacher, is actually an orange-eyed green alien named Broxholm, who seems to be planning to abduct five students from his class to take back with him. She calls Peter for help, and later Duncan. They later discover that Broxholm's motives are much more complex. Susan had earlier discovered that Broxholm hated music and especially her piccolo. At the end, the heroes publicly reveal Mr. Smith to be Broxholm by having the whole school band start to play "Stars and Stripes Forever" by John Philip Sousa in the auditorium. Broxholm then makes an escape with Peter. Peter went to outer space, like he wanted to. In the end, the lesson is to never give up.
Three months later, in My Teacher Fried My Brains, former bully Duncan Dougal discovers an alien's human disguise in the form of a human skin-like glove in a dumpster, which leads him to believe that there is still another alien posing as someone else at the school. While investigating, Duncan participates in an in-class demonstration of static electricity that he comes to believe has made him more intelligent. Since he believes this machine is making him more intelligent, he sneaks into his science classroom after school hours to use it. He gradually becomes a much more thoughtful and considerate person. One day when he is using the machine he discovers an alien creature “Poot” in the classroom refrigerator, which makes him even more suspicious of his science teacher.
One day after school when Duncan was having a terrible day, he goes into his home economics teacher Miss Betty Lou Karpou's classroom to seek advice. During this conversation, Miss Karpou is revealed to be the alien and identifies herself as Kreeblim. She freezes Duncan's body and uses his brain as a means of communication among other aliens in the galaxy who are trying to decide what they want to do with humans. Susan, the hero of the previous story, tries to save Duncan when Kreeblim is out of her house, however the two of them do not get out of the house in time.
At the end of the book, Peter (with enhanced eyesight and no need of glasses) and Broxholm return, and Duncan and Susan decide to help Peter prove to the Interplanetary Council, the ruling aliens of the galaxy, that the human race is worth saving.
Peter explains to Duncan and Susan what happened to him in the last few months, in My Teacher Glows in the Dark.
The story begins in Kennituck Falls, as Peter and Broxholm evade those who are trying to capture the alien, quickly reaching Broxholm's ship and leaving the Earth. They swiftly travel to the far side of the Moon and rendezvous with the starship New Jersey (so named because the ship is the same size as New Jersey). Once on board, Peter is subjected to some rather unsettling albeit benign boarding procedures and finds himself in a truly alien world, on a starship crewed by aliens from various worlds throughout the galaxy. Peter is introduced to the alien Hoo-Lan who undertakes to serve as Peter's teacher to introduce Peter to the intergalactic society he has joined. Hoo-Lan can glow in the dark, giving the book its title, although this doesn't become a plot point (making this the only book in the series where the title isn't a plot point).
Peter quickly learns that the galaxy is stranger than he had previously believed, and also discovers that the assembled alien races think humanity is uncivilized and dangerous, and that humanity is close to discovering the secret of interstellar space flight, greatly worrying the aliens about the damage that humans could do if they discover interstellar travel while still warlike. This has led the aliens to study Earth to find out why we are the way we are, and divided the aliens into factions that variously believe Earth should be left alone, conquered, quarantined, or destroyed.
Peter agrees to have his brain examined, in an effort to determine if humanity's behavior is due to a biological condition. After much study, the aliens discover that Peter is latently and naturally telepathic, which is apparently quite rare in the galaxy. Unfortunately, while attempting to study this further, Hoo-Lan falls into a coma, which the aliens suspect is Peter's doing. Oddly, they are made even more suspicious when, despite having given Peter free rein of the ship, he goes to a communications room and contacts Duncan to try to warn Earth of the aliens' plans.
The book ends with the aliens agreeing to give Peter and Broxholm one last chance to find some redeeming characteristic of humanity that would save it, apparently having decided that otherwise they will destroy the Earth. Peter and Broxholm return to Earth, setting up their appearance at the end of My Teacher Fried my Brains.
Peter, Susan, and Duncan end up together again with Kreeblim and Broxholm for My Teacher Flunked the Planet, as they decide to join their forces to defend Earth in front of the interplanetary council. After numerous discussions, with Hoo-Lan's help they make the case that humanity needs to largely be left alone to develop independently, while Peter also asks that the council send Earth alien teachers to help them learn and grow, so that Earth can seek the council's approval when it is ready.
A computer game based on the series was produced by 7th Level and Byron Preiss Multimedia Company. [3] Players can take the perspective of the three main children in the series, Peter Thompson, Duncan Dougal or Susan Simmons.
The Fermi paradox is the discrepancy between the lack of conclusive evidence of advanced extraterrestrial life compared to the apparently high a priori likelihood of its existence. As a 2015 article put it, "If life is so easy, someone from somewhere must have come calling by now."
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency is a humorous detective novel by English writer Douglas Adams, published in 1987. It is described by the author on its cover as a "thumping good detective-ghost-horror-who dunnit-time travel-romantic-musical-comedy-epic".
Farmer In The Sky is a 1950 science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein about a teenaged boy who emigrates with his family to Jupiter's moon Ganymede, which is in the process of being terraformed. Among Heinlein's juveniles, a condensed version of the novel was published in serial form in Boys' Life magazine, under the title "Satellite Scout". The novel was awarded a Retro Hugo in 2001.
The Uplift Universe is a fictional universe created by American science fiction writer David Brin. A central feature in this universe is the process of biological uplift.
The Invaders is an American science-fiction television series created by Larry Cohen that aired on ABC for two seasons, from 1967 to 1968. Roy Thinnes stars as David Vincent, who after stumbling across evidence of an in-progress invasion of aliens from outer space—the aliens disguising themselves as humans and gradually infiltrating human institutions—tries to thwart the invasion despite the disbelief of officials and the general public, and the undermining of his efforts by the aliens. The series was a Quinn Martin production.
The zoo hypothesis speculates on the assumed behavior and existence of technologically advanced extraterrestrial life and the reasons they refrain from contacting Earth. It is one of many theoretical explanations for the Fermi paradox. The hypothesis states that alien life intentionally avoids communication with Earth to allow for natural evolution and sociocultural development, and avoiding interplanetary contamination, similarly to people observing animals at a zoo. The hypothesis seeks to explain the apparent absence of extraterrestrial life despite its generally accepted plausibility and hence the reasonable expectation of its existence. A variant on the zoo hypothesis suggested by the former MIT Haystack Observatory scientist John Allen Ball is the "laboratory" hypothesis, where humanity is being subjected to experiments, with Earth being a giant laboratory.
The Ori are fictional characters in the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. They are a group of "ascended" beings who use their advanced technology and knowledge of the universe in attempt to trick non-ascended humans into worshipping them as gods.
The Saga of Seven Suns is a series of seven space opera novels by American writer Kevin J. Anderson, published between 2002 and 2008. The books are set in a not-too-distant future where humans have colonized a number of other planets across the galaxy, thanks in part to technological assistance from an ancient alien race, the Ildirans. The series chronicles the universe-spanning war that erupts when humans inadvertently ignite the fury of a hidden empire of elemental aliens known as the hydrogues. Internal conflict is sparked within both the human and Ildiran empires as other ancient elemental races reappear to renew their own ancient war with the hydrogues.
An interstellar war is a hypothetical space war between combatants from different planetary systems. The concept provides a common plot device in science fiction, especially in the space opera subgenre. In contrast, the term intergalactic war refers to war between combatants from different galaxies, and interplanetary war refers to war between combatants from different planets of the same planetary system.
Star-Lord is a character and superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gan, the character first appeared in Marvel Preview #4. The son of human Meredith Quill and Spartoi J'son, Peter Quill assumes the mantle of Star-Lord, an interplanetary policeman.
Team Galaxy is an animated series co-produced by Marathon Media, Image Entertainment Corporation, France 3, Rai Fiction and Jetix Europe in association with YTV. It blends 2D animation with CG elements, and is set at "Galaxy High", where a trio of young students try to balance their regular teenage lives and their training to become Space Marshals. The concept and animation style is similar to that of both Totally Spies! and Martin Mystery, other series created by Marathon Media.
The planetary systems of stars other than the Sun and the Solar System are a staple element in many works of the science fiction genre.
Pantropy is a hypothetical process of space habitation or space colonization in which, rather than terraforming other planets or building space habitats suitable for human habitation, humans are modified to be able to thrive in the existing environment. The term was coined by science fiction author James Blish, who wrote a series of short stories based on the idea.
Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four is a four-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics. It was published in May - August 2007, written by Jeff Parker and illustrated by Mike Wieringo shortly before his death.
Ben 10: Alien Force is an American animated television series created by team Man of Action, and produced by Cartoon Network Studios. It takes place five years after Ben 10 and takes a darker turn than its predecessor.
Thorns is a science fiction novel by American author Robert Silverberg, published as a paperback original in 1967, and a Nebula and Hugo Awards nominee.
Ancient astronauts have been addressed frequently in science fiction and horror fiction. Occurrences in the genres include:
Speculative evolution is a genre of speculative fiction and an artistic movement focused on hypothetical scenarios in the evolution of life, and a significant form of fictional biology. It is also known as speculative biology and it is referred to as speculative zoology in regards to hypothetical animals. Works incorporating speculative evolution may have entirely conceptual species that evolve on a planet other than Earth, or they may be an alternate history focused on an alternate evolution of terrestrial life. Speculative evolution is often considered hard science fiction because of its strong connection to and basis in science, particularly biology.
This Bruce Coville bibliography covers the over 100 books written by young adult fiction author Bruce Coville.
All Tomorrows: A Billion Year Chronicle of the Myriad Species and Mixed Fortunes of Man is a 2006 work of science fiction and speculative evolution written and illustrated by the Turkish artist C. M. Kosemen under the pen name Nemo Ramjet. It explores a hypothetical future path of human evolution set from the near future to a billion years from the present. Several future human species evolve through natural means and through genetic engineering, conducted by both humans themselves and by a mysterious and superior alien species called the Qu.