"The figure of the alien is at the heart of science fiction and has helped us to understand and explore interactions with other cultures and the possibilities of life beyond both the modern configuration of the nation-state and the natural order of life on earth. Alien Imaginations brings together canonical and contemporary works in the cinema and literature of science fiction, transnationalism, and globalization in order to examine the role of the alien as well as the realities of migration, labor, and life in the twenty-first century. The essays in this collection discuss films such as District 9, Avatar, and Code 46, as well as novels by H.G. Wells, Philip K. Dick, or Ray Bradbury. As we continue down the road to a global economy and culture, Alien Imaginations offers a critical reflection upon our 'imagined realities' while also turning to speculative fiction and cinema to provide us with examples of resistance, if not a utopian horizon"--

As both an extra-terrestrial and a terrestrial migrant, the alien provides a critical framework to help us understand the interactions between cultures and to explore the transgressive force of travel over geographical, cultural or linguistic borders. Offering a perspective on the alien that connects to scholarship on immigration and globalization, Alien Imaginations brings together canonical and contemporary works in the literature and cinema of science fiction and transnationalism. By examining the role of the alien through the themes of language, anxiety and identity, the essays in this collection engage with authors such as H.G. Wells, Eleanor Arnason, Philip K. Dick and Yoko Tawada as well as directors such as Neill Blomkamp, James Cameron and Michael Winterbottom. Focusing on works that are European and North American in origin, the readings in this volume explore their critical intent and their potential to undermine many of the central notions of Western hegemonic discourses. Alien Imaginations reflects upon contemporary cultural imaginaries as well as the realities of migration, labor and life, suggesting models of resistance, if not utopian horizons.

This book explores how fin de siècle Britain and Britons displaced spatially-charged apprehensions about imperial decline, urban decay and unpoliced borders onto Jews from Eastern Europe migrating westwards. The myriad of representations of the ‘alien Jew’ that emerged were the product of, but also a catalyst for, a decisive moment in Britain’s legal history: the fight for the 1905 Aliens Act. Drawing upon a richly diverse collection of social and political commentary, including fiction, political testimony, ethnography, travel writing, journalism and cartography, this volume traces the shifting rhetoric around alien Jews as they journeyed from the Russian Pale of Settlement to London’s East End. By employing a unique and innovative reading of both the aliens debate and racialized discourse concerned with ‘the Jew’, Hannah Ewence demonstrates that ideas about ‘space’ and 'place’ critically informed how migrants were viewed; an argument which remains valid in today’s world.

The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) represents one of the most significant crossroads at which the assumptions and methods of scientific inquiry come into direct contact with—and in many cases conflict with—those of religion. Indeed, at the core of SETI is the same question that motivates many interested in religion: What is the place of humanity in the universe? Both scientists involved with SETI (and in other areas) and those interested in and dedicated to some religious traditions are engaged in contemplating these types of questions, even if their respective approaches and answers differ significantly. This book explores this intersection with a focus on three core points: 1) the relationship between science and religion as it is expressed within the framework of SETI research, 2) the underlying assumptions, many of which are tacitly based upon cultural values common in American society, that have shaped the ways in which SETI researchers have conceptualized the nature of their endeavor and represented ideas about the potential influence contact might have on human civilization, and 3) what sort of empirical evidence we might be able to access as a way of thinking about the social impact that contact with alien intelligence might have for humanity, from both religious and cultural perspectives. The book developed as a result of a course the author teaches at the University of Texas at Austin: Religion, Science, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.

I Wish I Was An Alien This is the second instalment from the book series "I Wish I Was". This time we have a young child who loves aliens and wishes he could be an alien even if just for the day, to go on all the wonderful and exciting adventures he can go on. He has an exciting imagination and his one wish is to become an alien so that he can do all the cool things that aliens do like fly up to mars and hoover in the sun. This is the second children's book written by L.W. Abela with endearing text and bold, beautiful expressive illustrations. Children will love looking at the vibrant colours in this book. This is the perfect bedtime story. I Wish I Was An Alien: A funny yet touching tale reminding us how incredible and pure a child's imagination can be. Perfect for kids Aged 3-5.

It was Carl Jung who first spoke of the UFO phenomenon as "a modern myth in the making," and Joseph Campbell who insisted that the first function of myths is "opening mind and heart to the utter wonder of all being." Now Keith Thompson makes it possible for us to share that sense of wonder as he explores the UFO against the timeless backdrop of visionary experience: angelic vision, near-death experiences, shamanic journeys, religious miracles, and folkloric encounters with fairies. In a brilliant stroke, Keith Thompson takes a subject usually confined to sensationalistic expose and reveals its surprising literary richness, intellectual energy, and symbolic depths. By offering a new, open-ended perspective which avoids the dogmatism of true believers and debunkers alike, Angels and Aliens invites readers to enter a fascinating world with profound implications for our understanding of the human spirit.

It was Carl Jung who first spoke of the UFO phenomenon as "a modern myth in the making," and Joseph Campbell who insisted that the first function of myths is "opening mind and heart to the utter wonder of all being." Now Keith Thompson makes it possible for us to share that sense of wonder as he explores the UFO against the timeless backdrop of visionary experience: angelic vision, near-death experiences, shamanic journeys, religious miracles, and folkloric encounters with fairies. In a brilliant stroke, Keith Thompson takes a subject usually confined to sensationalistic expose and reveals its surprising literary richness, intellectual energy, and symbolic depths. By offering a new, open-ended perspective which avoids the dogmatism of true believers and debunkers alike, Angels and Aliens invites readers to enter a fascinating world with profound implications for our understanding of the human spirit.