We’re not having sex, are we?”“No,” Talia confirmed. “Don’t take it the wrong way, you’re by far the nicest insect I’ve ever spent time with, but first contact is one thing. I’m not sure my reputation can take sleeping with the first alien I meet.

~ Gavin G. Smith

Gavin G. Smith First Contact Insect Sex

Well, if a Little Fuzzy finds a door open, I’d like to know why he shouldn’t come in and look around.

~ H. Beam Piper

H. Beam Piper First Contact Science Fiction

Look, without our stories, without the true nature and reality of who we are as People of Color, nothing about fanboy or fangirl culture would make sense. What I mean by that is: if it wasn't for race, X-Men doesn't sense. If it wasn't for the history of breeding human beings in the New World through chattel slavery, Dune doesn't make sense. If it wasn't for the history of colonialism and imperialism, Star Wars doesn't make sense. If it wasn't for the extermination of so many Indigenous First Nations, most of what we call science fiction’s contact stories doesn't make sense. Without us as the secret sauce, none of this works, and it is about time that we understood that we are the Force that holds the Star Wars universe together. We’re the Prime Directive that makes Star Trek possible, yeah. In the Green Lantern Corps, we are the oath. We are all of these things—erased, and yet without us—we are essential.

~ Junot Díaz

Junot Díaz Culture Fanboy First Contact People Of Color Race Scifi Slavery