Exploring Sci-fi Without Aliens

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Science fiction is all about exploring the possibilities of speculative realities far beyond our own, but some concepts have remained more consistent than others. Stories about the depths of space are almost always packed with a wide variety of unique creatures, but some sci-fi stories boldly refuse to populate their universe.

The idea of removing one of the most central tenets of a genre seems silly, most sci-fi authors naturally mine content from the idea of extraterrestrial life. But, what is the unique merit to sci-fi stories that answer all the classic «are we alone in the universe» questions with a resounding no?

5 Underrated Space Horror Movies

Is it scary to imagine hostile beings that would be impossible here on Earth, but reign supreme over far-away worlds? Is it horrifying to conceive of a place that exists just outside our reach where we would be rendered insignificant by the scale or capabilities of its natural denizens? These ideas are terrifying. These are the go-to underpinnings of space horror and cosmic horror respectively. Either something out there could kill us all or everything out there is too big and important to care about us. But, is it even scarier to imagine that there isn't anything out there at all? Maybe we're the dominant species in the universe, but we only claim that victory by default. If the rest of the universe is cold, quiet, and dead, there's nothing but pitch-black misery beyond our atmosphere. Beyond that, what's so special about mankind that we'd be the only intelligent life in the universe? Sci-fi without aliens raises all these questions, but the most horrific aspect is the fact that it almost always leaves their answers as silent as the bitter void of space.

Many seminal sci-fi