This is an incomplete list of aliens that have appeared in various works of fiction featuring aliens.
Humanoid Aliens
Most aliens are humanoid if not human-like, especially in TV series because actors are human. The Greys described in UFO folklore match this body type. Humanoids include:
- Acquarans (Farscape)
- Andorians (Star Trek)
- Atevi (C. J. Cherryh)
- Asgard (Stargate SG-1)
- Bajorans (Star Trek)
- Banik (Farscape)
- Betazoid (Star Trek)
- Bolians (Star Trek)
- Boolite (Farscape)
- Bothans (Star Wars)
- Breen (Star Trek)
- Centauri (Babylon 5)
- Charrids (Farscape)
- Colatas (Farscape)
- Coreeshi (Farscape)
- The Dance (Marvel Comics)
- Deep Ones (H. P. Lovecraft)
- Delvians (Farscape)
- Deneans (Farscape)
- Denobulans (Star Trek)
- Dentics (Farscape)
- Deltans (Star Trek)
- Ewoks (Star Wars)
- Ferengi (Star Trek)
- Grans (Star Wars)
- Grudeks (Farscape)
- Grunds (Marvel Comics)
- Halosians (Farscape)
- Hangi (Farscape)
- Hur'q (Star Trek)
- Hydrans
- Hynerians (Farscape)
- Ilanics (Farscape)
- Interions (Farscape)
- Jocaceans (Farscape)
- Kafers (2300AD)
- Kalish (Farscape)
- Karrema (Star Trek)
- Kazon (Star Trek)
- Khurtarnan (Farscape)
- Klingons (Star Trek)
- Kree (Marvel Comics)
- Kryptonians (DC Comics)
- Laxidasians (Marvel Comics)
- Luxans (Farscape)
- Lyrans (Star Trek)
- Martians
- Edgar Rice Burroughs's Barsoom series
- The Martian Chronicles of Ray Bradbury
- Aelita
- Mars Attacks
- ... and many others
- Minbari (Babylon 5)
- Mondoshawan (The Fifth Element)
- Mri of C. J. Cherryh's Faded Sun trilogy
- Nebari (Farscape)
- Ocampa (Star Trek)
- Ortheans ? (Mary Gentle: Golden Witchbreed (androgynous until puberty))
- Pilots (Farscape)
- Phagors of Brian W. Aldiss's Helliconia series
- Porquinhos (Orson Scott Card's Speaker for the Dead)
- Relgarians (Farscape)
- Romulans (Star Trek)
- Scarrens (Farscape)
- Scorvians (Farscape)
- Sebaceans (Farscape)
- Shi'ar (Marvel Comics)
- Suliban (Star Trek)
- Sykarians (Farscape)
- Taelons (Earth: The Final Conflict)
- Talaxians (Star Trek)
- Tarkans (Farscape)
- Tavleks (Farscape)
- Tellarites (Star Trek)
- Terrians (Earth 2)
- Trabe (Star Trek)
- Traskans (Farscape)
- Tusken Raiders (Star Wars)
- Twi'leks (Star Wars)
- Venek (Farscape)
- Vineans (Yoko Tsuno (blue skin))
- Vorc (Farscape)
- Vorcarian (Farscape)
- Vorta (Star Trek)
- Vulcans (Star Trek)
- Wookiees (Star Wars)
- Xandarians (Marvel Comics)
- Xindi (Star Trek)
- Yuuzhan Vong (Star Wars)
- Zabrak (Star Wars)
- Zenetan (Farscape)
- Zenn-Lavians (Marvel Comics)
- Zen-Whoberis (Marvel Comics)
Near-relatives of mankind
In these stories, these aliens are descended from the same ancestors as humanity:- Abh (Crest of the Stars)
- Darrians of the Traveller RPG, known for their small, high-technology polity
- Gethenians and other races of Ursula Le Guins Ekumen stories
- Kromags of Sliders (descended from Cro-Magnons)
- Nietzscheans (Andromeda)
- Second through Last Men (Last and First Men)
- Terra Novans (Star Trek)
- Vilani of the Traveller RPG, known for their bureaucratic tendencies and empire building
- Zhodani of the Traveller RPG, known for their psionic abilities
- in Star Trek: The Next Generation, the episode "The Chase" revealed that all the humanoid races in the galaxy are the result of genetic tinkering by a single humanoid race in the distant past called The Preservers.
Feline humanoids
This form has been popular. They are usually warrior-like as well:- Aslan of the Traveller RPG
- Hani of C. J. Cherryh
- Kilrathi of the Wing Commander games
- Kymnar of FTL:2448
- Kzinti of Larry Niven's Known Space series
- Tran of Alan Dean Foster's Icerigger
- Unnamed aliens in Fritz Leiber's The Wanderer
Insectoid Aliens
- The Aliens of the Alien movies
- Brood (Marvel Comics)
- Cinnrusskin of James White's Sector General series
- Drak (Farscape)
- Mesklinites of Hal Clement's Mission of Gravity (caterpillars)
- Thranx of Alan Dean Foster's Humanx Commonwealth series
- Xindi (Star Trek)
Centaurs
- Ishtarians of Poul Anderson's Fire Time
- Kymellians (Horse head w/ humanoid body; Marvel Comics)
- Tenebrians of Hal Clement's Close to Critical
- Titanides of John Varley's Gaea-trilogy
- Andalites of KA Applegate's Animorphs
Reptilians and Amphibians
- Badoon (Marvel Comics)
- Cardassians (Star Trek)
- Dracs of Barry B. Longyear's Enemy Mine and The Enemy Papers
- Gorn
- Hutts (Star Wars)
- Hynerians (Farscape)
- Jem'Hadar (Star Trek)
- Lithians of James Blish's A Case of Conscience
- Narn (Babylon 5)
- Predator aliens (Predator)
- Rodians (Star Wars)
- Sheyangs (Farscape)
- Skrulls (Marvel Comics)
- Snarks (Marvel Comics)
- Trandoshans (Star Wars)
- Vaadwaur (Star Trek)
- Velantians (Lensman books) notable for their multiplicity of eyes and various appendages
- Voth (Star Trek)
- Yilane of West of Eden series of Harry Harrison
- the frog-like Gowachin of Frank Herbert's stories
- and various variations of dinosaurs
Aquatic species
Parasites and symbionts
- Energy Rider (Farscape)
- Goa'uld of Stargate SG-1
- the eponymous aliens of The Puppet Masters
- Trill (Star Trek)
- the Wirrn, Krynoid, and Fendahl of Doctor Who
- Yeerks (Animorphs)
Robotic and Mechanical aliens
- Berserkers of Fred Saberhagen's Berserker series
- Borg (Star Trek)
- Cybermen and Daleks of Doctor Who
- Cylons of Battlestar Galactica
- Phalanx (Marvel Comics)
Space-Living Creatures
Sentient Plants & Fungi
- Delvians (Farscape)
Ancient Races
Aliens that have either disappeared and left only ruins or developed to godlike- practically omnipotent entities.
- Unnamed and unseen aliens in 2001: A Space Odyssey
- Ancients (Farscape)
- The Arisians and Eddorians of E. E. Smith's Lensman novels; compare:
- The Vorlons and Shadows of Babylon 5
- Heechee of Frederick Pohl
- See also Arthur C. Clarke's short story "The Star"
- August Derleth's Elder Gods
- The Ancients of Stargate SG-1
- both of Terry Pratchett's early science fiction novels, Strata and The Dark Side of the Sun, offer subversions of the paradigm
More unusual forms
- Abyormenites of Hal Clement's Cycle of Fire (floating ballons - one race, that is)
- Black Cloud of Fred Hoyle (interstellar dust cloud)
- the Caleban of Frank Herbert's Whipping Star (invisible telepathic beings who are actually the minds of stars)
- the Doublers, two-in-one semi-humanoids of Stanislaw Lem's Eden
- Dugs (Star Wars)
- the Gladifers of Dennis Paul Himes
- Hivers of Traveller RPG (modified starfish)
- Horta (Star Trek)
- Meehooks from the comic book series ''Fusion, "dinosaurs with fur"
- Methorians of Barrington J. Bayley's Zen Gun (gaseous giant-giant dwellers)
- Oankali of Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis series
- Prophets (Star Trek)
- Puppeteers of Larry Niven's Ringworld and Known Space series (three legs, two manipulative heads)
- Rigellians (Lensman books) which are barrel-shaped with four tentacular arms and four stubby legs
- Solaris by Stanislaw Lem (living planet)
- Tholians (Star Trek)
- Tralfamadorians of Kurt Vonnegut (The Sirens of Titan, Slaughterhouse 5)
- Trillions of Nicholas Fisk (small collective crystals)
- Aliens that are product of mechanical evolution in The Invincible by Stanislaw Lem
Shape-shifting aliens
- Changelings (Star Trek)
- the Tleilaxu of Frank Herbert's Dune novels
Unintelligent creatures
- Banthas (Star Wars)
- The Colour Out of Space by H. P. Lovecraft (disputed)
- Tribbles, from Star Trek; compare
- Flat Cats from Robert A Heinlein's Space Family Stone book
- Flat Cats from Robert A Heinlein's Space Family Stone book
Aliens From other Dimensions
- Digimon of Digimon
- The D-Reaper from digimon
- Q (Star Trek)
- Species 8472 of (Star Trek)
- Unnamed Telepathic Aliens of Babylon 5: Thirdspace
Galactic communities
- Uplift series by David Brin depicts pan-galactic community of various alien species
- Known Space by Larry Niven on a smaller scale
- Star Trek
- Star Wars
References
- Wayne Douglas Barlowe, Ian Summers and Beth Meacham: Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials
- Stanley Schmidt: Aliens and Alien Societies (Writer's Digest)
- Jack Cohen and Ian Stewart: Evolving the Alien - the science of extraterrestrial life
