Paper Summary:

This paper examines the theme of invasion in science fiction and how it is, in fact, a colonial topic. The paper also takes a look at related themes such as infestation and infection. It draws upon famous film examples such as "Robocop", "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", and "Alien" to illustrate the symbolic significance of the invader's appearance and what it represents. To conclude, the paper asserts that battles against slick and slimy science-fiction monsters and bad guys reflect the West's battle against outside religious extremists.

From the Paper:

"Invasions taking over the mind or body, in an offensively intimate way, are all part of the colonial horror. We are beguiled by a slick oppressor. Memorable science fiction films hone in on this theme of the intruder's allure. A storm trooper is as glossy as a Nazi soldier's boots. There is a brutal anonymity to their sheen, which makes viewers feel dishevelled yet intrigued with what lies beneath. On the other hand, the monster in Alien is covered in slick ooze (Pickover 99). The monster resembles a malignant organ. Ridley Scott's monster is like the lost part of our civilized psyche's missing mojo, and we almost want to stuff it back in, though the monster's only goal is to destroy (Mulhall 47). It is like an AIDS virus: death within temptation. In my opinion, this connection between bodily fascination and death has helped keep the Alien franchise lucrative."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Biskind, Peter. Seeing is Believing. New York: Pantheon Books, 1983.
• Constable, Catherine. "Becoming the Monster's Mother: Morphologies of Identity in the Alien Series." Alien Zone II: the spaces of science fiction cinema. Ed. Annette Kuhn. New York: Verso, 1999.
• Corrigen, Timothy. A Short Guide to Writing About Film. 5th Ed. New York: Pearson, 2004.
• George, Susan A. "Space for Resistance: The Disruption of the American Frontier Myth in 1950s Science." Space and beyond: The Frontier Theme in Science Fiction. Ed. Gary Westfahl. Westport: Greenwood Press, 2000.
• Jones, Gwyneth. "The icons of science fiction." The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction. Ed. Edward James, Farah Mendlesohn. London: Cambridge University Press, 2003.

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