Insectoids in science fiction and fantasy explained

In science fiction and fantasy literatures, the term insectoid ("insect-like") denotes any fantastical fictional creature sharing physical or other traits with ordinary insects (or arachnids). Most frequently, insect-like or spider-like extraterrestrial life forms is meant; in such cases convergent evolution may presumably be responsible for the existence of such creatures. Occasionally, an earth-bound setting — such as in the film The Fly (1958), in which a scientist is accidentally transformed into a grotesque human–fly hybrid, or Kafka's famous novella The Metamorphosis (1915), which does not bother to explain how a man becomes an enormous insect — is the venue.

Etymology

The term insectoid denotes any creature or object that shares a similar body or traits with common earth insects and arachnids. The term is a combination of "insect" and "-oid" (a suffix denoting similarity).

History

Insect-like extraterrestrials have long been a part of the tradition of science fiction. In the 1902 film A Trip to the Moon, Georges Méliès portrayed the Selenites (moon inhabitants) as insectoid.^[1] The Woggle-Bug appeared in L. Frank Baum's Oz books beginning in 1904. Olaf Stapledon incorporates insectoids in his 1937 Star Maker novel.^[2] In the pulp fiction novels, insectoid creatures were frequently used as the antagonists threatening the damsel in distress.^[3] Notable later depictions of hostile insect aliens include the antagonistic "Arachnids", or "Bugs", in Robert A. Heinlein's novel Starship Troopers (1959)^[4] and the "buggers" in Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game series (from 1985).^[5]

The hive mind, or group mind, is a theme in science fiction going back to the alien hive society depicted in H. G. Wells's The First Men in the Moon (1901). Hive minds often imply a lack, or loss, of individuality, identity, or personhood. The individuals forming the hive may specialize in different functions, in the manner of social insects.The hive queen has been a figure in novels including C. J. Cherryh's Serpent's Reach (1981)^[6] and the Alien film franchise (from 1979).^[7]

Insectoid sexuality has been addressed in Philip Jose Farmer's The Lovers (1952)^[8] Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis novels (from 1987)^[9] and China Miéville's Perdido Street Station (2000).^[10]

Analysis

The motif of the insect became widely used in science fiction as an "abject human/insect hybrids that form the most common enemy" in related media.^[11] Bugs or bug-like shapes have been described as a common trope in them, and the term 'insectoid' is considered "almost a cliche" with regards to the "ubiquitous way of representing alien life".^[12]

In expressing his ambivalence with regard to science fiction, insectoids were on his mind when Carl Sagan complained of the type of story which "simply ignores what we know of molecular biology and Darwinian evolution.... I have...problems with films in which spiders 30 feet tall are menacing the cities of earth: Since insects and arachnids breathe by diffusion, such marauders would asphyxiate before they could savage their first metropolis".^[13]

Examples

A wide range of different fiction has featured different insectoids ranging from characters and races:

Literature

• Science fiction writer Bob Olsen (1884–1956) wrote a sequence of short stories, two of which involve humans experiencing the life of ants ("The Ant with the Human Soul", Amazing Stories Quarterly, Spring/Summer 1932 and "Perils Among the Drivers", Amazing Stories, March 1934) and one ("Six-Legged Gangsters", Amazing Stories, June 1935) told from the ants' point of view.
• L. Sprague de Camp's novel Rogue Queen (1951), describes the methods of procreation and social mores in a humanoid society patterned after bees.

Comics

Marvel Comics

• The Arthrosians
• The Brood
• Bug
• The Chr'Ylites
• The Horde
• Human Fly
• The Klklk
• The Kt'kn
• The Sakaaran Natives
  • Miek
• The Sligs
• The Sm'ggani
• The Vrellnexians

DC Comics

• The Bugs of New Genesis
  • Forager
  • Mantis
• Charaxas
• The Circadians
• The Freshishs
• Hellgrammite
• Insect Queen
• The Kwai
• The Progeny
• Red Bee II
• The Tchk-Tchkii
• The Tyreans

Image Comics

• The Thraxans

Games

• The Tyranids from Warhammer 40,000^[14]
• The Grekka Targs and Skrashers from StarTopia
• The Thri-kreen from Dungeons & Dragons and especially the Dark Sun^[15] and Spelljammer settings,^{[16] [17]} "praying mantis man"^[18] appearing as antagonists and a player character race.^{[16] [17]}
• The Rachni from Mass Effect

Films

• The Bugs from Men in Black
• The Bugs from Starship Troopers
• The Wasp Woman from Monkeybone
• The Xenomorph from the Alien franchise

Television

• Beetlemon and Stingmon from the Digimon franchise
• Buzz-Off and Webstor from Masters of the Universe
• The Empress of the Racknoss, the Malmooth, the Time Beetle, the Vespiform, the Viperox, the Wiirn, and the Zarbi from Doctor Who
• The Irkins from Invader ZIM
• Stingfly from A.T.O.M.
• Sweet-Bee from
• The Xindi-Insectoids from ^{[19] [20]}

See also

• Bug-eyed monster
• Insects in mythology
• Insects in religion
• List of fictional arthropods
• List of reptilian humanoids
• List of piscine and amphibian humanoids

Notes and References

1. Book: Creed, Barbara. Darwin's Screens: Evolutionary Aesthetics, Time and Sexual Display in the Cinema. 31 March 2014. 2009. Academic Monographs. 9780522852585. 47–.
2. Book: Prucher, Jeff . . 2007-03-21 . . 9780199885527 . 99–100 . insectoid . 31 March 2014 . https://books.google.com/books?id=lJCS0reqmFUC&pg=PA99.
3. Book: Caroti, Simone. The Generation Starship in Science Fiction: A Critical History, 1934-2001. 31 March 2014. 2011-04-14. McFarland. 9780786485765. 63–.
4. Book: Roberts, Adam. Science Fiction. 31 March 2014. 2006-06-19. Routledge. 9781134211784. 72–.
5. Book: Spinrad, Norman. Science Fiction in the Real World. 31 March 2014. 1990. SIU Press. 9780809316717. 26–.
6. Book: Westfahl, Gary. The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy: Themes, Works, and Wonders. 31 March 2014. 2005. Greenwood Publishing Group. 9780313329524. 538–.
7. Book: Csicsery-Ronay, Istvan Jr.. The Seven Beauties of Science Fiction. 31 March 2014. 2008. Wesleyan University Press. 9780819568892. 210–.
8. Book: Mann, George. The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. 31 March 2014. 2012-03-01. Constable & Robinson Limited. 9781780337043. 1915–.
9. Book: Bould. Mark. Butler. Andrew. Roberts. Adam. Sherryl . Vint. Fifty Key Figures in Science Fiction. 31 March 2014. 2009-09-10. Routledge. 9781135285340. 44–.
10. Book: Westfahl, Gary. The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy: Themes, Works, and Wonders. 31 March 2014. 2005-01-01. Greenwood Publishing Group. 9780313329531. 1201–.
11. Book: Budde, Larissa . "Back on the menu": Humans, insectoid aliens, and the creation of ecophobia in science fiction . 2014-01-01 . Brill . 978-94-012-1072-0 . en.
12. Book: Montin . Sarah . Monstrous Geographies: Places and Spaces of the Monstrous . Tsitas . Evelyn . 2019-05-15 . BRILL . 978-90-04-39943-3 . 107 . en.
13. Sagan, Carl (1978), "Growing Up With Science Fiction", The New York Times; May 28, 1978: Section SM, page 7.
14. Book: McCrea, Christian . Chan . Dean . Hjorth . Larissa . 2009 . Gaming Cultures and Place in Asia-Pacific . . 188 . Watching StarCraft, Strategy and South Korea . 9781135843175 . the insectile and swarm-like Tyranids.
15. D&D Dark Sun Revamp Honors a Classic . Baichtal . John . 2010-08-30 . . 2018-10-19.
16. Web site: Dungeons & Dragons: Everything You Need To Know About Playing A Thri-Kreen . Disalvo . Paul . 2022-09-05 . The Gamer . 2024-03-22 . the Thri-Kreen, a four-armed people with insectile features.
17. Book: Dungeons & Dragons Lore & Legends - A Visual Celebration of the Fifth Edition of the World's Greatest Roleplaying Game . Witwer . Michael . Newman . Kyle . Peterson . Jon . Witwer . Sam . 2023 . 9781984859693 . . 375.
18. Panel Discussion . Casey Jex . Smith . 2011-11-06 . D&D in Contemporary Art . https://muleabides.wordpress.com/2010/11/12/dd-in-contemporary-art-video-of-the-panel-discussion/ . Tavis . Allison . New York.
19. Web site: 2017-09-22 . Howell . Elizabeth . 15 of the Most Bizarre Alien Species Featured in 'Star Trek' . . 2024-04-08.
20. Web site: 2017-10-12 . Buxton . Marc . Star Trek: The 50 Best Alien Races . . 2024-04-08.