If you were an alien from outer space...

[Vautrin]

...and because of your advanced technology were able to learn all the human languages: Which one novel or play would you send back to your world that truly depicts humanity the best, and why?


:alien: :conehead:

[applepie]

You actually had me until you said "at its best". I can't say that I can really think of a novel I've read that portrays humanity at its best. There are often characters within them all that are good, but pretty much all that I read also has the opposite personification of bad...

[dfloyd]

Don Quixote, the Knight of the Doleful Countenance

[Vautrin]

You actually had me until you said "at its best". I can't say that I can really think of a novel I've read that portrays humanity at its best. There are often characters within them all that are good, but pretty much all that I read also has the opposite personification of bad...


Hi mkhockenberry. I think you misread it. I never wrote, "at its best." I wrote, "...depicts humanity the best", as in most accurately. Hope this clarifies things.

[Lumiere]

Don Quixote, the Knight of the Doleful Countenance

Interesting choice!

I'll go with The Picture of Dorian Gray.

[IceM]

My gut reaction says Slaughterhouse 5.

My focused mind things The Red Badge of Courage.

My cynical self thinks of Othello.

Any one of the three would do fine, I think.

[applepie]

Hi mkhockenberry. I think you misread it. I never wrote, "at its best." I wrote, "...depicts humanity the best", as in most accurately. Hope this clarifies things.

:lol: I did misread it, and now I feel silly :p In a lot of ways I would have to default to saying the Lord of the Rings books. I suppose it is a bit of an odd choice, but I really think that it reflects all of the variations of good and evil in human condition even if it is a fantasy.

[aliengirl]

Its difficult to choose. But I think (being an alien myself) I would recommend Animal Farm by George Orwell and the complete set of Shakespeare's plays.

[PeterL]

The Ship That Sailed the Time Stream without a doubt. It shows essentially everything about how Earthlings operate.

I have actually sent back a number of works of fiction. They aren't completely relevant to intelligent life on other planets, but there are a few general themes that are loved by other species.

[The Comedian]

How the Grinch Stole Christmas is my choice.

[hellsapoppin]

What writing "truly depicts humanity the best"?

I would send Charlie Chaplin's "Modern Times" both as a movie and script.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0XjRivGfiw

[Scheherazade]

Lord of the Flies

[applepie]

Lord of the Flies

That was my other pick, but then I started to think of the implication that people are inherently evil. While it makes a bit of sense in theory, I tend to believe that people are inherently good and may otherwise be led astray.

[mal4mac]

If I was that advanced I would realise that humanity could not be captured in just one play or novel. It's like asking to send just one item of food back from the supermarket that best typifies the human taste in food. Fish or chips? :)

[prendrelemick]

If I was from an Alien culture that understood irony, I would send Terry pratchett's Gnome Trilogy- about Aliens who live among us but can't quite work us out.

Otherwise Xenophon's Anabasis would be perfect.

[Vautrin]

So far I really like some of the choices. I noticed a few people choosing novels that describe how we govern ourselves, or at least the unfortunate evolution and end result of such attempts (e.g., Lord of the Flies/ Animal Farm). Others selected novels that reveal the human response to hardship, war (Slaughterhouse 5/ The Red Badge of Courage), racism (Othello), love, jealousy, and manipulation (also Othello), imagination and the love of adventure (Don Quixote). A few even decided on books that revolve around our idea of other worlds and how we would react to them given our unique human qualities.

Based on the choices thus far: Should the one novel or play include a bit of each? A book discussing government, love, war, religion, adventure, deception, human expression and science? Does one such book or play even exist?
Perhaps, 1984? War and Peace? Candide?