A few days ago, I was having an intriguing conversation with some friends about how we, as a species, often explain the unknown.
We blame aliens.
Crop circles? Must be aliens.
Mysterious ruins? Must be aliens.
Unexplained lights in the night sky? Must be aliens.
Disturbing abductions? Must be aliens.
Not so very long ago, a mere century or two, and we had a very different explanation for such phenomena.
Crop circles? Mysterious ruins?
Unexplained lights in the night sky?
Disturbing abductions?
Must be fairies!
When I started this piece, I started with a fantastic sky. I had been admiring some antique fairy tale illustrations of "East of the Sun, West of the Moon", but I had a vague plan about a charming young girl and her polar bear steed. As per usual, my art went in a completely different direction.
What happens when Victorian nursery meets Space Invaders meets Fairyland?
Now, you know!
To be accurate, my alien invader is actually an extremely large flying jellyfish, but I have often thought that most science fiction is probably way off when it always portrays alien species as almost all humanoid in style.
I think that the inexplicable and eerily elegant life under the sea seems a more likely visage for our future alien encounters.
Of course, I have absolutely no background in science so don't start betting the corn fields on it....
