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Material Research
1. Imagination
My first and main material will be my imagination. Although it's not a tangible material I think it's the most important for this project. My goal is to create a new alien species that is completely original. I believe the success of this project will be directly correlated with my ability to imagine something that is all my own. My first step is researching fictional alien species from popular sci-fi shows and movies (i.e. Star Wars, MCU, Futurama, Doctor Who, etc.) both as a way of gathering ideas but also ensuring I don't make a character that's not original.
Notable lifeforms
Artificial - any sort of automan that possesses
artificial intelligence
Examples include Data from Star Trek, an android,
Bender from Futurama, a robot, and Vision from
the MCU, a carbon-based synthezoid.
(Although Vision is carbon-based, his consciousness
began as an AI created by Tony Stark.)
Biomimetic - an organism capable of biological mimicry
(imitating other organisms or objects)
does not include clones, which are bioreplicants
Examples include Zygons from Doctor Who, Skrulls from
the MCU, and the Blorgulax from Futurama
Cybernetic organism (cyborg) - a biological organism
that has been cybernetically augmented
Cyborgs are NOT the same as robots. The key difference
between a cyborg (which sometimes is put under the
category of artificial lifeforms) and a robot is that a cyborg
is a biological organism and generally does not contain AI.
Cyborgs are on a spectrum between human and robot;
some began as humans and were "tinkered with" while
others have always been cyborgs. Examples of cyborgs
include Darth Vader from Star Wars, a carbon-based lifeform
whom relies on cybernetic technology for survival,
Nebula from the MCU, a humanoid species that has been
modified with cybernetic enhancements, and Robocop.
Non-corporeal - does not maintain a corporeal form
but may be capable of assuming physical form
Examples include M5438 and Miss Methane from
Futurama, and Force Ghosts from Star Wars