Talking Squids in Outer Space
http://www.talkingsquidsinouterspace.com/
By A.M. Dellamonica
It is comparatively easy to recognize a sort of kinship with another mammal: to know, within one's muscles and bones, what a cat must be feeling as it stretches languorously after waking from a long nap, or to relate to the excitement or affection in the face of a dog. Other forms of animal life are more opaque, and cephalopods—the class of invertebrates that includes squid, octopi and cuttlefish—are certainly tough to read. Intelligent, full of contradictions and infinitely flexible, squid and their cousins are unmistakably alien ... so it is small wonder that science-fiction writers often use them as templates for off-world forms of sentient life.  Talking Squids in Outer Space is an online listing of cephalopod-themed SF, be it H.G. Wells' classic novel The War of the Worlds, Vonda McIntyre's Starfarer's Quartet or short fiction, such as "The Shining Ones," by Sir Arthur C. Clarke. Peter Watts' remarkable Rifters series is listed on this page, and Stephen Baxter's story "Sheena 5" is featured in its entirety. Films, artwork and toys are included too, and there are even notations about books that have cephalopods on their covers ... even though there isn't so much as a tentacle within their text.
This site does not neglect real-world cephalopod accomplishments, instead posting links to news articles and videos wherein octopi and squid show off the myriad abilities of this smartest class of invertebrates. The site's "Squiditor" is always looking for new fiction and news listings, so Web surfers with a link to anything remotely squid-oriented are encouraged to drop them a line. |
