Star Trek

I don’t know that I particularly object to the aliens rip-off as science fiction is nothing but a collection of borrowed ideas. How those ideas are used is what matters. I appreciate that the author is pointing out that while Arena demonstrates that understanding and compromise are always possible, this new take on the Gorn demonstrates that not everyone will be interested in understanding and compromise. That is in keeping with how the Gorn originally conducted themselves.

It is additionally valuable in how we deal with real world “monsters”. People often try to seek understanding and compromise with ruthless aggressors and that’s not always possible. Putin and the war in Ukraine being the most salient recent example.

Whether such an aggressive species could develop technology isn’t really important for me. I saw a comic the other day about the Klingon that developed warp drive and the artist playfully makes a similar claim about them. Maybe the Gorn have a caste system, maybe they’re half of a symbiotic relationship (I particularly like this idea, given their parasitic nature) or maybe they just stole it from the unwary.

I think these Gorn raise interesting questions and, if we allow it, theorize about interesting new ideas. That’s exactly what science fiction should do.