Ten of the best aliens in science fiction

For the Guardian, John Mullan named ten of the best aliens in science fiction.

One entry on the list:

Tralfamadorians

In Kurt Vonnegut's novel Slaughterhouse-Five, Billy Pilgrim is kidnapped by these inquisitive and fairly benign aliens, who put him in a zoo. They look like green toilet plungers. "Their suction cups were on the ground, and ... at the top of each shaft was a little hand with a green eye in its palm. The creatures were friendly, and they could see in four dimensions".

Read about the other aliens on the list.

Slaughterhouse-5 also made Charlie Jane Anders and Michael Ann Dobbs's list of twelve great stories to help you to cope with mortality, Sebastian Beaumont's top 10 list of books about psychological journeys, and Tiffany Murray's top ten list of black comedies.

--Marshal Zeringue