The word is Carcinisation
82reminder:
55You guys should read the Stormlight archives. Fuckin everything is a crab, even the plants.
53I couldn't finish the first book. :(( Ironically, I liked how he finished Wheel of Time. I DK. It's not terribly written; it just didn't stick. Robert Jordan was a far worse writer lol.
10Way of Kings is honestly a more like a prequel for the series. It’s pretty much ONLY setting up the characters and world building. So if you don’t get into that you might not finish.
3Way of Kings is the best book in the series, so if you didn't like that, then you won't like the series.
Jordan tended to ramble (especially about women's clothing), but I wouldn't say he was a worse writer. Some of his writing was exceptional. It started tapering off near the end because he was dying. Book 11 especially is a hard slog. But when he was healthy he had some great writing.
Sanderson is a great writer too, but he uses a different pacing style, which is more modern. So his writing will click more with people today. I really loved how it picked the pace back up with WoT after the slog, brought it all together, and finished the epic story. Jordan had extensive notes, and he and Sanderson worked together to ensure the story was finished. I really love that Sanderson respected Jordan's work, and finished it as Jordan would have instead of trying to make it his own thing.
I love both authors, and have read all of WoT and everything Sanderson has written. If you want to give an original Sanderson book a try, start with Mistborn. That book is very good, and isn't a 1000 page introduction to a 14,000 page saga. It's short and there are two more books that conclude the trilogy. He wrote more Mistborn books later, but they're in a whole different era, and weren't to my liking. The original trilogy is great!
0Way of Kings is the best book in the series, so if you didn't like that, then you won't like the series.
Jordan tended to ramble (especially about women's clothing), but I wouldn't say he was a worse writer. Some of his writing was exceptional. It started tapering off near the end because he was dying. Book 11 especially is a hard slog. But when he was healthy he had some great writing.
Sanderson is a great writer too, but he uses a different pacing style, which is more modern. So his writing will click more with people today. I really loved how it picked the pace back up with WoT after the slog, brought it all together, and finished the epic story. Jordan had extensive notes, and he and Sanderson worked together to ensure the story was finished. I really love that Sanderson respected Jordan's work, and finished it as Jordan would have instead of trying to make it his own thing.
I love both authors, and have read all of WoT and everything Sanderson has written. If you want to give an original Sanderson book a try, start with Mistborn. That book is very good, and isn't a 1000 page introduction to a 14,000 page saga. It's short and there are two more books that conclude the trilogy. He wrote more Mistborn books later, but they're in a whole different era, and weren't to my liking. The original trilogy is great!
0
Cytoverse too
4Why don't I remember this?
1Axehounds, Parshendi, chulls, chasmfiends, songlings, rockbuds, etc.
Oh and the generic “cremling”
8
If this post is awakening some weird feelings in you, there’s an episode of Futurama you might want to watch.
30Oh yeah, that crab could definitely get it
38
Life can have infinite forms and can exist and evolve in the most inhospit environments. But an advanced tecnologig species only can exist in certain environments and with reduced posibility in their appearence. Aquatic beeings can be intelligent, but never can create advanced tecnologies. The basic condicion of advanced tecnology is the domination of fire and electricity, not possible in the water, it need Oxign in the atmosphere.
They must have limbs skilled enough to handle and construct this technology, a complex communication system, and a binocular vision system (for this reason the most used in all species) to perceive their environment. The humanoid shape is one that best fits these maxims and therefore it is quite possible that an advanced species would also have a more or less similar shape.
It is known as convergent evolution, when unrelated species have a very similar physique to each other by living with the same challenges in similar environments. Evolution always use similar solutions for similar tasks. A good example is the genet, which looks and behaves very similar to cats, even with retractil claws), but they are a completely different species (Viverridae)
21Land octopi would be pretty cool though.
16Tech needs electricity and fire is not universal. That is what we use.
Our brain is lot more complicated and efficient than the computers we make and it uses ions, in liquid media. So something that lives in water could definitely be able to make something that would be able to use similar things to do processing. Water is also really good with doing things, it's flexible but doesn't compress/expand like air does. Think about hydraulic systems. You can make them smaller and smaller as your tech progresses. Mechanical things using metals and such would work in water as well. Think about gold and such that can be used for electricity as well, we don't use it because it's valuable, but an alien world could have abundance of gold for them to use.
10Fire as base is needed. To make hydraulic or other tech, you need metal, and to work with metal, you need fire to melt and form it. An aquatic species can evolve to an advanced intelligence, but it can't evolved to an advanced tecnology. Dolphinse have a great intelligence, not far from the humans, but they never can be a tecnologic advanced species, they don't have even hands to manipulate tools. They use tools in a basic way, they even use old fishernets they found on the ground to hunt fishes (observed in the Mediterraneo). But manufactoring it is other thing.
6Don't care how smart you are, you ain't shit without metallurgy followed by electricity. No metallurgy, no electricity, no tech.
Ever read a science fiction novel where the aliens evolved underwater? The author has to twist the story in knots to try and explain how they gained anything advanced without fire.
3
They must have limbs skilled enough to handle and construct this technology, a complex communication system, and a binocular vision system (for this reason the most used in all species) to perceive their environment. The humanoid shape is one that best fits these maxims and therefore it is quite possible that an advanced species would also have a more or less similar shape.
Elephants meet all of these criteria as well. A complex limb (their trunk), a complex communication, and binocular vision (although I don't see why this is necessary).
8Complex limb? Let me see an elephant tie a granny knot. Maybe with training? OK. Do a square knot.
Complex communication? Elephants have communication skills on par with a 3-4 year old human. An intensely trained dog might top 200 words. My vocabulary is an easy 50,000 words. Yours is too.
Binocular vision is a must, that's a given. Damn near every animal on the planet has it, even some worms.
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A fairly small number of known species evolved to the vaguely humanoid form, but 100% of known species with a human level of higher intelligence have had roughly this body plan, it's really not unreasonable to extrapolate that this could be a common body plan for intelligent aliens.
17known species with a human level of higher intelligence
- Humans (allegedly; evidence points to most being dumb as a rock).
- Some species of extinct hominids (sure, but they're extinct).
- Dolphins (and orcas, which are big fancy dolphins); absolute creeps, though.
- Whales, possibly, though they tend to keep to themselves, so who knows.
- Some species of octopods.
- Some species of parrots.
- Some species of corvids.
- I swear some of those black and white sheepdogs seem more intelligent than many of the people I know.
22Dolphins and whales might be intelligent, but their bodies do not allow them effective use of complex tools. Same for birds.
Octopods do have a body that is flexible enough, but having evolved in water is a huge limiting factor. But some are able to move around outside water, so it's not too far fetched to imagine becoming a global species.
7My cat. Seriously, stop looking at my lazer pointer and start chasing that freaking dot wtf. I swear sometime she chase it just to entertain me, else i'll be standing there waving like a total idiot.
3None of those animals have human levels of intelligence except for the humans. When was the last time you saw an orca use calculus to solve the mysteries of the universe, or antibiotics to cure their sickness? They're smart, but they're nowhere near as smart as humans.
0
Taken more seriously, having the evolutionary background to have:
- fine control over your limbs, like fingers
- 3D-thinking (throwing) and manipulation
- cooperation
another human-like civilization is pretty unlikely.
8So the crabs don't talk to you either
1
Project Hail Mary got this really right. The aliens are big rock crabs
16It was such a good book. I can't wait for the movie release! Apparently its due to he released in 2026.
2
You know who's not a coward? Captain James T Kirk.
15Yeah, he was well known for spreading STDs throughout the universe - including crabs.
3
But what if the human form is a prerequisite for evolving into the space age? We wouldn't need so many tools if we were strong as a crab to begin with
15I've never seen a crab measure thousandths of an inch, or back a Phillip's head screw out of a hole with their crab strength. Tools are still required.
7
13Taste like crab, talk like people.
6Crab people. Crab people.
4
Someone needs to rule 34 crabs. And then delete their Internet history as thoroughly as possible.
13
24(V) OwO (V) What's this? snip snip
15
The squid bois from Arrival are cool
11Funny to think about it: Crabs are a huge local maximum of peak evolution
10
8I believe in miracles
Since you came along
You sexy thing2
Neal Asher's Praedor Moon is a fun read if you want to see what advanced humans would do against space faring crabs.
7Rumors say that the upcoming new Children of time book will also involve crabs
2Do we explode them? Exploding them seems like something we'd do. Or maybe boil and eat them.
1We explode them, they explode us. Oh also they enslave captured humans or just outright eat them.
3
The entire Polity series is great, but my favourite parts are always when we follow a Prador perspective.
1
I doubt crabs could make it as an intelligent interplanetary species. I mean claws are cool and all, but really tough to use tools with.
6Sure, but have you ever tried to disarm a crab and lived to tell the tale?
4„disarm a crab“ 🦀🔪
1I sure the fuck wouldn't want to fight a giant crab. I just don't think they could build an interstellar space ship, that's all.
1
What is this "crabbification" evolution trend you speak of?
Intelligence favours dexterity of making/holding weapons and tools. Claws are not as good. Armour is always a nice to have, but the offense from weapons use from "hands" is better. I do like the idea of 360 rotating "eye arms" to catch backstabbers. Maybe more arms and legs.
3Howvabout Lizard people?
2There are sexy lizards
1
A meme consisting of text is not a meme.
You need a picture too.
No, a picture of text doesn't count.
-5If noting else, at least your username is correct.
5Wow. Creative and hurtful. You should feel proud.
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