The alien left his body, but with the alien went most of his language.
Many Chinese men of letters refused to cooperate with the alien government, seeking refuge in painting and writing.
Instead, Reach tells the story, in 2552, of the beginning of humanity's war with the alien species called the Covenant.
Examples include Roland Emmerich's 10,000 BC, which saw cavemen do battle with the alien warlords of Egypt.
But the best SF understands that there are more interesting things to do with the alien than that.
Gearbox's last dance with the Alien franchise - Aliens: Colonial Marines - was buggy and disappointing, and brought very poor reviews.
In juxtaposing the human with the alien, Faber here repeats the trick he performed in Under the Skin of casting a new light on old subject matter.
Next week, to familiarise both voters and officialdom with the alien procedures of a democratic poll, the country will hold a mock election.
After surviving her first encounter with the alien, Ripley is revived 57 years later to help a team of marines investigate missing colonists.
There are, of course, the many tie-ins with the Alien movies, for which he provided one of the most provocative monster designs in the history of cinema.
Consider Cruise's first encounter with the alien marauders: "He comes home covered in fine, white dust, like a bystander at ground zero".
