There is a movie, District 9, where some aliens become stranded on Earth and are confined to a slum in Johannesburg, South Africa. They are derogatorily referred to as “prawns” because they resemble giant walking shrimp. Their living conditions loosely resemble those of the hood. They loosely resemble Donald Goines characters.
The best example that I know of is in Isaac Asimov’s “Prelude to Foundation” when Dors Venibili and Hari Seldon venture into the Billibotton district in the Dahl region on the planet Trantor. Billibotton is a lawless gangocracy and might resemble a Goines world.
One of the challenges in creating alien characters is that, in order to be interesting they must have a nature that is fundamentally different than human nature. This requires an author to have a grasp of human nature in the first place. At the same time the aliens must have enough in common with humans that we can find a way to connect to each other’s experience. The Oankali would represent an example of well crafted aliens. Mythological characters probably present a similar challenge.
I have just completed “Foundation and Earth” and have submitted a reservation for “Xenogenesis” at the library. They have the entire trilogy in one volume. When it comes in I will have one month to read it.
I see that you have published sequels to your story.
