What do Thargoids look like?

jonnycuba · Post by **jonnycuba** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 11:13 pm

I always think of Praying Mantis type insectoids, multiple 'arms' moving swiftly over the astro console. communicating with cricket like chirps...

Star Gazer · Post by **Star Gazer** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 11:53 pm

yeah - like the creatures out of Quatermass and the Pit

Murgh · Post by **Murgh** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 8:15 am

my take on Thargoids has merged a bit over the years with the Formigs/Buggers of the Ender stories. although not quite as empathic as those turn out to be.

since you wonder, I made this a year or two ago

TGHC · Post by **TGHC** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 8:38 am

Excerpts from the Dark Wheel

Alex scanned the high walls for a hint of McGreavy's warehouse. As he did so he found himself standing behind two tall, violent-looking insect-forms, their bodies armoured in light grey, their facetted eyes swivelling to stare at him as they talked together, chelicerae clashing and clacking in their peculiar mode of communication.

Alex stepped away, heart beating, blood rushing to his head. Compound eyes, jointed limbs, head antennae, double cutting jaws . . .
Thargoids!
Here, on a space station!

Thargoids were deadly. Thargoid spacers had their fear-glands removed, and were considered to be the most effective and potent of humankind's enemies.

and

Alex looked at the Thru-V pictures, and for a second couldn't comprehend the grotesque sights he saw. Looking through the bodies of the Mymurth, the camera had picked up the spider-like life-forms that were living inside the shuffling, harmless turtle-forms. The sight was discomforting. Jointed legs seemed to be reaching out into every limb, and every body space. The central black body was shiny, and from it peered a number of bloated, faceted eyes. Two long, bristly tendrils stretched into the Mymurth's brains from each of these hideous parasites.
'What are they?' Alex whispered, and Elyssia said,
'Trouble. They're immature Thargoids'

Post by **winston** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 8:39 am

I always thought that the Thargoid would look like a scaled up spiny stick insect. (The ones seen in the Myrmuth were the larvae).

Selezen · Post by **Selezen** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 3:42 pm

They do apparently have one more thoracic segment than Oresrians.

Star Gazer · Post by **Star Gazer** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 4:31 pm

Dilbert · Post by **Dilbert** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 9:44 pm

Just don't publish any cartoons of them. Apparently that really tees them off...

Selezen · Post by **Selezen** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 10:49 pm

Rob Holdstock wrote:
Alex scanned the high walls for a hint of McGreavy's warehouse. As he did so he found himself standing behind two tall, violent-looking insect-forms, their bodies armoured in light grey, their facetted eyes swivelling to stare at him as they talked together, chelicerae clashing and clacking in their peculiar mode of communication.

Alex stepped away, heart beating, blood rushing to his head. Compound eyes, jointed limbs, head antennae, double cutting jaws . . .
Thargoids!
Here, on a space station!

Thargoids were deadly. Thargoid spacers had their fear-glands removed, and were considered to be the most effective and potent of humankind's enemies. The bounty for killing a Thargoid was huge, and for capturing and delivering the juvenile form, the Tharglet, to any Space Navy research centre, even greater.
What were they doing here?

The Thargoids chatted together and watched Alex coldly. Alex noticed that each had an appendage resting on its thoracic plate, where they holstered their hand-lasers.

'Back off,' a voice whispered, and Alex turned. McGreavy stood there blinking through his deformities. Alex had not grasped how short the man was; he only came up as far as Alex's chest.
'Thargoids . . .' he whispered.

'Bullshit,' McGreavy said, and dragged Alex away. 'They're Oresrians, and the one thing that can make an Oresrian deadly is being confused the way you've just confused them, with their deadly enemies the Thargoids. Check the thorax markings and the shape of the fourth joint on each hind leg before you jump to conclusions again . . .'

ok, so it's not a thoracic segment then...sorry. I've always envisaged them as big scary praying mantis types.

Murgh · Post by **Murgh** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 5:22 am

Dilbert wrote:
Just don't publish any cartoons of them. Apparently that really tees them off...

you mean I'm in for a thatwa?

jonnycuba · Post by **jonnycuba** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 7:53 am

No the mean green of a Tharg lazer in dat ...
(look at the Oolite BB logo for a clue)

Post by **winston** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 8:43 am

There'd surely be a song called "The Pirates of Riedquat" in their song list!