Science Fiction Trivia

[hiran]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrsfV-RmsRo

[Disembodied]

In the original series of Star Trek, there's an episode called "Catspaw" which features shapeshifting aliens, one of whom transforms into a black cat (and, eventually, a giant black cat). And there's another episode - "Assignment: Earth" - which also features a shapeshifter who can assume the form of a cat.

[ffutures]

In the original series of Star Trek, there's an episode called "Catspaw" which features shapeshifting aliens, one of whom transforms into a black cat (and, eventually, a giant black cat). And there's another episode - "Assignment: Earth" - which also features a shapeshifter who can assume the form of a cat.

Okay, I'm going to accept Assignment: Earth because it's gloriously silly - and the cat has a big part in the story! Have an MBP! I really wish that they'd made the time travel spinoff series that was originally intended.



https://cinemacats.com/star-trek-assignment-earth/

That was the fifth answer, so Disembodied inherits the poisoned replicated chalice. The metaphorical ball is in your proverbial court...

[Disembodied]

Right … continuing the theme, a bit, let's have five alien pets. That is, five examples of non-sapient alien creatures kept as domestic companions. To qualify as a pet, the creature should serve no practical function other than companionship and/or ornamentation. Anything that acts as a guard, or herds other animals etc. would not count as a pet.

By way of an example: Nibbler from Futurama would NOT count, as he is definitely sapient, although he is initially treated as a pet.

Usual rules: one example per universe.

[ffutures]

James White's Hospital Station (1962), part of the Sector General series had one story in which an alien ship crashed into the hospital station and one of the occupants, a vaguely octopoid creature, got out and started thrashing around in the gravity control system for the pediatric ward and throwing debris at anyone who came near it, and looking hungrily at the alien kiddies. The immediate assumption was a patient with some sort of mania, but it turned out to be an alien pet from the wrecked ship, out of control because its owner was dead (or unconscious, can't actually remember now), which had to be put down to protect the patients. Usefulness, if any, was not mentioned. Hope this is enough of a description!

[Commander_X]

Diziet Sma's hrlazs in Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks (Culture).

[Disembodied]

James White's Hospital Station (1962), part of the Sector General series had one story in which an alien ship crashed into the hospital station and one of the occupants, a vaguely octopoid creature, got out and started thrashing around in the gravity control system for the pediatric ward and throwing debris at anyone who came near it, and looking hungrily at the alien kiddies. The immediate assumption was a patient with some sort of mania, but it turned out to be an alien pet from the wrecked ship, out of control because its owner was dead (or unconscious, can't actually remember now), which had to be put down to protect the patients. Usefulness, if any, was not mentioned. Hope this is enough of a description!

OK, that's good enough. That's one.

Diziet Sma's hrlazs in Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks (Culture).

Ms Sma's pet hralzs from Use of Weapons makes two … I would also have accepted the proto-sentient Styglian enumerator from The Player of Games.

Three to go!

[RockDoctor]

To qualify as a pet, the creature should serve no practical function other than companionship and/or ornamentation. Anything that acts as a guard, or herds other animals etc. would not count as a pet.

John Noakes and his pseudo-canid overlord "Shep" from the bizarre sit-com that was "Blue Peter". Noakes certainly couldn't herd a sheep or guard a packet of sandwiches, so it's not clear what use he performed to "Shep"
Apart from as a self-propelled tin-opener that is.

Sorry, I'm reading too much Charlie Stross, and I'm seeing aliens under the bed.

[ffutures]

Tribbles. About as useless as any pet can be, with the possible exception of them being Klingon-repellent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwG6MO92xtI

[Disembodied]

Sorry, I'm reading too much Charlie Stross, and I'm seeing aliens under the bed.

Oh, how we yearn for the basic competence of the New Management!

Tribbles. About as useless as any pet can be, with the possible exception of them being Klingon-repellent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwG6MO92xtI

Tribbles would count … they were definitely sold as pets, even if the purchasers weren't aware of the complications. That's three.

[ffutures]

This one is very similar to tribbles (and was probably part of the inspiration for them) and I will quite understand if Disembodied disallows it:

Flat Cats from Heinlein's The Rolling Stones (1952) (Space Family Stone in the UK) - To quote Wikipedia:

In the chapter "Free Enterprise", the character Mr. Angelo, a shopkeeper on Mars, introduces Castor and Pollux Stone to a flat cat:

Angelo tickled it with a forefinger; it began to purr like a high-pitched buzzer. It had no discernible features, being merely a pie-shaped mass of sleek red fur a little darker than Castor's own hair. "They're affectionate little things and many of the sand rats keep them for pets - a man has to have someone to talk to when he's out prospecting and a flat cat is better than a wife because it can't talk back. It just purrs and snuggles up to you."

The boys take the flat cat onto the family space ship, where it soon has eight "kittens", each of which soon gives birth again, until the ship is overwhelmed with flat cats. The family solves the problem by rounding up the flat cats and putting them into the storage hold at low temperature, where they hibernate. They are later revived and sold to miners in the asteroid belt.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_cat

[Disembodied]

Flat Cats from Heinlein's The Rolling Stones (1952) (Space Family Stone in the UK)

They might be similar/inspirational, but they're different creatures from a different universe … I'll allow them (but I think we can now rule out trumbles and any other similar fast-breeding spinoffs and derivatives).

One more for the prize!

[NigelJK]

Ripley's cat,Jones, in Alien.
https://alienanthology.fandom.com/wiki/ ... he%20crew.

[Disembodied]

Ripley's cat,Jones, in Alien.
https://alienanthology.fandom.com/wiki/ ... he%20crew.

Sorry, no: for this question we're looking for PONTOs - pets of non-terrestrial origin!

Right … continuing the theme, a bit, let's have five alien pets. That is, five examples of non-sapient alien creatures kept as domestic companions.

[NigelJK]

Ah missed that, evidently.