Bug-eyed monster
Encyclopedia
Bug-eyed monster is an early convention
of the science fiction
genre. Extraterrestrials
in science fiction of the 1930s were often described (or pictured on covers of pulp magazine
s) as grotesque creatures with huge, oversized
or compound eye
s and a lust
for women, blood
and general destruction. The term is now often abbreviated
to BEM.
In the contactee/abductee mythology which grew up quickly beginning in 1952, the blond, blue-eyed and friendly Space Brothers of the 1950s were quickly replaced by small, unfriendly bug-eyed creatures, closely matching in many respects the pulp cover clichés of the 1930s which have remained the abductor norm since the 1960s.
Artists Boris Vallejo
and Julie Bell
are famous for their artwork in this genre.
Convention (norm)
A convention is a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted standards, norms, social norms or criteria, often taking the form of a custom....
of the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
genre. Extraterrestrials
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
in science fiction of the 1930s were often described (or pictured on covers of pulp magazine
Pulp magazine
Pulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
s) as grotesque creatures with huge, oversized
or compound eye
Eye
Eyes are organs that detect light and convert it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons. The simplest photoreceptors in conscious vision connect light to movement...
s and a lust
Lust
Lust is an emotional force that is directly associated with the thinking or fantasizing about one's desire, usually in a sexual way.-Etymology:The word lust is phonetically similar to the ancient Roman lustrum, which literally meant "purification"...
for women, blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
and general destruction. The term is now often abbreviated
Abbreviation
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase...
to BEM.
In the contactee/abductee mythology which grew up quickly beginning in 1952, the blond, blue-eyed and friendly Space Brothers of the 1950s were quickly replaced by small, unfriendly bug-eyed creatures, closely matching in many respects the pulp cover clichés of the 1930s which have remained the abductor norm since the 1960s.
Artists Boris Vallejo
Boris Vallejo
Boris Vallejo is a Peruvian-born American painter. He immigrated to the United States in 1964, and he currently resides in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He frequently works with Julie Bell, his wife, painter, and model....
and Julie Bell
Julie Bell
Julie Bell is an American painter. A fantasy artist and wildlife artist, she is a former bodybuilder and fantasy model for her husband, painter Boris Vallejo.-Career:...
are famous for their artwork in this genre.
Popular culture
- The most frequent "bug-eyed monster" in pop culture is the Daleks from Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. When the show was created, the BBC producers stated that Doctor Who would be a "hard" sci-fiHard science fictionHard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by an emphasis on scientific or technical detail, or on scientific accuracy, or on both. The term was first used in print in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller in a review of John W. Campbell, Jr.'s Islands of Space in Astounding Science...
show, and there would be no bug-eyed monsters. Writer Terry Nation created the Daleks in the show's second serial. These have frequently been referred to as a bug-eyed monster since that time. - A 1968 Japanese animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
called Yōkai Ningen BemYokai Ningen Bemis a 26 episode Japanese anime television series which first aired on Fuji TV between October 7, 1968 and March 31, 1969, on its 19:30-20:00 timeslot....
is based on this concept.http://www.bem-tv.com/ - Bug-Eyed Monsters (specifically called "BEMS") are prominently featured in fantasy novel Bearing an HourglassBearing an HourglassBearing A Hourglass is a fantasy novel by Piers Anthony. It is the second of eight books in the Incarnations of Immortality series.-Plot introduction:Norton accepts the position of incarnation of Time and continues his life living backwards in time....
, as a sort of "simulation" created by Satan for the book's protagonist Norton while he is new in his new official role as the Incarnation of Time. Female BEMS are called BEM femmes – or Bemmes. - Bug-eyed monsters were mentioned in Douglas AdamsDouglas AdamsDouglas Noel Adams was an English writer and dramatist. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television...
's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series created by Douglas Adams. Originally a radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1978, it was later adapted to other formats, and over several years it gradually became an international multi-media phenomenon...
:
"Excuse me?" said Arthur. "Are you trying to tell me that we just stuck out our thumbs and some green bug-eyed monster stuck his head out and said, 'Hi fellas, hop right in. I can take you as far as the Basingstoke roundabout'?"
"Well," said Ford, "the Thumb's an electronic sub-etha signalling device, the roundabout's at Barnard's Star six light years away, but otherwise, that's more or less right."
"And the bug-eyed monster?"
"Is green, yes."
- Unusually, the main character himself is a bug-eyed monster in the animated children's television series Invader ZimInvader ZimInvader Zim is an American animated television series created by Jhonen Vasquez. It was produced by and subsequently aired on Nickelodeon. The series revolves around an extraterrestrial named Zim from the planet Irk, and his ongoing mission to conquer and destroy Earth...
. - The PokémonPokémonis a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
species Beheeyem is based on the concept of the Bug-eyed monster.
- Unusually, the main character himself is a bug-eyed monster in the animated children's television series Invader Zim