Space Elves: Difference between revisions

[[File:Space_Elves7_6701Space Elves7 6701.jpg|frame|<s>Pointy-eared</s> [[Our Elves Are Better|Space smugness comes in multiple flavors]].<ref>A Loroi from [[Outsider]], a Vulcan from [[Star Trek]], an Elerian from [[Master of Orion]], a Na'vi from [[Avatar (film)|Avatar]], A Minbari from [[Babylon 5]], an Asgard from [[Stargate SG-1]].</ref>]]

Some anthropologists [[Wild Mass Guessing|have speculated]] that the tendency to imagine any foriegn intruders who are different from us as [[Elves Versus Dwarves]] is hard-wired, like the theory that humans are hard-wired to imagine [[Our Dragons Are Different|dragons]] because of our [[Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?|bad experience]] with snakes. By this logic, we have an innate tendency to classify "powerful" cultures as inscrutable, slender ([[The Greys|tall]] and/or [[Little Green Men|diminutive]]) beings who were [[Magical Native American|here before us]], have better tools and are [[Witch Species|not to be messed with]],<ref>([[Humans Are Bastards|i.e. us]]. All of which traits were [[Older Than They Think|once attributed]] to pygmies and other neolithic tribes by their Iron Age neighbors)</ref> versus [[Our Dwarves Are All the Same|swarthy, hairy fellows]] who are industrious, engage in untouchable occupations such as mining, and are migrants. [['''Space Elves]]''' would thus occupy an extreme niche in the spectrum.

Type I is a category of [[Our Elves Are Better]] -- [[Our Elves Are Different|actual elves]] [[Recycled in Space|in a non-standard]] [[ISO Standard Fantasy Setting|fantasy setting]]; Compare [[Urban Fantasy]], [[Mundane Fantastic]]. Type II is a category of [[Proud Scholar Race]] -- [[Enlightened Mystic Race|archetypal mystical]], [[Proud Scholar Race|philosophical beings]] that fill the ''same role'' as elves in a non-fantasy setting; Compare [[Proud Warrior Race]] or [[Proud Merchant Race]] for the [[Elves vs. Dwarves]] equivalent. Type III is a category of [[The Fair Folk]] -- beings—beings which are definitely alien but behave almost exactly like the [[Fair Folk]] and sometimes fill the same function (compare [[Ancient Astronauts]], [[The Greys]], [[Little Green Men]]).

Like other [[Proud Scholar Race Guy|Proud Scholar Race Guys]]s, Type II are the most likely characters to have [[Psychic Powers]] (possibly confined to a [[Bizarre Sexual Dimorphism|single gender]]) and the most likely characters in the setting to be [[Technical Pacifist|Technical]] or [[Actual Pacifist|Actual]] [[Perfect Pacifist People]], in contrast to the warlike [[Proud Warrior Race Guy]], who are ironically more likely to be literal [[Elves in Space]].

These are beings that fill the same function as [[The Fair Folk]] in the story or in popular consciousness, except that they (usually) [[Eldritch Abomination|Descended From Outer Space]]. This is ''very commonly'' associated with [[The Greys]], although not always. [[Little Green Men]] can replace [[Leprechaun|Leprechauns]]s. [[Alien Abduction]] may take the place of a [[Changeling Tale]]. When they aren't snatching up our children, [[Year Outside, Hour Inside|unnaturally extending our lifespans]], or performing mystic rites on us for shits and giggles and impregnating our virginal ''(swear to god!)'' women-folk, thus leading to [[Half Human Hybrids]]. They may be [[Sufficiently Advanced]], or [[Ancient Astronauts|older than the hills]]. See also [[Time Abyss]]. One thing Type 3's share in common is they are invariably [[Blue and Orange Morality|Inscrutable]]. See also [[Telepathic Spacemen]].

Compare the '''[[Rule of Three|Three Types of Proud Race Guy]]:''' [[Proud Scholar Race Guy]] (usually [['''Space Elves]]'''), [[Proud Warrior Race Guy]] (posssibly [[Elves Versus Dwarves|Space Dwarves]]) and [[Proud Merchant Race Guy]], [[Space Amish]] or [[Space Romans]] who may in fact be standard ordinary people [[Earth-That-Was|in a diaspora]] situation, thus occupying a [[Hobbits|middle position]].

<small>''This is a [[Super-Trope]] discussing references to [['''Space Elves]]''' in various tropes, including: [[Our Elves Are Better]], [[Proud Scholar Race Guy]] (Type II), [[The Fair Folk]] and/or [[The Greys]]. Examples of each type would also fall under such other tropes.''</small>

* The Abh in ''[[Crest of the Stars]]'' are blatant type 2's, with a good helping of [[Can't Argue with Elves]]--they—they're world conquerors and we're supposed to ''sympathize'' with them.

* The chieri from [[Marion Zimmer Bradley|Marion Zimmer Bradley's]] ''[[Darkover]]'' series. [[Space Elves]] bordering on [[Sufficiently Advanced Aliens]], they possess lifespans reaching into thousands of years and extraordinary [[Psychic Powers|psionic abilities]]. They were once a spacefaring people, but have since gone into "retirement" on the titular planet. Can get somewhat pedantic when dealing with humans. The chieri are the ulimate in [[One-Gender Race|hermaphrodites]] with each individual able to physically shift from male to female (or remaining somewhere in the middle) depending on what is going on in their sex lives. However, this overly-complicated reproductive model (completing a gender switch in perfect sync with one's partner can be tricky in the heat of the moment) has resulted in a dwindling population problem that neither their powers nor their technology seemed able to fix. They have a [[Half-Human Hybrid|noticeably easier time procreating with humans]], and indeed the offspring of these unions often have some of their chieri parent's traits, notably atypically powerful (for humans) [[Psychic Powers|psionics]] and exceptional longevity. However, they may also manifest the chieri's gender-swapping trait, which has led to some families with chieri blood warning against homosexual relations because "If you lie down with a man, you may rise up as a woman!"