Space Elves: Difference between revisions

[[File:Space_Elves7_6701.jpg|frame|<s>Pointy-eared</s> [[Our Elves Are Better|Space smugness comes in multiple flavors]].[[hottip:+:<br />A Loroi from [[Outsider]], a Vulcan from [[Star Trek]], an Elerian from [[Master of Orion (Video Game)|Master of Orion]], a Na'vi from [[Avatar (Filmfilm)|Avatar]], A Minbari from [[Babylon 5]], an Asgard from [[Stargate SG -1]].]]

There are certain races in [[Speculative Fiction]] that appear to occupy an equivalent niche that elves do in a fantasy setting; the idealized, [[Closer to Earth]] culture reaching toward utopian ideals, or the inscrutable, ominous [[Fair Folk]] for whom [[We Are Asas Mayflies]]. Or both at once, of course.

When they are not behaving as a [[Our Elves Are Better|standard fantasy elf]] or, as is often the case, an [[Proud Scholar Race Guy|enlightened mystic race]] such as [[Star Trek|Vulcans]] or [[Avatar (Filmfilm)|Na'vi]], they are off [[Alien Abduction|beaming up humans]], [[Aliens Steal Cattle|cattle]], and [[Changeling Tale|children]] just like their [[Fair Folk]] ancestors.

Standard fantasy elves or [[Call a Rabbit Aa Smeerp|equivalent beings]] with [[Serial Numbers Filed Off]]... {{smallcaps|[[Recycled in Space|In Spaaaace!]]}} These are surprisingly common in science fiction and [[Tabletop Games]] (compare [[Urban Fantasy]] and [[Science Fantasy]]). [[Ancient Astronauts]] may count as Type I if they are not merely ''mistaken'' for elves, but ''actually are'' elves [[Doing in Thethe Wizard|who turn out to be an alien race]].

An oddly specific and [[Older Than They Think|not-so-recent]] phenomenon. For some reason, certain Space Elves tend to manifest as an [[Always Female]] [[Green-Skinned Space Babe]] with [[Psychic Powers]]. Sometimes known as "blue hotties", they're more likely to be [[Good Colors, Evil Colors|blue than green]].<ref>Possibly because of the "[[Little Green Men]]" stigma about [[Sci Fi Ghetto|science fiction]], and the fact that green skin is more likely than blue to look like you have a horrible fungal infection.</ref> Sometimes they are part of a [[Matriarchy|Sexy Matriarchy]]. Examples of "Type B" need not be listed separately, but are worth noting where found: e.g. Type 1-B [http://well-of-souls.com/outsider/outsider050.html here] or Type 2-B [[Avatar (Filmfilm)|here]]. It is a reoccurring theme in several works and universes that all seem to be referencing [[Homage|each other]].

* The [[Our Fairies Are Different|fairies (including elves)]] of the ''[[Artemis Fowl (Literature)|Artemis Fowl]]'' series are traditional, native-to-Earth fairies, with magic that does some things, but they're also very high-tech and in a distinctly sci-fi setting. A fairy space probe plays a part in "Atlantis Complex," among other things.

* The Silfen in Peter F. Hamilton's ''[[Commonwealth Saga (Literature)|Commonwealth Saga]]'' are Type I (they're almost physically identical to traditional elves and were the [[Ancient Astronauts|inspiration for elf legends]], and are arguably Type III as well (those legends were specifically of [[The Fair Folk]] and their morality proves to be [[Blue and Orange Morality|alien]] in a somewhat similar fashion).

* The Eldar in ''[[Warhammer 40 K|Warhammer: 40000]]'', naturally.

* ''[[Jak]]'s'' race is another example - Jak strikes one as [[The Legend of Zelda (Franchise)|Link]] [[In Space]], and Link was constantly mistaken for an elf.

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

* The Guardians of the Universe from ''[[Green Lantern]]''. Not tall at all, but immortal? Check. Has incredible powers? Check (the Green Light that empowers the Corps). [[The Spock|Aloof and distant]]? Check. ''[[Can't Argue Withwith Elves|Can't Argue With 'Em]]? [[Screw You, Elves|They'd like to think so...]]

* The [[Avatar (Filmfilm)|Na'vi]] are [[Our Elves Are Different|Wood Elves]]. Type II-B to boot: the most recent example.

** Vulcans are also vegetarian, and consider their way of life superior to humans'. There are already Vulcan examples in [[Can't Argue Withwith Elves]]... because you can't.

* [[Star Trek: theThe Next Generation|Betazoids]] are a race of [[Closer to Earth]] [[Telepathy|telepaths]]. Like Spock, [[The Chick|Troi]] was a [[Half-Human Hybrid]], but rather than promoting [[Straw Vulcan|detached logic]], her entire job was to [[Inverted Trope|help everyone be more in touch with their emotions]]. If Ambassador [[Grande Dame|Lwaxana]] [[Cloudcuckoolander|Troi]] was any indication, Betazoids saw themselves as the Federations's own planet of [[Planet of Hats|planet of]] [[Manic Pixie Dream Girl|Manic Pixie Dream Elves.]]

* [[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine|The Bajorans]] are a [[Proud Scholar Race]] who have been living as [[La Résistance]] for the past few decades, and seem rather fond of reminding everyone. They do not have any mystical abilities themselves, but their [[Sufficiently Advanced Aliens|"Prophets"]] do.

* [[Star Trek: Voyager]] [[Deconstructed Trope|deconstructed]] this trope with the, naive, sheltered, [[We Are Asas Mayflies|short-lived]] Ocampa. They went further to turn this trope on this ear with Lon Suder, an [[Ax Crazy]] Betazoid, Seska, a rather [[Jerkass|unpleasant]] Bajoran {{spoiler|who turned out to be an even less pleasant [[The Mole|Cardassian agent]] }}, and, of course Tuvok, the [[Straw Vulcan|Vulcan]] security officer who was more like a [[Grumpy Bear]], who took on [[Sergeant Rock]] traits later in the series.

* The Elerians from the second and third ''[[Master of Orion (Video Game)|Master of Orion]]'' games are Type II-B, or possibly Type I-B given their explicitly elfish appearance.

* ''[[E.T. the Extraterrestrial (Film)Extra-Terrestrial|E.T.]]'' and his people start out as this, but are revealed to be Type II and a [[Friend to All Living Things]] in the [[All There in the Manual|supplemental fiction]].

* The Asgard from ''[[Stargate SG -1]]''. At least [[The Greys|physically]]; their [[Proud Scholar Race|culture]] and [[Crystal Spires and Togas|aesthetics]] are more reminiscent of Type II.

* The Streibs from ''[[Babylon Five5]]'' are [[The Greys]].

* ''[[Changeling: The Lost (Tabletop Game)|Changeling: The Lost]]'' explicitly notes the similarity of [[Alien Abduction]] to changeling tales. There are quite a few [[The Fair Folk|True Fae]] that imitate aliens, especially [[The Greys]], but only because they've been reading humanity's subconscious. Even they don't know if aliens are real.