If you loved
Alien
Ridley Scott · Film · 1979
What hooked you in Alien was the way the vast, indifferent silence of space forces fragile human beings to confront unimaginable terrors.
Books on the same thread
The Martian
Andy Weir · Book · 2015
Shares a thread with Alien: Isolation.
Like the crew of the Nostromo in Alien, you will find the intense focus on isolation and desperate survival against a hostile environment both gripping and deeply rewarding.
Ender's Game
Orson Scott Card · Book · 2013
Shares a thread with Alien: Xenophobia.
If the stakes of Alien left you breathless, this narrative about a desperate fight against an alien race will satisfy your craving for high-stakes tension and strategic survival.
Hex
Allen Steele · Book · 2011
Shares a thread with Alien: Xenophobia.
The xenophobia and complex tensions found in Alien are mirrored here, offering a sophisticated exploration of first contact that captures the same sense of unease regarding unknown entities.
Ghost Story
Peter Straub · Book · 1979
Explores: Guilt, Past Trauma, Revenge.
While set on Earth, the psychological horror and crushing sense of past trauma echo the claustrophobic dread that made Alien such a masterful study in persistent, encroaching terror.
Series on the same thread
Star Trek
Gene Roddenberry · Series · 1966
Explores: Exploration, Diplomacy, First Contact.
This series explores the perils of deep space exploration, providing a broader look at the same themes of first contact and moral dilemmas that defined the voyage of Alien.
Lost in Space
Irwin Allen · Series · 2018
Explores: Family Survival, Interplanetary Colonization, Human vs. Environment.
You will appreciate how this survival story replicates the feeling of being stranded in a hostile alien environment, echoing the desperate struggle against the unknown seen in Alien.
Fringe
Alex Kurtzman · Series · 2008
Explores: Parallel Universes, Government Conspiracy, Mad Scientist.
The paranoia and government conspiracy elements present in Alien are front and center here, delivering a chilling mystery that questions the hidden motives of those in power.
ALF
Paul Fusco · Series · 1986
Explores: Alien Integration, Culture Clash, Secret Identity.
This takes the concept of an alien integration into a human environment from Alien and flips it, providing a comedic, lighthearted perspective on the same fundamental culture clash.
Podcasts on the same thread
Monsters Among Us
Derek Hayes | Audioboom Studios · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Unexplained Phenomena, First-hand Testimony, Atmospheric Horror.
The atmospheric horror and unsettling testimony found here capture the same visceral, spine-tingling fear of encountering something truly alien that defined your experience watching Alien.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts · Podcast · 2026
Explores: mental health awareness, female friendship, coping mechanisms.
If the raw, human-centered terror of Alien resonated with you, these accounts of real-world danger provide a grounded, community-driven look at the darkness people face in their lives.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What is the plot of Alien?
In the 1979 film Alien, the commercial spaceship Nostromo intercepts a distress signal from a distant planet. A three-member team investigates the source and discovers a deadly lifeform. The crew must then contend with this creature during their return journey to Earth.
Who directed the 1979 movie Alien?
The film Alien was directed by Ridley Scott. It follows a commercial space crew that encounters a lethal lifeform after investigating a mysterious distress signal on a distant planet during their return flight to Earth.
Is Alien about a distress signal?
Yes, the plot of Alien centers on the commercial spaceship Nostromo intercepting a distress signal from a distant planet. A three-member team investigates the signal and encounters a deadly lifeform, which threatens the crew during their return mission to Earth.
What happens to the crew in Alien?
In Alien, a three-member crew from the commercial spaceship Nostromo investigates a distress signal on a distant planet. Upon arrival, they discover a deadly lifeform that poses a significant threat to the crew as they attempt to return to Earth.