Science fiction and horror often share the same roots and fascinate people for many reasons: Fear of the unknown, the anxiety over whether humans are alone in the universe, and the terror of imagining what might be waiting in the dark. Writers who created aliens for the original Star Trek series may have taken inspiration from the monster movies of the previous decade, as several of the aliens featured in the series call back to both well-known and B-movie horrors of the era.
1. The Horta from Janus IV
While the Horta eventually revealed itself as an intelligent creature that killed to defend its eggs, the shape and the way it killed the miners are very reminiscent of 1958’s The Blob, about an alien being that eats people by absorbing them. The Horta does not change in size, as the Blob does, but the way it lurks in the dark and moves quickly in any direction does give it some of the same qualities. One wonders what the Blob’s thoughts may have been if Spock had the chance to mind-meld with it!
The Providers from Triskelion
When Kirk, Uhura, and Chekov are whisked away to a planet called Triskelion and forced into training to fight with other beings called thralls in “The Gamesters of Triskelion” (S02E16), they discover the planet is ruled by beings called the Providers. When the aliens reveal themselves to Kirk, he discovers they are disembodied brains that gamble on the winners of the combat matches they force their captives into.
The Providers’ design might have been inspired by several different 1950s B movies: The Brain From Planet Arous (1957) and Fiend Without a Face (1958). Both movies feature disembodied brains (with the latter being especially creepy because the brains are from human victims and retain their spines) and likely inspired sci-fi writers of 1960s television.
The Talosians from “The Cage”
The Star Trek pilot “The Cage,” initially rejected by NBC for being “too cerebral,” featured the Talosians, aliens who could cause their captives to experience very real hallucinations and relive memories for their amusement. They had large, bulbous brains, much like the aliens from Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957). While the Saucer Men attacked humans by injecting alcohol into their bloodstreams until their victims died, the Talosians focused on caring for their charges, almost like pets or zoo animals, because they needed to read their memories and desires for entertainment.
However, the Talosians weren’t the only Star Trek characters with what is now recognized as a classic alien head shape. Episodes including “The Corbomite Maneuver” and “Spectre of the Gun” also featured aliens with large heads. The shape was also used in future television shows and movies, such as the sci fi dark comedy Mars Attacks! (1996.) It’s easy to see how this trope endured for so long, as some young horror fans in the 1950s turned into writers of the 1960s and influenced the generations that came after.
Can you think of any horror movies from the 1950s that may have inspired Star Trek writers and the aliens they created? Drop us a comment on our Facebook Page and let us know—we’d love to hear from you!