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Q&A How to introduce alien flora/fauna without turning the fiction into a biology book?

There is another option, and that is to go ahead and describe, describe, describe. A beautifully written natural history book or article is a pleasure to read. Here is some inspiration to help yo...

posted 7y ago by aparente001‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2020-01-16T05:33:15Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/26528
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T06:03:08Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/26528
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by (deleted user) · 2019-12-08T06:03:08Z (almost 5 years ago)
There is another option, and that is to go ahead and describe, describe, describe. A beautifully written natural history book or article is a pleasure to read. Here is some inspiration to help you prepare for this approach: the Best of Natural History [podcasts](http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02nrv7r/episodes/downloads), Saving Species and Would You Eat an Alien? from the BBC.

In other words, you need not necessarily hesitate to describe your alien world's natural history on an as needed basis, as the book unfolds.

> The people of my world know what the animal I need to describe is.

Your narrator need not write to an imaginary audience _of that world_. You may imagine that your narrator is bicultural -- comfortable in that world, and comfortable enough in ours, to be able to discern for which plants, animals, concepts and customs will need a little help in following along.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2017-02-06T04:33:09Z (over 7 years ago)
Original score: 3