Becoming Alien

“Sarah Welch-Larson’s Becoming Alien does something the cinematic series itself couldn’t entirely manage: offer a cohesive thematic and aesthetic vision, in this case one rooted in a theologically provocative understanding of origins and evil. After reading Welch-Larson’s book, you’ll immediately want to watch all six Alien films again, appreciating the elements she perceived that you likely missed.”


—Josh Larsen, author of Movies Are Prayers





“Few monsters are as iconic as the Alien, spawned from a franchise as changeable as its creature’s various forms. In this provocative volume, Welch-Larson hugs a theological through line that, much like Ripley, enables her to find grace, hope, and possibility bursting from the films. Both of my jaws were on the floor.”


—JR. Forasteros, author of Empathy for the Devil





“Alien fans remember the villain who calls that malevolent monster a ‘perfect organism . . . unclouded by conscience or delusions of morality.’ In Becoming Alien, we watch Sarah Welch-Larson achieve something like the opposite: Guided by conscience, she illuminates this shape-shifting series with moral vision. As she surgically studies an epic battle of good versus ‘discreation,’ her insights flare like Ripley’s flame-thrower. And you can tell it’s personal. Let’s call it ‘perfect criticism.’”


—Jeffrey Overstreet, author of Through a Screen Darkly and Auralia’s Colors