The Things

The Things by 2011 Hugo Award Nominee Peter Watts

The Things - The story of John Carpenters classic Sci-Fi Horror movie as told from the perspective of the creature as it battles to survive.

Narrated with the permission of Peter Watts..

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[oneblue]

“No. I shared my flesh with thinking cancer.”

Great line to describe a human. Made my skin crawl.

[phicks]

"I have assimilated a thousand worlds stronger than this, but never one so strange." This book is perfect, I know it isn't cannon but it is a perfect addition to Carpenter's film

[EdMcStinko]

The idea that the alien could watch the dreams and nightmares of its host is fascinating

[GRasputin]

The way it describes human loneliness is scary accurate--"unable to communicate except through grunts and tokens." The Thing doesnt communicate--it can see and feel exactly how other lifeforns can. Impossible to comprehend but so incredibly fascinating to think about

[thekingsean]

It's strange how while reading this excellent short story I almost feel sympathy for the thing. I love how it tries to put you through the thing's point of view and how it conveyes the sense that despite the monster's atrocious behaviour it could not understand why humans were trying to attack it, it was only doing what came natural to it. I find it a very thoughtful representation of how Alien life could think, what is normal for us may be threat to another being and vice versa

[crazierthan-u]

Okay, let me get this straight. After the alien assumes a man's form, his mind remains intact for a time. At first, the man would be unaware anything had happened, but as the assimilation progressed, he'd realize he ... wasn't alone? Then there'd be a small window of time when the man was aware of the THING within and, if he had enough presence of mind and understanding, might be able to warn everyone else?

Now, that's an unspeakable state of affairs that had never occurred to me. I love this kind of stuff.

[sadsalamander]

I love how the thing consider the world to not be the planet itself but the life on it and refers to it as such.

[joethekinghawk]

"I was once so much more, spreading across the cosmos and taking communion with different lifeforms, a solder, fighting against entropy itself making the unfit fit". The thing speak as if it's a god of some sort. Wow!

[SirGrimLockSmithVIII]

While I prefer the "Childs isn't the Thing" interpretation for the ending of the OG film, I do like how Watts includes that bit where Childs's dying consciousness straight-up calls The Thing a soul-stealing rapist. One last act of rebellion that makes The Thing actually question why it does what it does.

[CHALETARCADE]

The difference between fan fiction and the dedicated work of an actual writer is really immense! This was brilliant and engrossing. Loved it!

[duchessarcher]

the best reading of this piece out there. the narrators voice is dead on for this alien, so self absorbed and arrogant, "they. attacked. me."

[matthewfels]

Amazing! I noticed that as the story progresses, we(the humans) are referred to as “the things”. An individual existence, one separate from the whole is unthinkable for it.

[crazierthan-u]

It was cool how horrified the Thing was by the human brain, regarding it as a cancer. It was sickened by the thought it had been communing with cancer.

[gabriellen.]

How wickedly ironic the tone is throughout! "Take Communion" indeed LOL. This is some expertly-written character development; the being becomes more arrogantly human than the humans he rides--THEY are the Things, not he himself. I loved it all! Bravo to the writer and voice actor!

[DoctorMoo]

This is an amazing short story. Reading through the comments I am amazed that some people cannot see its point. It's a counter narrative. Clever. Insightful. Poignant.

[terriblelizardden]

Ahahah, the way it explains the brain. " I felt sick."
I enjoyed this a lot. I did always imagine the Thing being very predatory as well.

[joses]

This narrator is easily the best I've ever heard

[Spacecrooze]

This is phenomenal writing. Love this.

[MyrdinAnnoth]

This an amazing 53 minutes. Both the narration was great and the story as well. It was fascinating seeing a being like this, or better to say a fragment of being like this, and how it at first struggled to comprehend the life forms on this planet (the dogs and humans). Going through different theories just to in the end sympathize and feel sorry for us, as from its point of view we were trapped in a singular form, unable to adapt, evolve and change. This work puts out so many questions and yet it also has some interesting answers to offer. Fascinating, truly it was. Thank you Peter for sharing this audio narration of "the Things" with us!

[ykdchuk]

It's kinda funny to hear it talk shit about our anatomy, especially the brain lol