This board is more than a discussion of Alien and Predator biology, behavior, social patterns, and technology - it often relies on pulling from what we know of our own world. So, I thought it would be beneficial to offer a list of books whose subject matter could lend itself pertinent to subjects discussed here.
A big "Thank You" goes to
Deezelboy in helping with this list (since the bulk of it is from his own library). And if anyone has any other books they feel are suitable for listing here shoot me a PM and I'll gladly see that it's added.
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GENETICS/ECOLOGY/AND SUCHThe Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature (Penguin Press Science) by Matt Ridley"One of the best books I have read!" -- Deezelboy
The Extended Phenotype: The Long Reach of the Gene (Popular Science) by Richard Dawkins"Another of the best books I have read! Took me about a year but it was worth it." -- Deezelboy
Acquiring Genomes: A Theory of the Origins of Species by Dorion Sagan The only book I know of that looks at symbiosis and 'borrowing genes' between small organisms. There's a goddamn sea slug that photosynthesises!
The Art of Genes: How Organisms Make Themselves by Enrico Coen Very readable account of how DNA builds organisms.
ANYTHING BY JAMES LOVELOCK!
Planetary ecology - Lovelock started the Gaia hypothesis by being assigned to NASA in the 1970s to answer whether there was life on Mars. Lovelock could tell it was dead merely by looking at Mars' atmosphere from Earth. If you're into planetary ecology, Lovelock's Gaia books are an absolute godsend.
Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures by Carl Zimmer This is very, very good!
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ENTOMOLOGYThe Insect Societies (Harvard Paperbacks) (Paperback)
by Edward O. Wilson (Author) Just about anything you ever wanted to know about any social/eusocial insect ever. Wilson's also a fan of
Aliens...
The Other Insect Societies by JT Costa Everything that wasn't covered by the above!
Journey to the Ants by B Holldobler, EO WilsonNice, layperson-friendly look at ants..
Alien Empire: An Exploration of the Lives of Insects by Christopher O'TooleAnother layperson-friendly book that looks at nearly everything insect from their design, to mating, to locomotion, to feeding habits, to social living, and more. If you've read Wilson's
The Insect Societies, listed above, then this book will feel a trifle simple. However, if you find Wilson's work intimidating then this book is a good place to start. (This book is currently out of print so it can be a little hard to come by)
The Book of the Spider by Paul HillyardAnother layperson-friendly book. Actually, this book covers some broad ground for its size: from Arachnophobia, to myths, to spider silk, to conservation, and of course various types of spiders and spider venom. Paul Hillyard maintains the national collection of spiders at London's Natural History Museum.
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EXTREMOPHILESLife on the Edge: Amazing Creatures Thriving in Extreme Environments by Michael Gross ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
MISCELLANEOUSCats Paws and Catapaults by Stephen Vogel
A look at the differences between things engineered by man and things engineered by nature - it's basic biomechanics explained really well.
Nature's Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide to the Elements by John Emsley Brilliant reference tool.
H2O: A Biography Of Water: A Biography of Water by Philip BallWhy water is such an extremely odd molecule, and thus why life takes full advantage of it.
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