This week, Futures is pleased to welcome Steve Pantazis and his tale of alien family life, The daughter you’ve always wanted. You can find out more about Steve’s work at his website or by following him on Twitter. Here he reveals the background to his latest tale — as ever, it pays to read the story first.

Writing The daughter you’ve always wanted 

Face it. When you saw the movie Alien, you were appalled and fascinated at the same time when you were introduced to the lil’ chest-busting xenomorph. Perhaps you thought, “Don’t kill it; it’s small and defenceless!” Once it grew up to be a baddie, you rooted for the good guys, of course, and when the creature was flushed out of the airlock, perhaps you experienced vindication.

I’ve given a lot of thought to this most dangerous of interstellar lifeforms over the years. One question that’s crept into my mind recently was, “Why isn’t anyone telling the story from the alien’s perspective? Wouldn’t that make for an interesting tale?”

The daughter you’ve always wanted is just that: it’s the world told from the point of view of the alien. In this case, it’s the unborn alien and her connection with her host — her ‘mother’ — as she grows within her. It’s about the link that transcends species, about the special bond only a mother and daughter could have.

I hope you enjoy the story.