Foreword

Preface

ONE A Face Only a Mother Could Love Wherein we learn how faces form, how alien morphology contributes to social organization, and how alien faces affect us psychologically.

TWO Life in Space Wherein we ponder the hazards of space travel and what starfleet can do to protect us.

THREE How Alien Can You Get? Wherein we consider the search for life signs, what constitutes a life-form, the carbon atom as the basis for life, silicon as another likely candidate, the Horta, microbrains, the Crystalline Entity, and diatoms.

FOUR Whose Brain Is It, Anyway? Or Why Parasitic Possession Is Nine-tenths of the Law Wherein we consider the examples of earthly parasites, consider possible models for parasitic mind control, examine the symbiotic relationship of the Trill, and study Geordi's visor as an example of brain interfacing with technology.

FIVE Falling in Love with All the Wrong Faces Wherein we examine the romantic liaisons among humanoid aliens of different species, including the Pon farr, and consider the outcomes of possible matings.

SIX Not in Our Stars, but in Our Genes? Wherein we examine the case of DaiMon Bok's invention of Picard's son, consider the genetic enhancement of Khan and Dr. Bashir, and compare cloning in the Star Trek universe with twentieth-century cloning.

SEVEN Twenty-nine Years and Counting Wherein we examine several conditions of aging, including lengthened life span for human beings, variations in life span among extraterrestrial humanoid species, hyperaging, slowed aging, and reverse aging.

EIGHT The Adventure Continues Wherein we move ahead at warp factor 10 to investigate the future of the species.

NINE Where No One Will Ever Go Wherein we consider life on plantless planets, sex (again), shape-shifters, devolution, good and bad hair days, ballooning viruses, brain scans, life in a vacuum, and the morphing of the Klingon race.

Glossary

Selected Readings and References