UFOs in fiction

Many works of fiction have featured UFOs. In most cases, as the fictional story progresses, the Earth is being invaded by hostile alien forces from outer space, usually from Mars, as depicted in early science fiction, or the people are being destroyed by alien forces, as depicted in the film Independence Day. Some fictional UFO encounters may be based on real UFO reports, such as Night Skies. Night Skies is based on the 1997 Phoenix UFO Incident.

UFOs appear in many forms of fiction other than film, such as video games in the Destroy All Humans! or the X-COM series and Halo series and print, The War of the Worlds or Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu. Typically a small group of people or the military (which one depending on where the film was made), will fight off the invasion, however the monster Godzilla has fought against many UFOs.

Books

Oahspe: A New Bible - John Ballou Newbrough - First book to use the word Starship long before science-fiction writers conceived of interstellar space travel (1882).
The War of the Worlds - H. G. Wells - Martian capsules are shot at Earth by aliens on Mars.(1898).

Radio

"The War of the Worlds" a radio play by Orson Welles, caused all manner of panic in 1938

Films

1930s

Flash Gordon - 1936
Buck Rogers - 1939 - a.k.a. Planet Outlaws

1940s

Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe - 1940 - a.k.a. Purple Death from Outer Space
The Purple Monster Strikes - 1945 - a.k.a. D-Day on Mars
Bruce Gentry - 1949 - possibly contains the first cinematic appearance of a Flying Saucer

Television

UFOs in television programs fall into three basic categories: real UFOs, hoaxes, and misidentified terrestrial spacecraft (often landing in a backward rural area or traveling back in time as in Lost in Space and Star Trek).

Shows depicting real UFOs include: The Outer Limits, The Invaders, The Monkees, The Bionic Woman, Dark Skies, Roswell, Wonder Woman, V, and The X-Files.

Hoax stories include: Batman, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Brady Bunch, The Green Hornet, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., Mission: Impossible, and The Wild Wild West (a hoax story with a real sighting at the end)

Earth ships mistaken for UFOs appear in: I Dream of Jeannie, The Munsters, Lost in Space, Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (Pyle witnesses the location filming of a science fiction film).

Alphabetical Order

Ace Lightning - Episode: "Unidentified Flying Superhero"' (2002)
Adventures of Superman - Episode: "Mr. Zero" (1957)
ALF (1986–1990)
Alvin & the Chipmunks - Episode: "Unidentified Flying Chipmunks" (1983)
Batman - Episode: "The Joker's Flying Saucer" (1968)
Benji, Zax & the Alien Prince - Episode: "U.F.O." (1983)
Bewitched - Episode: "Samantha's Secret Saucer" (1968)
Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales - Episode: "(U.F.M.) Unidentified Flying Mater" (2009)
Charles in Charge - Episode: "U. F. Oh No!" (1987)
Charlie's Angels - Episode: "Unidentified Flying Angels" (1977)
Dark Skies (1996–1997)
Dennis the Menace and Gnasher - Episode: "Unidentified Funny Object" (1996)
Diagnosis: Murder - Episode: "Alienated" (1998)
Doctor Who (1963–1989, 2005–present)
Encounters (1996)
Frasier - Episode: "Docu. Drama" (2001)
Futurama - Episode: "Roswell That Ends Well" (2001)
Garfield and Friends - Episode: "Unidentified Flying Orson" (1988)
The Golden Girls - Episode: "The One That Got Away"
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - Episode: "Gomer and the Little Men from Outer Space" (1966)
Green Acres - Episode: "The Saucer Season" (1967)
Gumby - Episode: "Gumby's Close Encounter" (1988)
Happy Days - Episodes: "My Favorite Orkan" (1978), "Mork Returns" (1979)
Home Improvement - Episode: "Flying Sauces" (1991)
I Dream of Jeannie - Episode: "U.F.Oh Jeannie" (1968)
I Love Lucy - Episode: "Lucy Is Envious" (1954)
Invasion (2005–2006)
It's Punky Brewster - Episode: "Unidentified Flying Glomer" (1985)
Jeopardy (2002)
Johnny Bravo - Episodes: "Bikini Space Planet", "Alien Confidential"
Lassie - Episodes: "The Man from Mars" (1959), "Timmy and the Martians" (1961)
Lie to Me - Episode: "Beat the Devil" (2010)
Littlest Pet Shop - Episode: "War of the Weirds" (2012)
Lost in Space - Episode: "Visit to a Hostile Planet" (1967)
MacGyver - Episode: "The Visitor" (1990)
Married... with Children - Episode: "Married... with Aliens" (1990)
Maude - Episode: "The Flying Saucer" (1977)
Miami Vice - Episode: "Missing Hours" (1987)
Mission: Impossible - Episode: "The Visitors"
Monk - Episode: "Mr. Monk and the UFO" (2009)
The Monkees- Episode: "Monkees Watch Their Feet" (1968)
Mork & Mindy (1978–1982)
Mister Ed - Episode: "Moko" (1964)
The Munsters - Episode: "If a Martian Answers, Hang Up" (1965)
My Favorite Martian (1963–1966)
Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Episodes: "Hangar 18" (1989), "Attack of the Eye Creatures" (1992)
Project UFO (1978–1979)
Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal (1996–2000)
Quantum Leap - Episode: "Star Light, Star Bright" (1992)
Quatermass II (1957)
Roswell (1999–2002)
Rugrats - Episode: "Visitors from Outer Space" (1992)
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Episode: "Spooky Space Kook" (1969)
seaQuest DSV (1993–1996)
Seinfeld - Episode: "The Bizarro Jerry" (1996)
Slimer! And the Real Ghostbusters - Episode: "Unidentified Sliming Object" (1989)
Soap - Season 3 (1979-1980)
South Park - Episode: "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe" (1997)
Spadla z oblakov (1978)
SpongeBob SquarePants - Episode: "Sandy's Rocket" (1999)
Star Maidens (1976)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Episode: "Little Green Men" (1995)
Star Trek: The Original Series - Episode: "Tomorrow Is Yesterday" (1967)
Star Trek: Voyager - Episodes: "The 37's" (1995), "Future's End", Part I and Part II (1996)
Taken (2002)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Episodes: "Invasion of the Turtle Snatchers" (1989),^[1] "Unidentified Flying Leonardo" (1990)^[2]
The 4400 (2004–2007)
The Addams Family - Episode: "The Addams Family and the Spaceman" (1965)
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - Episode: "Ozzie and the Space Age" (1959)
The Avengers - Episode: "Man-Eater of Surrey Green" (1965)
The Beverly Hillbillies - Episode: "The Flying Saucer" (1966)
The Bionic Woman - Episode: "The Martians Are Coming, the Martians Are Coming" (1978)
The Brady Bunch - Episode: "Out of This World" (1974)
The Dick Van Dyke Show - Episode: "Uhny Uftz" (1965)
The Dukes of Hazzard - Episode: "Strange Visitor to Hazzard" (1985)
The Flintstones - Episode: "The Great Gazoo" (1965)
The Golden Girls - Episode: "The One That Got Away" (1988)
The Goodies - Episode: "U-Friend or UFO" (1980)
The Honeymooners - Episode: "The Man from Space" (1955)
The Invaders (1967–1968)
The Lost Saucer (1975–1976)
The Munsters - Episode: "If a Martian Answers, Hang Up" (1965)
The Outer Limits (1963–1965)
The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007–2011)
The Simpsons - Episodes: "Treehouse of Horror" (1990), "The Springfield Files" (1997)
The Six Million Dollar Man - Episode: "Straight on 'till Morning" (1974)
The Strange World of Planet X (1956)
Threshold (2005)
Torchwood (2006–2011)
The Twilight Zone - Episodes: "The Invaders" (1961), "To Serve Man" (1962), "Death Ship" (1963), "On Thursday We Leave for Home" (1963)
UFO (1970–1971)
V miniseries (1983)
V: The Final Battle sequel miniseries (1984)
V weekly series (1984–1985)
V remake series (2009–2011)
Walker, Texas Ranger - Episode: "Case Closed"
War of the Worlds (1988–1990)
Welcome Back, Kotter - Episode: "Class Encounters of the Carvelli Kind" (1978)
The X-Files (1993–2002)

Video games

Space Invaders (1978)
Asteroids (1979)
Choplifter (1982)
Moon Patrol (1982)
X-COM (1994)
Mother (1989)
EarthBound (1994)
Area 51 (1995)
Duke Nukem 3D (1996)
Kirby (1998)
Perfect Dark (2000)
Destroy All Humans! (2005)
Microsoft Flight Simulator X (2006)
Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
The Sims 2 (2004)
Deus Ex (2000)
The Sims 3: Seasons (2012)
Fortnite Battle Royale, Chapter 2, Season 7: "Invasion!" (2021)

References

^ "Ninjaturtles". 1989. Archived from the original on 7 February 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
^ "Ninjaturtles". 1990. Archived from the original on 31 August 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2012.

[1] "Ninjaturtles". 1989. Archived from the original on 7 February 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2012.

[2] "Ninjaturtles". 1990. Archived from the original on 31 August 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2012.

[1]

[2]

Books

Radio

Films

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Television

Alphabetical Order

Video games

See also

References