@@SamuelBlack84sure, but it does so much more. If you take a look at some of Peter's other stories you can see the emphasis on how difficult it is to understand a fellow, alien intelligence. The Thing *immediately* understands them. It is practically godlike when compared to every single being ever presented in Watts' stories. Knowing all of that displays a reverence for The Thing he has one might not initially realize. Watts fucking adores this creation, if only in some remote hypothetical closet of his mind that was opened momentarily to realise this work.
@@SamuelBlack84 Although the thing says that "their searchlight" is gone, muted forever. So I assume that as soon as the mind is taken over entirely, the consciousness and what is considered to be a soul would cease to exist. All that would remains of a assimilated person would be memories.
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.
@@NathanTarantlawriter I don't know. There might not be a need for the alien to do anything, since nobody would know what the unfortunate infected guy was babbling about. But wait. Wasn't the guy who bashed up all their radios and stuff acting during the window, and was he the same one who disabled the plane? Or did the creature orchestrate all of that, and if so, why?
@@NathanTarantlawriter "Who Goes There?" oh, yeah. It's pretty good. Have you seen the first movie they made of it in the '50s? That was a hoot. Speaking of books turned movies, I listened to Philip K. Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" (Bladerunner). I really liked that one.
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
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.
"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!
Well, it is some sort of supernatural being, close to unbeatable and very op. Travelling accross the universe assimilating the shape and knowledge, consuming every kind of lifeform.
Not a god, but a celestial soldier toiling away planet after planet, world after world...with a single purpose: 'Make the unfit, fit. Shore up the interstellar beach against erosion. Deny entropy with constant innovation.' Sounds like the life of a slave, shackked and harnessed by nature's programming...not a god.
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.
Based on my interpretation of some of the background information the thing gives on some of its previous interstellar travels I’ve come to an interesting conclusion. This is more speculation and hearsay than explicit text, but it says that it’s been to other planets before and taken communion but it’s never encountered anything like humanity. To me this seems to imply that it’s only ever encountered two types of lifeforms. Animals, which it seems to regard as useful but not particularly interesting, and other sapient life which is also similar to itself. If this is true then the default form that Apex sapient life on any given plan it takes might be gestalt absorbing consciousness. Humanity may be an incredibly rare exception or even unique surrounded on all sides by other planets that all evolved different versions of the same entity.
Humans do assimilate, but not in the way that the Thing does. We have sex, bare children and we live in immortality that way by passing on our genes. That is a form of communion. The alien doesn't understand or doesn't know about reproductivity, which maybe exclusive to Earth from the rest of the universe.
It's similar to the theory that sapient life might be either incredibly rare or a one-off that occurred only on our planet, and all other alien lives are nothing but simple microscopic life
It’s also interesting when the thing is taking over the body he says he’s looking for the hive mind but there is none and realizes every human is unique and sentient all on their own.
The whole piece is this cool, I think; that point when the Thing contemplates: "...and yet, part of me wanted to stop before it was too late." Brilliant grey zone of the Thing vs its host: who will assimilate who?
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!
only the thing was wrong. very wrong. we are incredible shape shifters. have been shifting for aeons. constantly morphing. imperceptibly. subtly. remorselessly. and. and, we actually, yes, exist!
@@andy-the-gardenerthat is so far and beyond the point I feel like we didn't just listen to the same story.. We HAVE been shifting for eons. But.. it's taken eons. The Thing shifts and adapts *immediately*, how else does it conquer, rather, assimilate 1,000 worlds so easily? The fact that we are so incredulously slow to change and adapt, down to our most basic workings, is what confused the everloving shit out of it. It is implying other life shifts far quicker in environments. Not only that, it implies it's presence and wealth of evolutionary ability and information is practically *welcomed* by *every* alien form it has assimilated, every one but us. Us, who are so distant and combative to even the thought of change. This isn't just some evolutionary take on Humans, it's a deeply philosophical one. Watts is trying his best to show how stubborn we are in spite of dumbfounding odds, and your comment hilariously only serves to prove it.
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!
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.
Very impressive, I loved how the Thing described everything from it's perspective until it learn what we called it. Lends a whole new perspective on watching the movie again.
This is super cool. I always thought the Thing to be the reason the ship crashed. Perhaps an escaped experiment turned against the ones who created the space ship. Kind of how the Shoggoth turned on the great old ones in "The Mountains of Madness".
WOW!! I stumbled across a pdf version of this brilliant movie tie-in story and was literally blown away....NOW I find an audio version! The Gods are smiling on me today. Mr. Watts crafted an exceptionally tight,well-written and very believable piece of fiction;managing to make it within the JC Thing canon. Some serious consideration,thought and extrapolation went into this jem. No...I`m not the guy`s agent,brother or bookie either! LOL I`m just a huge JC`s THE THING fan (love the Campbell story,50`s film...even that 'red-headed step-child' prequel from 2011) and appreciate the author`s gift of the Thing`s Side view. Have turned on many people to "The Things" over the past years,now it`ll be easier thanks to this audiobook version. Much obliged,Mr.Peter Reynolds!
O.G. BigHosMan Glad you liked it, and thanks! The Thing is one of my all time favorite Sci Fi movies so, after Watts gave his blessing, I had to do it :)
Peter Reynolds Why is this version making the alien dumb? I read the original story, who goes there? The thing simply built a means of escape. It creates a power supply and antigravity. Why is this version making the alien dumb and pitiful? A creature that can travel the universe can get out of a well with ease. Why is this not mentioned in the story. It was a dangerous and intelligent alien not a pitiful creature in a well. What about the nuclear power? Antigravity? You should have followed the original message and story not John carpenter, he has no imagination and I think he messed up the original story, because you clearly just wanted a quick rating. People truly have no idea
Are you blind? Did neglect to see this at the very top of the description? "The Things by 2011 Hugo Award Nominee Peter Watts" - Note the author PETER WATTS. Well known Sci Fi Author. You don't like the story? Then go talk to Peter Watts and John Carpenter.
I just came across this after watching a version of the Dark Horse Alien 3 comic. It was in the links of that video and I’m very happy I clicked it. I wasn’t aware, before hearing this, the story had been told from the “Things” perspective. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you for making this available ✌️🙂👍 Edit: I thought the title “The Things” referred to the separate alien entities but finally realized it referred to the separate humans as alien had trouble understanding life being/having individual and separate thoughts and existence from each other and not a collective like itself. F’n brilliant writing.
it is funny that the Thing doesn't understand that we don't like being connected, well some of us but not all. Some of us hate the idea of sharing all. Thing doesn't understand this.
Sebas G yah but the thing doesn’t have a human frame of reference. It’s a completely Alien Being who didn’t even know humans had individuality. To it, what it did was the equivalent to a handshake. That’s why I like this story so much, it if from a completely eldrich mindset looking in on human behavior!
I enjoyed this narration as much as I enjoyed reading The Things about a decade ago. I was only 11 when I saw John Carpenter's The Thing, but I recognized it to be a masterpiece decades before the critics realized they'd not given the movie half a chance. Watt's take on the psychology of "communion" from the Thing's perspective is brilliant, especially when contrasted against the loneliness of the human condition... Just WOW. And the Thing's ultimate decision to relieve our suffering by evolving human consciousness beyond its terrible condition of isolation- by raping it into us- is horror and humor perfectly complimenting one another.
A million light years away from fan-fiction, this is simply brilliant; a real writer who gives a genuinely ingenius take on the background of this classic horror.
Linked here from a forum, great story and great narration. Just like in the movie where the Thing is completely alien and unknowable, from the Thing's perspective it views us the same way. Liked how the Thing went from not understanding, to horror and revulsion, to finally sympathy and pity.
Yeah... until it says "I will r*pe it into them" but it genuinely thinks it's doing good. As it claims to want to evolve us. But I think it just wants to gather every piece of knowledge and learn pratically everything.
I love this! Don't love the idea of Child's being a Thing, but I still love it. Can't believe its taken me so long to discover it. Perfect reading too. No other reading comes close.
@@joethekinghawk7514 ~ Definitely. I only go by the film, this short story is just a "what if" sort of thing, and I love it. But as far as cannon goes, I only go by the film. I always imagined that they were both still human, but Childs just showing up like that at the end was suspicious as hell and started the paranoia all over again. Helluva film, one of the best.
This was really, really good! Never felt those 53 minutes pass, but wanted more! I wish I would've known about this story years ago. Thank You and your effort!
Will Not really twisted. The Borg are completely computer based, their philosophy forged by a computer and written in binary. The thing is, at least, organic and capable of emotion in its own way.
This leaves me feeling like Ive listened to back to back joy Division records. It leaves a great space left inside to ponder and reflect upon the meaning of... my god yes, we are together all alone.
Love this! It's an interesting thought experiment, trying to imagine our species from the veiw point of an organism so unlike us. It reminds me a little of "Wittgenstein's Lion."
48:57 "Everything here is walking dead, and yet it fights so hard to keep going a little longer". Bloody LOVE that symbolism, it's even better than "a thinking tumour" 😊🥰 This is Incredibly well written. And it's so bizarre, wonderful and eerie to hear The Thing's thoughts and account almost as if it's some sort of genetic diary being deciphered and played back by way of tape recording 🙃 Also, 49:33 is so sad because for the most, and all too often, it's true. "I will have to rape it into them", talk about tough "love", Ooof! 😅 Have to say, this should be official cannon, it's just so well done and thought out, fair play.
Great job!!! Loved it! Very believable. The Things thoughts and ideas made complete sense. More of this with other stories please!!! Monsters point of view is great. How about the point of view of the Cenobite “Pinhead”???
I've no idea how it could be implemented but I would love to see this made into a sister movie to the original. Perhaps like a directors commentary over the footage.
The thing with Russel was one of my all time scariest movies. It was awesome, perfectly done but it was traumatic when I first saw it. This I can’t listen too. Good. Luck
I like to see it from the things perspective. It wants to help us on one side but doesn't respect our desire to stay who we are on the other. It didn't understand that every single human is an entity until the end. What I don't understand is how does it want to bring us salvation if it assimilates us humans? I mean Childs stops existing. His consciousness disappears. He's gone! He won't experience salvation so every other human being won't do it as well. It kinda plays god with us.
I think the Thing just fails to recognize the consciousness inside the "searchlights" as souls in their own right to even be incorporated. Childs was as bizarre and alien to it, being an individual, as it was to us. To the thing, a soul is spread throughout the entire body, every nerve and cell feeling and thinking and communicating at once. What we call the soul is just a figment to it, something pretending to be someone. What really fascinates me is the idea that across the universe, all life lives and acts as the thing does, and it being abnormal and weird for life forms like us to exist.
@@NickonPlanetRipple I got a hint of an impression that perhaps this was the state of affairs on a very ancient Earth as well, then life evolved from the one to the many. Probably a misunderstanding on my part. At any rate, we're cast as a deviation from the "norm."
I thought it was well known that Childs was the thing at the end. Even I knew that as a kid. But the thing didn't want to assimilate McGreedy he doesn't like McGreedy. It doesn't want anything to do with assimilating with him. He's a loner. The creature is not a loner. It doesn't want to assimilate with a loner. McGreedy knows that Child's is the thing. And he is not going to let him get away.
@@joethekinghawk7514 Carpenter won't directly say it because he likes to keep fans guessing, but he said the gasoline theory about the end was interesting.
Yeet, I heard clips of someone else reading this years ago, finally found the full thing and I'm loving it. But yo wait if the Thing crashed that long ago, how do we know all life on earth isn't the aberrant, degenerate offspring of the Thing that didn't make it to the main biomass, and converted themselves to some primitive anti-freeze-filled-algae to photosynthesize more biomass, losing most of its abilities with its intellect, only able to change slowly and subconsciously in reaction to external stimuli until it became all life on Earth as we know it?
Why does this make sense in a sort of pan-spermia Fermi paradox hybrid kinda way, perhaps the “living cancer” our conciseness is nothing more than the adapted form of the soul of the thing
As in, pieces of the thing broke away from the core consciousness and started to do their own thing and evolved their own consciousness? I hope that goes into the next movie
I recommend rewatching the film after listening to this. It really gives it a whole nother dimension, putting Child's in a new light and knowing what The Thing might be thinking.
MR. REYNOLDS..whereabouts may I find more of your readings? BY FAR your voice is the perfect fit for anything in the Horror genre. Cosmic or otherwise. Thank you.
It was never John Carpenter's story in the first place - The Thing is based off of a short story called "Who Goes There", by John W. Campbell, Jr. "The Things" is a short story by Peter Watts.
I'd welcome the ability to shapeshift. I sympathize with the creature. It made some excellent points--we could adapt to any type of terrain and any type of climate, and become effectively immortal and pain-proof even. Screw this frail chunk of meat that can easily fall prey to bullets, infections, heat, cold. I'll take being a Thing any day
No you wouldn't. YOU don't get to be a Thing, the thing gets to be you. Once it has assimilated you it wouldn't just leave your conscious intact and let you have its abilities, it kills your consciousness and only uses your mind when it needs it to learn something new about its environment or enemies.
