My mom is a major science fiction fan so I spent a good chunk of my childhood watching all kinds of movies and television shows. We watched just about everything in the Star Trek canon, Star Wars, nearly every alien movie that came out in the ’80s and early ’90s, “The X-Files,” and lots of anime. I never became a huge science fiction fan (although, I will admit to dressing up for Harry Potter movies and attending the midnight book releases) but I think the predicaments often found in these films informed a lot of my childhood thinking.
One of the things that always fascinated me with these films and shows were the foreign landscapes you would often see—or, in some cases, not so foreign. Living and traveling Arizona showed me that these so-called alien places looked an awful lot like home. In fact, look at just about any science fiction production and you’ll find inspiration from actual places if not the places themselves. Since so much of Arizona’s landscapes can appear strange, foreign, and fascinating to just about anyone outside of our state, let’s take a closer look at them with new eyes.
- Let’s start off with this view of the Painted Desert located within the Petrified Forest National Park, which is beautiful and unique.
Nancy/Flickr
- Here is another look at the Painted Desert in Petrified Forest. If it were on another planet, what kinds of creatures would you imagine to roam these lands?
Jerry and Pat Donaho/Flickr
- Okay, last look at Petrified Forest; but doesn’t this look like some kind of alien landscape? You can ignore the people in the background.
Chris Battaglia/Flickr
- I bet that if it weren’t for the small plants, a lot people would probably assume this place was on Mars. In reality, this photo was taken near Marble Canyon.
Nathan Rupert/Flickr
- Another place that is striking and strange, this time at the White Pocket at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument.
John Fowler/Flickr
- The colors, textures, and absence of life in the photo make it seem like a strange alien land. But we Zonies know this is the Wave in northern Arizona.
Nathan Rupert/Flickr
- People who have never seen cholla (like this one seen near Santa Cruz) probably think it truly is an alien plant.
velo_city/Flickr
- Speaking of strange plants, I’m sure these Joshua trees seen in Meadview appear just as bizarre.
Paul Morris/Flickr
- Where are we; on a neighboring planet or deep in Arizona’s territory?
Images by John ‘K’/Flickr
- Where are we; Arizona or the set of Starship Troopers? (Let’s ignore the people in the background.)
Nathan Rupert/Flickr
- Another place that looks like the site of an alien planet? Meteor Crater, which also happens to be one of the best preserved craters known.
Jeremy Tayrlor/Flickr
- Hoodoos, like these found at Chiricahua National Monument, are another strange but beautiful sight.
Matthew Robinson/Flickr
- Here’s another example of hoodoos found across Arizona, this time near Lake Powell.
Michael Wilson/Flickr
- Antelope Canyon’s quiet, unique beauty is another place you would probably anticipate seeing in a sci-fi movie.
herdiephoto/Flickr
- You can also enter any of our caves for an other worldly experience. The one pictured here is Cave of the Bells, located in Sawmill Canyon along the Santa Rita Mountains.
Gene Wilburn/Flickr This photo was taken in 1967, but since the cave is heavily protected, it will look pretty similar.
- What you’ll find in any of our living caves? Formations still growing, such as these crystals seen in Cave of the Bells.
wplynn/Flickr
- Finally, a place that appears both potentially frightening and as the perfect site for any sci-fi movie is the Titan Missle Silo.
freeside/Flickr Am I the only one who thinks an alien would peek around the corner? I’m not sure I quite have Ripley’s audacity to take on an alien twice my size.
Are there any areas in our home state that have always seemed to be from another planet to you? Share your thoughts in the comments section below or on our Facebook page!
Nancy/Flickr
Jerry and Pat Donaho/Flickr
Chris Battaglia/Flickr
Nathan Rupert/Flickr
John Fowler/Flickr
velo_city/Flickr
Paul Morris/Flickr
Images by John ‘K’/Flickr
Jeremy Tayrlor/Flickr
Matthew Robinson/Flickr
Michael Wilson/Flickr
herdiephoto/Flickr
Gene Wilburn/Flickr
This photo was taken in 1967, but since the cave is heavily protected, it will look pretty similar.
wplynn/Flickr
freeside/Flickr
Am I the only one who thinks an alien would peek around the corner? I’m not sure I quite have Ripley’s audacity to take on an alien twice my size.
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