Early cinema depicted aliens as human-like for familiarity and practical reasons, but modern science fiction explores unrecognisable forms, challenging perception and our capacity to comprehend the truly alien.

For roughly the first three decades of his career, Spielberg tended to take a fairly sanguine view of aliens, refusing to succumb to the disaster-movie framework of aliens attacking terrified Earthlings. That changed in a big way after 9/11, when Spielberg made a couple of Tom Cruise -starring sci-fi blockbusters grappling with a changed world.

In the following six books, each writer looks to space to skillfully explore what it means to live on Earth. Salvation and exploitation go hand in hand in this story by one of science fiction’s all-time greats.

Scientists are listening in on sperm whale conversations and studying Earth's strangest microbes to prepare humanity for first contact with extraterrestrial life.