Regardless of your opinion of the various sequels, prequels, and midquels to Alien, the 1979 film remains a masterpiece of science fiction cinema. Much of the atmospheric thrill of the latest film, Alien: Romulus, owes its vibes to the Ridley Scott-directed original. But, the nuanced, claustrophobic triumph didn’t just happen because Scott woke up one morning with the lore and the mood fully formed. Instead, the birth of Alien is thanks to the collision of two other science fiction titans.
