Xenobiology

Basic Information

Xenobiology is sometimes used as a synonym for astrobiology, but there is a distinction between the technical terms.

• Astrobiology looks elsewhere for carbon-based life that uses water as a solvent, in other words, life as we know it, but in space.
• Xenobiology, on the other hand, looks for (/ is concerned with) life that is different from our own in some fundamental way.

Further, xenobiology need not be entirely focused outward. See the concepts of Shadow Life and Shadow Biosphere for ideas on non-traditional life that may be right under our noses.

For more information, see Alien Biochemistry.

Sources

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia

Game and Story Use

• Aliens, Cryptids, and Monsters might all fall under this banner. In some cases, xenobiology may overlap with cryptozoology.
  • See Alien Biochemistry for ideas and details on how life might be different from our own.
  • In a science fiction or pulp genre game, you might combine xenobiology and cryptozoology, and give it all a touch of the Adventurer Archaeologist trope to make a really interesting character that runs around chasing after rare (and disputed) forms of life.
• A game where life exists in more than just carbon-based forms might have Astrobiology and Xenobiology as seperate skills. One covers carbon-based life, and includes not just biology and botany but also medicine. The other is a broader skill that affects non-carbon life, but probably lacks the finer medicinal abilities.
  • Alternately, you might have various versions, such as carbo-biology and carbo-surgery for earth-life, silica-biology and silica-surgery for Silicon-based Life, nitro-phosphoro-biology etc. This would only be useful if your game had a lot of really exotic extraterrestrial life.