As we were talking about the role of genetics as well as how to determine some notion of species-based superiority ("should humanity cede their future to the Oankali" being one of the key discussions in these books), I started to realize that watching Alien would be an excellent avenue to have a similar discussion but in a very different direction. The xenomorph is an interesting counterpoint to the Oankali, because one can make many of the same arguments from Lilith's Brood about biological superiority, yet the arguments sound somewhat more preposterous.