>>713890372
Hyperion was boring, but I'll give you Dune and Foundation. Aliens let you have something visually interesting, and allow for more interesting exploration of how culture and ideas might develop differently from humans. In a similair vein how much of sci fi is an exploration of the "what ifs" of how futuristic tech will impact human culture and society, alens allow for the exploration of "what ifs" for a society with different physical restrictions.