Under the countless billions of stars in the universe, what forms will alien life take? How will they live? And what will happen when we meet them? Aliens: Recent Encounters collects answers to these questions from some of today's best science fiction writers. From first encounters to life alongside aliens—and stories of the aliens' own lives—here are many futures: violent and peaceful, star-spanning and personal. Only one thing is certain: alien life will defy our expectations.