Interesting.
My only comment about how it's changed over the ages could be due to the limitations of knowledge. If you were to show someone born in 1600 an WWII fighter plane, you'd probably get some crazy description. Their description might border on cryptic. They might know what a rudder was, and a tail, but since they wouldn't have seen a plane at all they might describe it as a metal bird. Maybe with red eyes if they saw it fire its guns, and perhaps trailing grey poop as it flew by (contrails).
Interesting though to compare how the stories have changed, through the centuries. I wouldn't think interstellar travel would change that much, I'd think it more constant-looking. Then again, has it been a constant? Space Shuttle was quite different than conventional rockets. Perhaps our alien visitors have visited us using different generations of spaceships.
My only comment about how it's changed over the ages could be due to the limitations of knowledge. If you were to show someone born in 1600 an WWII fighter plane, you'd probably get some crazy description. Their description might border on cryptic. They might know what a rudder was, and a tail, but since they wouldn't have seen a plane at all they might describe it as a metal bird. Maybe with red eyes if they saw it fire its guns, and perhaps trailing grey poop as it flew by (contrails).
Interesting though to compare how the stories have changed, through the centuries. I wouldn't think interstellar travel would change that much, I'd think it more constant-looking. Then again, has it been a constant? Space Shuttle was quite different than conventional rockets. Perhaps our alien visitors have visited us using different generations of spaceships.