Alien Actually Isn't the Scariest Monster Created by Artist Hans Giger

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August 12, 2025 saw the premiere of the first episodes of the new series "Alien: Earth". Viewers once again encountered the iconic xenomorphs, who this time make their way to our planet.

The series is sparking fresh interest in what's probably one of cinema's most terrifying monsters, a creation born from artist H.R. Giger's imagination. But here's what most people don't know: "Alien" is far from the only nightmare his mind conjured up. The slimy "Species," a faceless woman, and a futuristic train pack way more scares.

"Species" (1995)

The first thing that comes to mind is Roger Donaldson's film, where Giger designed a hybrid of woman and alien.

On screen — a stunning blonde hiding a slimy monster beneath her human shell. It hunts to reproduce, leaving a trail of death in its wake.
"Species" movie trailer
Though "Species" wasn't a box office smash, its monster impressed audiences just as much as "Alien." Giger managed to blend sexuality and horror once again — a technique that became his signature move.

Walpurgis (1969)

The artist's obsession with biomechanics wasn't limited to movies. For Swiss group Shiver, he created the album cover for Walpurgis.

It features a creature resembling a woman, but with growths concealing her face. Only the mouth is visible, making the image even more disturbing.
A creature in the form of a woman with growths on her head
Walpurgis album cover
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I still consider this one of the artist's most unsettling works.

"The Train" ("Isobar")

A little-known Ridley Scott project from the late '80s could have reunited the director with Giger.

The script, according to Inverse, described "Alien on a train": a mutated creature breaks loose in a futuristic underground express. Giger got inspired and created a series of sketches where trains were made of skeletons and organic matter, with cars that looked like living organisms.
Black alien creature with fangs and a train drawing with eyes and fangs
Xenomorph from "Alien 3" and H.R. Giger's train drawing
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The film never got made: the project collapsed after endless rewrites and the studio's bankruptcy. But some of Giger's ideas later found their way into "Species."

"Li I" (1974)

The work "No. 250, Li I" became a classic of "fantastic realism." A symmetrical face balancing between human and alien, surrounded by intertwining organic and mechanical structures.
Futuristic girl's face with intertwining mechanical structures
H.R. Giger's "Li I"
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You look at it and feel like you're staring into the eyes of something that shouldn't exist. It's human-like, yet completely alien to our familiar world.

"Alien" became horror cinema's icon, but Giger's work extends far beyond one franchise. He created monsters that didn't scare with fangs and claws, but with the feeling of invasion into human nature itself. Earlier, we at zoomboola.com covered in detail the series "Alien: Earth."