Sarah Pinborough is Ripley

Alien: Resurrection

Author Sarah Pinborough has been writing stories since she was five years old. When she was little she didn’t sleep much at night because she was too aware of all the things that can come alive when darkness falls. She’s used that sense of unease in her six horror novels and in her latest endeavour, supernatural crime thriller trilogy The Dog-Faced Gods. The second volume, Shadow of the Soul, is out in April (Gollancz). Below, she tells us about her filmic alter ego. EITHNE FARRY

If I could choose to be a character in a horror film, I think it would have to be Ripley in the Alien movies. I have the box-set and never get tired of watching them, late at night, when I can’t sleep. For me, they’re up there with The Thing for the best ‘monster’ movies made. While mulling over my choice, I did almost pick Catherine Deneuve’s vampire in The Hunger – after all, she was beautiful, sexy, stylish and lived forever, but at the same time, she was a mass-murdering, cold-hearted dead vampire, and to be fair, that’s a bit of a downside.

Ellen Ripley, however, is atypical for a female in a horror film. She’s not a victim, and although Sigourney Weaver is gorgeous, it’s not that Hollywood blonde thing. She’s the one that kicks ass and saves the day – and I’ve always wanted to be the kind of woman that kicks ass, because in real life everything scares me! My favourite Ripley incarnation is Alien: Resurrection when she’s been cloned and has part of the Alien’s DNA. She’s strong and sensual and completely in control of herself and the rest of the survivors. She is über-cool and has blood that can melt metal. What more could a girl want?

Sarah Pinborough