Star King (alien species)
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In Jack Vance's "Demon Princes" novels, specifically Star King, an alien of human appearance. They are asexual and reproduce in a manner quite unlike humans, but they can be surgically modified to resemble humans well enough to fool a medical examiner.
According to Kirth Gersen in Star King, their evolution on their homeworld, "Gnarumen" (Lambda Grus III in human nomenclature), was influenced by the artificial introduction of Neanderthal men in prehistory. Prior to this the proto-Star Kings were merely small amphibious creatures of no great competence, but in the ensuing millennia they grew to resemble humans and eventually to exterminate them from Gnarumen.
Star Kings strive to excel. Thus if one came up against someone that played tennis better than it, for example, it would then obsessively work to beat the opponent. Similarly they appear to strive to excel against humans in any field they encounter humans in, but each Star King's focus is driven by its own personality and interests.
They are somewhat different in temperament and motivation from humans, but they are able to interact with them successfully, as well as operate as spies in human society. (It is a popular joke within the Institute that the proper response to the question "Are Star Kings included in the Fellowship?" is "We certainly hope not".) But although Malagate (known as Malagate the Woe), the villainous Star King in the book of that name, is a notorious criminal with an outstanding reputation for callousness, it must not be supposed that he is typical of his race; he himself says shortly before his death that his career has not been one that his kind would respect or endorse.
