Today is the day of all days: it’s Alien Day. What does that mean? It means it’s the day where we can all celebrate a once great franchise that started out with horrifying brilliance but in more recent times has just been stumbling around in the dark looking foolish.

So why on this day of all days do we celebrate all things Alien? Well, today is April 26th (if you write it like an American) which can also be expressed as 4-26. Add an abbreviation for love and you get LV 426 - the designation for the planet featured in the first two movies - get it? So what better way to celebrate a day dedicated to claustrophobic terror, thrilling action and over the top violence than by buying a load of stuff? Here’s a list of things you need:

1. Jonesy: Nine Lives on the Nostromo (by Rory Lucey)

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Nine Lives on the Nostromo follows Jonesy, the only feline member of the Nostromo crew and one of the few survivors from Alien and its direct sequel Aliens. Jonesy is as memorable a character as any, showing up for key scenes to hiss at the Alien or to lick himself or to look disinterested. Luckily for Jonesy, he is granted a pass from joining Ripley, Hicks, Vasquez and the gang on the next Weyland-Yutani Corporation adventure. This book is a beautifully illustrated and humorous love letter to Alien, the film that started it all.

You can pick up a hard copy here.

2. Adorable Facehugger Plush

Free hugs! The facehugger really is a cheeky wee scamp. Scuttling about, suffocating and impregnating its victims with demon Xenomorph seed. He’s a real character and now you can own your own much cuddlier version. Maybe you can snuggle up to it while reading your copy of Jonesy or while watching the famous chestburster scene in all its glory. You decide.

You can grab your cute as a button plush here.

3. Alien Quadrilogy DVD (2003) / Anthology Blu Ray Box Set (2010)

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An obvious one really but what better way to celebrate the series than by re-watching that original quadrilogy and a tonne of behind the scenes extras. The first two are obviously great but Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection are both quite poor yet still worth revisiting. These specific releases also contain the famed Assembly Cut of Alien 3, a much improved version over the original, and these sets are one of the few ways to watch it legitimately. Give it a shot and you might just warm up to that dubious third installment.

Grab your copy right here.

4. Sega Saturn and Alien Trilogy Game

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Alien Trilogy is a tense, frightening first person shooter and one of only a few genuinely good videogames based on the franchise. It came out on both the Sony Playstation and Sega Saturn but the Saturn wins out here because of its sleek black finish. I also feel sorry for it. It took a fair beating from the Playstation back in the day.

Grab your Sega Saturn here and your copy of the game here.

5. Kenner 18" Alien Action Figure

Why an action figure from an R-rated horror film is being aimed at kids I'll never know but this 18" figure from Kenner is incredibly cool. You can impress all your friends with your snappy ventriloquist skills but be warned, this vintage figure is now going for insane prices.

Grab yourself a bargain here.

Remember, it's Alien Day! Make sure you get out there and fill that empty void in your soul with a load of totally useful stuff. You owe it to yourself and you owe it to the memory of a once great franchise.

Peace.

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