 The writing partnership between Dan OBannon (qv) and  Ronald Shusett (qv) came about when Shusett approached OBannon  about helping him adapt a Philip K. Dick (qv) story that he had  acquired the rights to. That was "We Can Remember It for You  Wholesale" which later became _Total Recall (1990)_ (qv). OBannon  then said that he had an idea that he was stuck on about an alien  aboard a spaceship and that he needed some assistance. Shusett  agreed to help out and they tackled the alien movie first as they  felt it would have been the cheaper of the two to make.