Extraordinary writing in Alien (8)
I believe the answer is:
stranger
'alien' is the definition.
(I know that alien can be written as stranger)
'extraordinary writing' is the wordplay.
'extraordinary' becomes 'strange' (similar in meaning).
'writing' becomes 'r' (one of the traditional three R's of education).
'strange'+'r'='STRANGER'
'in' is the link.
(Other definitions for stranger that I've seen before include "Unfamiliar person" , "Alien, foreigner" , "someone making nuisance call?" , "Regrants oddly to person unknown" , "More odd or wierd" .)