# I ain't no human!



## Overread (Jan 31, 2008)

Well its easy to find fantasy and sci-fi books where the lead character (human) is supported by one if not more secondary characts of non-human origins - but as for books where the lead character is not human = these are a little rarer  -especially if you take werewolves and vampires out of the picture (that is almost an entire separate section of fantasy)

So lets here what animals and aliens we can find who are leading the way in the world of imaginations:

Three from me:
White Fang by Jack London = lead is a wolf
Call of the Wilf by Jack London = lead is a dog 
Taka the Otter by Henry Williamson = the lead is ---- wait for it ---- an otter


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## nixie (Jan 31, 2008)

What about the Naomi Novik books, Temeraire is a dragon


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## Thadlerian (Jan 31, 2008)

Jonathan Livingston Seagull - A gull.
The Wainscott Weasel - A weasel.
Watership Down - Rabbits.


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## Urien (Jan 31, 2008)

BRIIIIGHT EYESS

Ooh the shining wire

ERK


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## nixie (Jan 31, 2008)

Maggie Fury's Shadow League series doesn't that have a number of different species


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## Hilarious Joke (Jan 31, 2008)

Last night I started writing a story from the POV of a harpy. Unbelievably fun.


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## Pyan (Jan 31, 2008)

The *Chanur *series by C.J.Cherryh - _*hani*_


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## Hilarious Joke (Feb 1, 2008)

Hey Pyan, are you a C.J. Cherryh fan? Because I studied _Cyteen _for my High School Certificate and quite enjoyed it.


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## Pyan (Feb 1, 2008)

Isn't the username a big enough clue, HJ?

Yep, I love all the Earth/Alliance books, and, of course, Chanur.


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## Hilarious Joke (Feb 1, 2008)

Heh heh, I think I may have just looked like a massive idiot.

Thing is _Cyteen _is all I know, but I've heard a lot about Cherryh and was wondering what her fantasy is like.


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## Pyan (Feb 1, 2008)

Ummm..never really got into her fantasy, HJ, but her SF is second to very few, IMAO. And if you enjoy politics with your SF, then that opinion jumps to second to _none_.


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## Hilarious Joke (Feb 1, 2008)

In My A___ Opinion?


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## Hilarious Joke (Feb 1, 2008)

200 posts! Here Py, I have a caramel mudcake prepared but its only you and I in this thread.

*Hands Pyan half a mudcake*


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## Pyan (Feb 1, 2008)

Congrats, HJ! Cheers!


Oh yes: IM*A(*rrogant)O!


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## Overread (Feb 1, 2008)

*watches the exchange - curses his stupidity - write down even more names for his to read pile*


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## Hilarious Joke (Feb 1, 2008)

*Cuts off a slice of his half of mudcake*

Here have one Overread!


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## Pyan (Feb 1, 2008)

Another non-human principal character book: *The Hobbit*, by JRRT.

And, of course, *The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion*, by the same author.

(no need to jot *those* down, OR, I assume....)


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## Reading_fanatic (Feb 1, 2008)

The wolves of Time by William Horwood the characters are wolves
Duncton Wood by William Horwood characters are moles
Welkin easels by Gary Kilworth characters are weasels


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## chrispenycate (Feb 1, 2008)

Sometimes it's difficult to know who the principal character is in a story in "Startide Rising" is it one of the dolphins, or the token humans? Similarly the chimps in "The uplift war", 
Is it a POV matter? Kzin in "children's hour, et al. A wide range of species in the just so stories, animal farm, the wind in the willows - even if these are thinly disguised humans in animal costumes.

Tailchaser's story? Sirius? Brere Rabbit?  The use of animal protagonists as symbols goes back as far as Aesop, and probably much further, to camp fire tales when labguage was young.
Protector, Iceworld, a whole mass of Sturgeons – humanity seen and judged through alien eyes.

Lackey's Griffon trilogy, many vampires and werebeasts through whose eyes we see a different world, which is the same – I'm beginning to think I've read more from outside  than those from the viewpoint of ordinary humans.


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## Who's Wee Dug (Feb 1, 2008)

Silver Metal Lover - Tannith Lee, Storm Constantine's - Wratheau books


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## chrispenycate (Feb 1, 2008)

And robots as main characters: Jay score, R Daneel Olivaw (you're not going to convince me Elija Baley is the principal character there), Multivac, copies of human mentation in a non-human matrix…


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## gully_foyle (Feb 2, 2008)

*Look to Windward* by Iain M Banks. Humans are incidental and not involved in the plot at all. The main characters are a Mind, a robot, two Chelgrians and I can't remember its name, but it was very cultured and looked like a big squishy pyramid.


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## Joel007 (Feb 2, 2008)

Many of Piers Anthony's books have a nonhuman main character (Dryad, Centaur, Ogre, etc.)

And of course most of Salvatore's books have a Dark Elf as the protagonist.


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## Talysia (Feb 2, 2008)

I remember that Kij Johnson's _Fudoki_ sees a cat as the main character.


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## Taltos (Feb 3, 2008)

chrispenycate said:


> Sometimes it's difficult to know who the principal character is in a story in "Startide Rising" is it one of the dolphins, or the token humans? Similarly the chimps in "The uplift war"



With the Brin second Uplift trilogy it's even more complicated, there are at least 10 POV-s fo which 9 are not human and some a given as these species are supposed to think - i.e. poems,etc. 

Also there are Poul Anderson Hoka - but I can't recall whether they are main characters or sidekicks.


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## Stormflame (Feb 3, 2008)

When you think of Salvatores whole career as an author, his world is based on adventures of the Dark Elves, who are not human.  As mentioned above in another post, it is evident that Tolkeins whole saga also relies on the hobbits, of who if you are really cut and dry, are not human either.  Many other writers that form the worlds of Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms are aimed at main characters of other races.  

So many are human (lead roles) and I must ask myself why.  I draw the conclusion that in each and every writer there is an inward desire to 'make' humanity overcome and prosper if only in a fantasy realm.  It makes us smile when a well-written character overcomes a hopeless trial, finds love along the way, and perhaps finds himself setting on a throne over all of humanity and the lesser races.  The sun shines over the distant eastern horizon and all seems well for that moment in time.

-Cit


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## Xwing Mom (Feb 6, 2008)

Erin Hunter's Warrior series...all the characters are cats.
Brian Jacques Redwall series ...take your pick -- rabbits, badgers, mice, hedgehogs (gotta love those hogs!), etc.


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## Karn Maeshalanadae (Feb 6, 2008)

I tend to stay away from books where animals are the main characters, myself.......I much prefer humans, elves, dwarves, ogres, that sort of thing. Creatures that are, if not human, at least humanoid.......


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