I ain't no human!

[Overread]

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

 

[nixie]

What about the Naomi Novik books, Temeraire is a dragon

 

[Thadlerian]

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

 

[Urien]

BRIIIIGHT EYESS

Ooh the shining wire

ERK

 

[nixie]

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

 

[Hilarious Joke]

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

 

[Pyan]

The Chanur series by C.J.Cherryh - hani

 

[Hilarious Joke]

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

 

[Pyan]

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

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

 

[Hilarious Joke]

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.

 

[Pyan]

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.

 

[Hilarious Joke]

In My A___ Opinion?

 

[Hilarious Joke]

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

*Hands Pyan half a mudcake*

 

[Pyan]

Congrats, HJ! Cheers!


Oh yes: IMA(rrogant)O!

 

[Overread]

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

 

[Hilarious Joke]

*Cuts off a slice of his half of mudcake*

Here have one Overread!

 

[Pyan]

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....)

 

[Reading_fanatic]

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

 

[chrispenycate]

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.

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

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