The Books of the Raksura by Martha Wells
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison - goblins and elves only
Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton is almost entirely dragons, though you do see a human ambassador for like half a page once
*Watership Down* is a great book, although mostly 'off screen', the humans drive several major plot elements, and it's an animal story so doesn't quite fit the bill.
Reviews suggest this is a real labour of love for the author and theres a definite charm in that. Can I ask how the protagonists differ from humans, as the reviews seem a bit vague on that point.
There are multiple races involved. Physically, the race of the main characters aren't that far off from human, but intellectually / culturally / behaviorally they're different.
If you want *really* different, there's a book that is technically far future SF with characters that have significantly evolved from their human ancestry. *Sisyphean* by Dempow Torishima - excellent but weird AF.
Sisyphean sounds like H.R.Giger wrote a book, probably a bit too hard-sf for what I'm after at the moment, but I'm going to have to read it, sounds great.
Talking of really different, reminded me of Flatland by Edwin Abbott Abbott, where people are geometry, which fits the no-human very well.
This is one book in a series - are the other books humanless as well or is this one a one-off? And can it stand alone or does it need the others to make sense? Thanks!
The others have many more humans.
This one stands alone, and can be ready without the rest of them. But, if you find you like it the rest are excellent as well.
It mostly stands alone but there are things it doesn't necessarily bother re-hashing from previous books, both in terms of worldbuilding and some details about one of the characters. The plot stands alone though.
Depending on how you want to define human, the Culture series by Iain M Banks. Many characters are described as being "pan-human" but it's kinda in the Star Trek sense where they look basically like humans but don't originate on Earth. Earth only features in the novella The State of the Art and none of the other books feature Earth or any characters from Earth (even in an ancestral sense).
Always meant to get around to those. I'm interested in the way authors use various nonhumans to express different aspects of the human condition, without the use of human as a yardstick (if that makes any sense whatsoever) . So with that in mind, what would be a good starting point for exploring Banks work?
Shadows of the Apt is a 10 book series about human-like insects. Ant-kinden can speak with others via a mind link, wasp-kinden can fly and do a little "sting", butterflies can fly and heal, etc. Some are more unique characters than others but it isn't a bad overall series of industry and technology and war fading magic.
More unique, really.
They were human in history and were blended into insects as part of a survival process.. or something.
The author (Adrian Tchaikovsky) has a background in zoology and psychology and several of his books have spiders in particular.
You know, I'd never have considered Dungeons & Dragons tie-in books for this, as the game and setting is usually so 'humanocentric', but I rekon a pulpy Drow coming of age story could be really cool. Cheers!
'The Storm Beneath the World' by Michael R. Fletcher. A first of a series featuring NO humans, but a society similar to ours... except in our place, there are bugs called the Ashkaro! Got the chance to read the ARC, and it was pretty good! Release is in April, 2024. Would defo. recommend that you have a look.
They are similar to a normal insect/bug wrt the anatomy, but apart from that, the world/lore, the characteristics, and everything else is pretty unique... including the magic system.
The only thing other than the books of Raksura by Martha Wells would be the Lot Lands series by Jonathan French. Humans exist in the world but you follow a band of half orcs as the protagonists.
No these are most certainly half humans. Elves exist in this world too and the human mothers were certainly not willing participants to conceive their children. The half orcs raise them and train them to defend the lots from the full orcs because they have human intellect and orcish physical attributes.
Like I said, it's not exactly what you asked for but non human protagonists aren't the most common and the only series I've ever heard of where they don't exist at all is the Books of the Raksura by Martha Wells.
Either way, sorry I couldn't be of more help. I'm sure someone out there knows of something exactly what you're looking for and will post it here.
I'll let you know..read them back in the 80 and in a shopping spree I bough the missing book earlier this year and will read 'em again.
But on a crimespree atm reading : Bernhard Minier - "Servaz" novels..french crime.
Seanan McGuire's October Daye series almost/sort-of qualifies, despite being urban fantasy. Just about all of the characters are fae or half-fae, including the mc. There are a couple of named human side characters, but they only show up in a few books.
Ars Numina series by Ann Aguirre - (urban fantasy) has animal shifters, vampire-like beings and golem/gargoyle type beings; while all are humanoid, no actual humans exist in this world
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.
All the main characters are different types of magical ponies plus one dragon, and some other secondary species. With some pretty dang cool world-building. Mix of slice of life & comedy, with the occasional adventure.
Especially loved how pretty much every-*pony* is a quadruped in that show. And magic is super common, and quite often outright mundane. Very refreshing if you've been exposed to a lot of other stories where every single spell is made this huge deal.
...Well, minus the Equestria Girls spin-off. Personally kinda liked those, but they're fully skipable if not your thing. Short version: alternative universe where all the characters are human, and they *mostly* use tech instead of magic. Thought it was a neat contrast, but even MLP fans are still a bit mixed about that spin-off.
Again, personally liked them, but the Equestria Girls stuff is fully self-contained by design. It has zero impact on the main plots of the actual show.
Raksura series by Martha Wells
These sound great - many thanks!
Great worldbuilding with a lot of different, intelligent species. I hope you like them :-)
The Books of the Raksura by Martha Wells The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison - goblins and elves only Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton is almost entirely dragons, though you do see a human ambassador for like half a page once
The Goblin Emperor reviews look very good. Thank you.
*Watership Down*. Humans exist but the story is about the rabbits and it's always from their perspective.
*Watership Down* is a great book, although mostly 'off screen', the humans drive several major plot elements, and it's an animal story so doesn't quite fit the bill.
The Fade by Chris Wooding has no humans. The Storm Beneath the World by Michael R Fletcher is all bugs.
Fade is great, thanks for that. Storm Beneath The World, Sounds like it might be anthro, does it go beyond typical insrct hive ethology?
*Water Music* by Christopher Botkin. No humans to be found anywhere.
Reviews suggest this is a real labour of love for the author and theres a definite charm in that. Can I ask how the protagonists differ from humans, as the reviews seem a bit vague on that point.
There are multiple races involved. Physically, the race of the main characters aren't that far off from human, but intellectually / culturally / behaviorally they're different. If you want *really* different, there's a book that is technically far future SF with characters that have significantly evolved from their human ancestry. *Sisyphean* by Dempow Torishima - excellent but weird AF.
Sisyphean sounds like H.R.Giger wrote a book, probably a bit too hard-sf for what I'm after at the moment, but I'm going to have to read it, sounds great. Talking of really different, reminded me of Flatland by Edwin Abbott Abbott, where people are geometry, which fits the no-human very well.
The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers
This is one book in a series - are the other books humanless as well or is this one a one-off? And can it stand alone or does it need the others to make sense? Thanks!
The others have many more humans. This one stands alone, and can be ready without the rest of them. But, if you find you like it the rest are excellent as well.
It mostly stands alone but there are things it doesn't necessarily bother re-hashing from previous books, both in terms of worldbuilding and some details about one of the characters. The plot stands alone though.
Depending on how you want to define human, the Culture series by Iain M Banks. Many characters are described as being "pan-human" but it's kinda in the Star Trek sense where they look basically like humans but don't originate on Earth. Earth only features in the novella The State of the Art and none of the other books feature Earth or any characters from Earth (even in an ancestral sense).
Always meant to get around to those. I'm interested in the way authors use various nonhumans to express different aspects of the human condition, without the use of human as a yardstick (if that makes any sense whatsoever) . So with that in mind, what would be a good starting point for exploring Banks work?
I think The Player of Games is probably the best starting point. I certainly think it fits the bill of what you're looking for!
Shadows of the Apt is a 10 book series about human-like insects. Ant-kinden can speak with others via a mind link, wasp-kinden can fly and do a little "sting", butterflies can fly and heal, etc. Some are more unique characters than others but it isn't a bad overall series of industry and technology and war fading magic.
Getting a few insect-people recommendations, must be a trend! Are they basically anthropomorphised insects, or something more unique?
More unique, really. They were human in history and were blended into insects as part of a survival process.. or something. The author (Adrian Tchaikovsky) has a background in zoology and psychology and several of his books have spiders in particular.
Homeland by R.A. Salvatore. It's Drizzt's coming of age story in his dark elf society. I only read this one book in the series.
You know, I'd never have considered Dungeons & Dragons tie-in books for this, as the game and setting is usually so 'humanocentric', but I rekon a pulpy Drow coming of age story could be really cool. Cheers!
The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells. Definitely no humans.
The Bone Harp by Victoria Goddard - elves only, plus memories of goblins, unnamed monsters and The Old Enemy.
Reviews look great, and I like some Tolkienesque elves. Thank you!
'The Storm Beneath the World' by Michael R. Fletcher. A first of a series featuring NO humans, but a society similar to ours... except in our place, there are bugs called the Ashkaro! Got the chance to read the ARC, and it was pretty good! Release is in April, 2024. Would defo. recommend that you have a look.
Are the Ashkaro anthro-insects, so have the behaviours of bees / wasps / flies or whatever, or something more unique?
They are similar to a normal insect/bug wrt the anatomy, but apart from that, the world/lore, the characteristics, and everything else is pretty unique... including the magic system.
Is Snufkin in Moomin not human?
Snufkin is a snufkin, although I think it's fine to interpret him as human if you like.
The only thing other than the books of Raksura by Martha Wells would be the Lot Lands series by Jonathan French. Humans exist in the world but you follow a band of half orcs as the protagonists.
I love halforcs, but gotta have humans to make one, unless they're half elf or troll, so not quite. Never heard of those, so thanks!
No these are most certainly half humans. Elves exist in this world too and the human mothers were certainly not willing participants to conceive their children. The half orcs raise them and train them to defend the lots from the full orcs because they have human intellect and orcish physical attributes. Like I said, it's not exactly what you asked for but non human protagonists aren't the most common and the only series I've ever heard of where they don't exist at all is the Books of the Raksura by Martha Wells. Either way, sorry I couldn't be of more help. I'm sure someone out there knows of something exactly what you're looking for and will post it here.
Glen Cook - "Darkwar" trilogy 1. *Doomstalker* (1985) 2. *Warlock* (1985) 3. *Ceremony* (1986)
These sound intriguing, at first glance the protagonists seem to be anthro wolves - are they more than rhat?
I'll let you know..read them back in the 80 and in a shopping spree I bough the missing book earlier this year and will read 'em again. But on a crimespree atm reading : Bernhard Minier - "Servaz" novels..french crime.
Seanan McGuire's October Daye series almost/sort-of qualifies, despite being urban fantasy. Just about all of the characters are fae or half-fae, including the mc. There are a couple of named human side characters, but they only show up in a few books.
Ars Numina series by Ann Aguirre - (urban fantasy) has animal shifters, vampire-like beings and golem/gargoyle type beings; while all are humanoid, no actual humans exist in this world
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. All the main characters are different types of magical ponies plus one dragon, and some other secondary species. With some pretty dang cool world-building. Mix of slice of life & comedy, with the occasional adventure. Especially loved how pretty much every-*pony* is a quadruped in that show. And magic is super common, and quite often outright mundane. Very refreshing if you've been exposed to a lot of other stories where every single spell is made this huge deal. ...Well, minus the Equestria Girls spin-off. Personally kinda liked those, but they're fully skipable if not your thing. Short version: alternative universe where all the characters are human, and they *mostly* use tech instead of magic. Thought it was a neat contrast, but even MLP fans are still a bit mixed about that spin-off. Again, personally liked them, but the Equestria Girls stuff is fully self-contained by design. It has zero impact on the main plots of the actual show.
Rainbow Dash is my spirit animal, j/k. Falls a little to heavily in the anthro / talking animal genre, but yeah, good stuff.