The thread on dragons made me think, what kind of funky non-dragon creatures do you have in your book? I have the Berrick people, massive bearlike creatures with human intelligence. Along with them in the forest are the Tanuki people, named after the racoon-dogs of Japan they are furry little racoonish creatures who can change form at will. So what do you have?
Strange creatures
- Thread starter gambit924
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I've got a whole bunch of weird creatures. I've made up a lot of folkloric beings for my city, because my story's premise means that new legends are always being born. For example, I've got an impossibly attractive female spirit who wears a strange hoodie*. She goes around looking for men in relationships to seduce.
The hood is actually the spirit's head, and if a person looks closely enough they'll notice that the zip -- which extends all the way to the top of the hood -- has actual teeth. The black circles on the sides are the spirit's real eyes. When the man leans in for a kiss the zipper slams shut (like a venus fly trap) and bites off his head. If he resists her he'll get a reward tailored to whatever problems he's facing, like money or something that will eventually save his life where he would otherwise have died further down the line.
I came up with lots of these beings because they have the feeling of urban legends and old wives' tales, sort of like Japanese youkai or creatures used to scare people into behaving
*ETA: I've just realised that this might be a British phrase. Hoodie = hooded sweatshirt.
The hood is actually the spirit's head, and if a person looks closely enough they'll notice that the zip -- which extends all the way to the top of the hood -- has actual teeth. The black circles on the sides are the spirit's real eyes. When the man leans in for a kiss the zipper slams shut (like a venus fly trap) and bites off his head. If he resists her he'll get a reward tailored to whatever problems he's facing, like money or something that will eventually save his life where he would otherwise have died further down the line.
I came up with lots of these beings because they have the feeling of urban legends and old wives' tales, sort of like Japanese youkai or creatures used to scare people into behaving
*ETA: I've just realised that this might be a British phrase. Hoodie = hooded sweatshirt.
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I have three sentient non-human races in my fantasy books: humanoid big cats, consisting of lions, tigers, cheetahs and leopards, who are a solitary and naturalistic society. I have the Vesuvians, a race of bat-like creatures with two sets of eyes, massive jaws and live within a volcano (as in the lava), and the Drimnar, a squat platypus-fish cross that do their best to stay out of the world's politics while being a large contributor of rare resources to everyone.
Some of the demi-gods are also animal combinations, but I don't have any particular mythical creatures that live in legend or anything like that.
Some of the demi-gods are also animal combinations, but I don't have any particular mythical creatures that live in legend or anything like that.
Interesting. I love the thought of cat-like creatures. Probably why I'm such a fan of Wing Commander, lol. They had to fight the evil Kilrathi, big cats with bad attitudes. I also like the idea of Yokai. I am writing something right now that I am calling Yokai Vision about Yokai swept to the US by the 2011 tsunami who are now causing havoc. I was thinking it would be great for a dramedy series, then again...
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In Screamcatcher, a dream catcher world gone mad, I've got werewolves, bigfoot, cave gargoyles, thunderbirds, gators, sloths, mastodons, north American lions, wolves, bison and short-faced bears and whatever else I fancy.
You know, the usual, rats and spiders and snakes.
I had to take out the flying jellyfish with three glowing red eyes. They were scaring me.
I had to take out the flying jellyfish with three glowing red eyes. They were scaring me.
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Drelat... a riding beast that resembles a mix of camel and hyena, with the disposition of a wolverine. Those brave enough to ride one may find the experience rewarding or fatal, depending on who wins the invariable initial argument.
Vreshtoq... like an armadillo crossed with a wart hog and blown up to water buffalo size and speed; warmblooded, but scaled and egg-laying. A dangerous pest with no natural enemies, and will eat anything organic; its extinction is the fondest wish of farmers everywhere.
Vreshtoq... like an armadillo crossed with a wart hog and blown up to water buffalo size and speed; warmblooded, but scaled and egg-laying. A dangerous pest with no natural enemies, and will eat anything organic; its extinction is the fondest wish of farmers everywhere.
My creature is a deaf man. 
He’s human, but his missing sense makes him subhuman to many.
My all-time favorite literary creature:
In Hal Clement’s Mission of Gravity, Barlennan is long and low--a creature supported on many, many muscular legs like a centipede--to withstand the 700-earth-G environment of Mesklin. To raise even a third of himself off the ground is a feat of bravery, because on Mesklin, the slightest fall
is fatal. He helps rescue a human at the equator where the high spin reduces gravity to only three Gs.
I was so impressed, I bought the hard cover when I was 13 and still have it.
He’s human, but his missing sense makes him subhuman to many.My all-time favorite literary creature:
In Hal Clement’s Mission of Gravity, Barlennan is long and low--a creature supported on many, many muscular legs like a centipede--to withstand the 700-earth-G environment of Mesklin. To raise even a third of himself off the ground is a feat of bravery, because on Mesklin, the slightest fall
is fatal. He helps rescue a human at the equator where the high spin reduces gravity to only three Gs.I was so impressed, I bought the hard cover when I was 13 and still have it.
I have an alien who looks and behaves like an ordinary twelve-year-old girl.
I think maybe she is an ordinary twelve-year-old girl...
But she's insisting she's an alien.
I think maybe she is an ordinary twelve-year-old girl...
But she's insisting she's an alien.
I have the Jagon of Cloudforge. An ancient race of Human-Bird-Lizard Men that rule a secluded city in the sky.
I also have giant tortoises called Tortuas. The Tortuas are ridden like a horse or camel. They are a little smarter than the average beast of burden.
I also have giant tortoises called Tortuas. The Tortuas are ridden like a horse or camel. They are a little smarter than the average beast of burden.
Puts me in mind of Species (the film). What a sweet preteen; what a hot young woman; what a horror.
I have demons, hordes of them. Each one is unique and monstrous. I have been sketching them and putting them up on my blog all through May, dubbing it "Demon a Day" month.
There's no horror with mine.
It's just unclear whether she's an actual alien or suffers from 8th grade syndrome.
My current WIP has dozens, hundreds, thousands. The environment is earth-like, but the survivors have (apparently) been portaled to a world virtually identical to their own, but with a radically different ecology that might not even be native (doubtful given just how well-adapted the flora and fauna is).
The first one they see is a filter-feeder that essentially looks like a rolling carpet. It apparently eats dirt, feeding It in one end and out the other. And that's just the first.
The first one they see is a filter-feeder that essentially looks like a rolling carpet. It apparently eats dirt, feeding It in one end and out the other. And that's just the first.
I have humans, escaped prisoners, grizzly bears, bison gone mad, eels that have mutated to impossibly large sizes that have developed a liking for human flesh, a couple of demons, and a skinwalker.
Book two of the trilogy gets into alien life forms and alien plant life that I have yet to think up, these may be introduced towards the end of book one.
Book two of the trilogy gets into alien life forms and alien plant life that I have yet to think up, these may be introduced towards the end of book one.
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I have a burrowing worm-thing that's slightly larger and pinker than a maggot and feeds on negative thoughts. Then amplifies them as it bores into its victims' brains.
Don't have a name for it yet though. . .
Don't have a name for it yet though. . .
Tezzirax, I looked at your blog, I love the stuff you have there. Have you ever thought of game creation? This would make a fabulous little RPG. Anyway, just saying. Personally I would love to write for games, but I am not qualified as yet, seeing as most of them want a Bachelors degree and some programming knowledge these days, but I an working on a Bachelors, so I'll be part way qualified. Anyway I think it would be a good idea for a game, and you've got some wonderful art going on there.
sarahdalton
Banned
I had planned to create weird genetically altered creatures, a bit like Wolvogs in Oryx and Crake, but ended up not fitting anything into the plot. So instead I have an army of young clone men with a 'hive mind' who act like bees. It sounds weird but it works. Honest.
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For one of my stories, which I have yet to finish, I came up with an alien inspired by the Spider Gremlin from Gremlins 2.
sarahdalton
Banned
That just scared the shit out of me!
Spiders are a massive nope.
Was that really in Gremlins? I'm getting wussy with age!
Spiders are a massive nope.
Was that really in Gremlins? I'm getting wussy with age!