A Question for Fantasy Readers and Writers…

[Dresdenus Prime]

I’ll get right to the question - would a fantasy series be successful in the here and now if it had a fantasy non-human character at the helm? It seems to me right now that most popular fantasy is human based, and doesn’t involve fantasy creatures as much anymore. Maybe I’m wrong. I haven’t had the chance to read much fantasy lately. Believe me when I begin to write my fantasy book I will. Plus right now I’m reading ASOIAF and that’s taking me half a year, but that’s why I’m asking on here.

   So right now what I’m wrestling with is whether to make this story all human, or varying degrees of human and non-human fantasy type creature. Humans would still factor into the story, but there would be at least one non-human main character that the reader would follow.

***BONUS QUESTION!!!***

Assuming the story is a go on using fantasy non-human characters, as much as I love elves and dwarves, I believe their time has been well used, and I would love to dive into new ground. Would it be possible for me to create my own type of fantasy character? Or would the reader immediately turn away from that because it is something unfamiliar? Obviously it wouldn’t be completely out of left field. It would be somewhat subtle. Example: Elves have pointy ears just as Vulcans have pointy ears, but their traits and abilities are different.

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks a ton guys!

[Aminar]

A non-human perspective has some appeal as long as they are relatable while just slightly alien.  Perhaps work inanother character's perspective to ease things in(only works if your doing third person...)  That said, I would read a first person book from an elves perspective, or a dwarfs, or a werewolves, or etc.  It's just harder on the writer without obvious whiny bits(ala Drizzt.  He's human except that he knows everyone hates him on sight and lives a long time...  Some of the other drow perspective books convey the difference better though.)

[jtaylor]

It depends on how alien you make your character. Most standard fantasy and sci-fi races tend to be very near human in form and thought. Elves have pointy ears, live a long time, and have language and cultural differences from humans. Having a non-human as the main character is fine. Look at Lord of the Rings. The main characters are Hobbits. In fact, in the Hobbit you don't even see a Human (unless you count Gandalf) until Long Lake.
The reason this works is that hobbits are basically short gluttonous humans with an aversion to shoes. They are relatable.

Jim Butcher used non-humans quite well in the Codex Alera, and the Marat, Canim, and Icemen were nothing at all like traditional fantasy races. However, they had understandable motives and were relatable to the reader.

It's really hard to make something completely alien relatable. It's why you don't often see Star Trek stories with a Horta as a PoV character, or a Dr. Who from the Dalek point of view.

As an author, when you are creating your world, even if you use a long established fantasy race like elves or dwarves, they are a new race in that they are YOUR take on them. If you want to create a new race, go for it. But just make sure they have a well defined culture and don't think to differently than a human. Because humans only really understand other humans.

[Snowleopard]

The major thing, as someone else said, is that the reader can relate to the character(s).
Unless you're looking for something completely alien in behavior.
In one of Andre Norton's books she mentions an alien that looks humanoid but was, I believe, alien to the tenth level - meaning that the alien had almost no points of relativity to human behavior or thought.

As for creating your own beings.  I shouldn't think the readers would shy away from them, again see above.
I'm with you on elves and dwarves.  They have been over used.  Like vampires, werewolves to a degree, and now, sigh, zombies.  Unless you can give them a whole new spin.

[Spot]

1) I'm with all these guys in saying that non-human PoV is okay, as long as the reader can relate to the character. Take for example the robots in Isaac Asimov's Robot series (i.e. Caves of Steel and so on). R. Daneel Olivaw is for all intents and purposes, non-human. His spin on things is very different than that of Elijah Bailey (vanilla human), but most readers (okay, me) find it easier to relate to Daneel than Elijah. Same is the case when you look at the short story Sally (again by Asimov), where one of the most important characters is Sally the positronic brained car. Loyalty, compassion, and a desire to do the right thing (whether that right thing is right for the character or "right" in general is another matter) are the driving factors for Sally's portrayal. And again readers can relate to the story and the character because they are emotions and behavior patterns that the readers know very well.

Only partly related to your question, but this desire to see "human" perpective on things is what drives websites like icanhascheezburger.com, where we "humanize" the cats.

2) I think most sci-fi/fantasy readers are used to going outside their "comfort zone" so long as the characters are gripping, the writing is good, and the story is interesting. Speaking for myself, I like to read at least one book by an author to decide whether it's something I want to continue reading. I can only assume most people who enjoy reading would be much the same way.

[Snowleopard]

Another 'alien' point of view is Keith Laumer's BOLOS.
The giant AI tanks.  If you go through the stories you see how they start off as super smart computer operated tanks and gradually become Artificial intelligent war machines.

[trboturtle]

David Weber's War God Series has a non human as the main character.

Bazhell Bahnakson is a hradani, one of the four races of man. They are larger and tougher than humans (Bazhell is like eight feet tall). Male hradani are subject to bouts of Bezerker anger, known as the Rage.

I can't remeber the author or series, but I do remember seeing a series of novels that had a goblin as the main character.

Craig

[Snowleopard]

I think Patricia Briggs did the ones with the Goblin as the main character.
I read the first one and liked it.

[Haru]

A great read on a non-human(oid) character would be Tad Williams Tailchaser's Song. When you read it, you are not reading about a furry man, you are reading about a cat, and you never forget it, because of the way it is written. And that is what using a non-human as the main character should be all about, in my opinion.

When you are reading about an elven main character, but the story is written like he is a tall skinny man with pointy ears, what's the point? The alien thoughts and view on the world have to be conveyed, to make the reader feel and understand the difference. If you can't or won't do this, there really is no point to having a non-human viewpoint character. Of course, the more you stray from a human viewpoint, the harder it is going to be to deliver this understanding to the reader. Writing from the point of view of a two headed lizard connected to a hive mind... to say it is going to be tough might be an understatement.

OTOH, if you overdo it, it is going to read like "I'm an elf, oh you can't believe how elvish I am, check out my elvishness, you will never be as elvish as I am." Or dwarf, which was what threw me off the dwarves book by Markus Heitz.

I guess the non-humaness should come naturally, if that makes any sense. If you try to pound it into the character, it will fail as much as the human with pointy ears.

[Snowleopard]

^
Yeah, it's like when someone tries to do a female warrior and she just comes across as a guy
in a woman's skin.  It doesn't work and doesn't read right.

[Aminar]

Worse yet, it's hard to tell if your doing that right without feedback.

[Snowleopard]

^
Very true.  That's where bluntly honest friends and beta readers come in.

[Aminar]

^
Very true.  That's where bluntly honest friends and beta readers come in.

That bluntly honest bit...  It's hard to find. 

[Snowleopard]

True.
Most people don't want to hurt your feelings and a very, very few get too savage.

[meg_evonne]

It seems surprising that you need to ask in a world and fan base where Tolkein is, and always will be, king. Also, look at the popularity of Avator. It is, as Snowleapord and others have asked, 'do readers relate to the character and the character's journey/plight/whatever.' That is the ultimate test.

And it isn't just fantasy. Watership Downs doesn't even have humans (at least not technically, but arguably the rabbits are humans disguised) and I still remember and love the book. It is a classic.

Non-human away! I would suggest concrete understanding of the character so it never becomes wishy-washy.

Enjoy!