Yes, I'm aware that 99.9% of people will say dragons, but I was wondering if anyone had any other favorite creatures. I'm kindof partial to wyverns. Not sure why, I just think they are cool. (incidentally, I have never read a book with one in it, I have just played computer games that included wyverns as one of the monsters you fight)
A longtime Xanth fan, I'm afraid that I can't narrow it down to just one favorite fantasy creature, but I am partial to winged centaurs.
As for my own writing, I think my favorite creature to use is the pegasus. I'm not sure how I feel about a Pegicorn, but I think I like the idea. I guess I just like winged horses of all types. This is, of course, talking about protagonistic character animals.
Antagonistic creatures are a different thing all together. I like to attack my main characters with gargoyles. I also created a creature in one of my novels called an Anger that is somewhat like a combination of a gargoyle, a short tailed Gar, and a poisonous snake.
The best fantasy creatures can fly, in my opinion.
Dragons, of course, are popular because they have it all. Here is a short list of common dragon abilities.
Flight
Speach
Armor
Fire Breathing (Or Steam, Smoke, Ice, Lightening, Poison)
Telepathy
Magic
Razor-Sharp Claws
Hoards of Treasure
Mountain Cave Hideaway
Underwater breathing or being able to hold breath for a long time.
Shapeshifting
Regeneration
Invisibility
And Living in a Land Called Hannah Lee.
So as you can see, most people favor dragons simply because they are the total package.
A. A. Attanasio has a book titled Wyvern, and although no such creature makes an appearance in the book, it is a good read anyway.Originally Posted by wardog25
I think Katherine Kerr has a book with a wyvern in it but I can't say for sure.
Some favorites:
- Divlish the Damned's demon horse (author Roger Zelazny)
- Robin Hobb's dragons and her variations thereof (its the variations that make her standout).
- Virtually everything in Stephen R. Donaldson's work: the Raynihm (sp? - sentient horses), the waynim and their variants, sand gorgons, elohim, cave wights, wisps, and the best incarnation of giants in modern fantasy.
- The giant battle cats (forget the actual name) in Lawrence Watt-Evens overman stories.
I'm having trouble thinking of stuff, so I'll take the previous poster's Stephen R Donaldson list and add in Demondim, Arguleh, and croyel.
And then there's the Weaver(s?), China Mieville's most interesting creation.
The wizard wood ships and their living figureheads in Robin Hobbs Liveship Traders trilogy are quite awesome, especially Paragon.
Also, the Thestrals from Potter are neat-o as well.
Hippogriff's are where it is.
Mieville's menagerie is mind-blowing.
Tad Williams' Shadowmarch has one in it and Brian Priest (check me on the author) Dragonworld had one as a main villian.
Nom the Sandgorgon and the Ur-vile that became the new Staff of Law from the Second Chronicals of Thomas Covenant were great creatures. They have such powerful mystery built around their characters. Also, the parasitic creatures that granted magic powers to the wizard in the city across the sea.
Loish from the Vlad Taltos series by Brust.
Talking flowers.
I want a daemon, as in His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman.
I wish I knew of good fantasy with sublime, wondrous creatures without grotesquerie - maybe non-cheesy dragon tales?
Last edited by intensityxx; January 15th, 2007 at 08:38 PM.
...my personal favorites and partly my own creations. Noone beats them!
But if you want to know about such that are known to mankind look below.
Werewolves. They are the best. After zombies. Brains!!!
A werewolf is an ordinary person while vampires are aritocrats. They are snobbar. As we call it in Sweden. You can cope with them a lot better.
Then there are a million of small creatures that I can't name.
the telepath wolf in Robin Hobb's Farseer books. Yeah, the liveships come a close second, but the mind link and the transfer of abilities are much cooler. Although, if I were to choose a companion for me, I would prefer a condor, not a wolf - something with wings.
The Ents from Tolkien also make to the top of the list - a long life of contemplation of mountains and forests, endless conversations with the peers, "save the forest" activists ...
Bartimaeus - the malicious djinn from Jonathan Stroud books, would make a cool friend also. I saw him mentioned in another topic today
Last edited by algernoninc; January 16th, 2007 at 04:22 AM.
Miéville's menagerie is indeed mind-blowing as someone else pointed out. The khepri are great, but someone on this board said in a post I read a few days ago that they're a rip-off of some creatures in Harrison's Viriconium.. I've had that book on my shelf for a while and haven't got round to reading it yet, but now I'm intrigued. I admire the depth of Miéville's imagination and it would be a pretty big blow to me if it turns out to be too blatant - then again, which author doesn't use others for inspiration?
Someone else mentioned Robin Hobb's dragons, liveships and variations thereof - you took the words right out of my mouth, it's pretty much the first thing that came to my mind. I think she's done an excellent job of making them captivating from beginning to end, where many other authors have a tendency to outdo themselves and come up with new beasts every few pages to keep the excitement going.
I've heard that Stephen Donaldson's creatures are great.. seems that plenty of people on this board think so at any rate. I've been shying away from the Chronicles of Thomas Convenant for a while now but I think you're convincing me to give them a go..
Ah, but what would you get? I'd want a hippo, hippos are ace. They look so rotundly cheery and placid, but they are #^&%ing mental.
Top fantasy creatures - GRRM's direwolves are pretty damn good.
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