Dungeons & Dragons Races
One of the biggest parts of fantasy and science fiction are the non-human races. For some reason, fantasy gets hit pretty badly because people who read a lot of the genre get tired of the ‘cliche’ races. Elves, dwarves, halflings, gnomes, orcs, yadda yadda yadda. I’ve been on the wrong end of that criticism and it usually leaves me with the following thought:
‘Whatever. You can’t please everybody.’
I’ve seen some interesting remedies to this solution. One is that an author will simply not call the species by the established name. I’m always surprised when this works. If it talks like an elf, looks like an elf, shoots arrows like an elf, then one could assume it’s an elf. Yet by switching the names, a reader suddenly doesn’t make the connection. So you can tell that it isn’t so much the meat of the race, but the name. Other authors go straight human and the fictional races are legends, which opens the door for them to appear if the opportunity arises. Strange thing with fictional races is that humans ALWAYS seem to be the most widespread race as if they breed like cockroaches.
Personally, I enjoy the fictional races even if somebody is using an elf again. It’s how they differ from other versions that I enjoy. Maybe the elves aren’t immortal and perfect, but they’re simply long-lived and have high skills in certain areas. Maybe orcs aren’t evil and their women are the most gorgeous beings in Windemere. People still haven’t caught onto that one, which means I can’t wait until I get to write a story with a female orc as the main character. Anyway, my point is that I like a combination of old and new. The old helps me connect the race to previous knowledge in a positive way, which can also be seen as honoring what came before. The new feels a lot stronger because it shows a twist on an established race.
Sure, I do enjoy brand new creatures when they’re done well and right, but it does get strange when they’re nothing more than the stand in for an established race. That’s why fantasy is so tough. You’re always being held up to the old masters, which means you’re damned no matter what you do. You get lambasted for dwarves being bearded miners, but you also get booed for making a race of mole people that do and act the same way. This is why I think it’s best to either go entirely new or make a combination.
So, what do you think about fantasy races? Do you have a favorite that you wish was used more often? If you hate them, do you do so solely because you think of them as cliche or is there more to it? I know that third question sounds insulting, but I’ve been in this debate before. Most times someone says ‘I hate elves’, I can’t get anything more than ‘they’ve been done before’. So, I’m hoping to hear more to the hate because one could say that about anything in the fantasy genre.
Legends of Windemere 
You’ll never please everyone with non-humans. Especially those who have been done so well that there is little changing them in the mind of readers.
One of my favourites was the race of the Waynhim fromthe Covenant books. beautifully and poignantly crafted.
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True. I don’t even think it’s a battle worth fighting because it could lead to an author focusing exclusively on the races and missing the story entirely. I remember reading one story in college where I couldn’t even tell what the plot was because every other paragraph was about the different species that we were seeing. It was almost like the author was saying ‘look at my uniqueness! did I forget something?’
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I agree with you, Charles. At the end of the day it is the character that matters. You look at the mastery of Tolkein, for example.. he never really describes a race at all, but you ‘know’ who and what they are by reading the story.
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And he didn’t even have that many to work with. Dwarves, humans, and hobbits were really the big three with elves and orcs kind of in the background.
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Yet he still managed to create one of the richest literary worlds we can imagine. The backstories help, of course, with the legends, tales of the Valar etc.
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I am so highly influenced by the fantasy classics I have read that new races don’t usually impress me. I love cliches. They became cliche for a reason. I feel more like I can relate to them. They have become familiar. If I am reading sci-fi, or urban fantasy, I expect to see new races. BTW, we decided to name our boat Nauti Fantaseas. Ha! (Different sort of fantasies, but we thought it was cute.)
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Nice name. 🙂
Good point with the cliches becoming that way for a reason. Who is to say any new races without turn into that or the simple act of steering away from the classics is seen as cliche? Personally, I think a better approach is to have some classic alongside the new. It can help get readers into them.
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That sounds like a great idea. Introduce them slowly.
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I love the standard fantasy races. I think they have more stories to tell us too. You might guess from my recent posts that dwarves are my favorites.
Fantasy seems to suffer from this, but scifi gets to have endless adventures in space, time travel, and artificial intelligence. Nobody seems to complain.
I assume some people won’t like my stories. Maybe they’ll like the next one, maybe not.
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There’s not nearly enough stories that have dwarves as main characters.
I think sci-fi has more leeway because it’s about other planets. That opens up a load of creatures that readers/viewers seem to just accept. Fantasy works a lot in a Medieval European worlds even though they’re not Earth, so people seem to expect more realistic beings. They’re also quicker to get annoyed at the use of magic to fix anything. Maybe part of it is that fantasy requires a lot more deviation from reality than science fiction (it does use science and can have Earth), so not everyone can make the jump.
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That’s true. I’m looking for escapist readers who want to have a good time. I’ll never understand someone who buys a story about elves, knowing they don’t like elves.
I hunted hard for dwarf stories, read a series by Markus Heits, even some Warhammer books. Decided to write one myself.
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‘Escapist readers who want to have a good time’. I second, third, and infinity that sentiment. That should be what fantasy is all about. Forget comparing it to other series in the genre or analyzing it. At least on making that the main reason for reading it. Fantasy can be one of the cheapest ways to escape reality and let your stress wash away. Reading in general actually.
I have to check through my notes to see if I have any dwarf stories set. I do a lot of ensemble tales,so I think I have a few dwarves in the groups that aren’t ‘me hit and drink’.
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I use elves in a lot of my stories, particularly the three I have published. THough recently, I’ve toyed with the idea of switching to the original nordic version of the name (alfr) in an attempt to 1. Shake things up, 2. Pay homage to the original traditions.
Also, is it just me or do elves seem to the race that everyone likes to beat up on in their stories. In Lord of the Rings, they get slaughtered quite often, in Dragon Age, they’re beaten and used as slaves, etc.
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Interesting tactic. You don’t really see the other version of the names that often, so I think it would be really eye-catching and memorable.
People love destroying and humiliating elves. There’s even an anime/manga called ‘Those Who Hunt Elves’. I think because they’re portrayed as beautiful and pompous, so people seem to get a kick out of seeing them get taken down a notch. I know a few people who even cheered whenever an elf was killed in Lord of the Rings.
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Those are the people I almost punch. I have a guy on my books facebook page CONSTANTLY letting elves have it… UGH!!!
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I have someone that gets angry if I use an orc for a non-monster character. Another who flips out on anything with pointy ears. Sometimes I wonder why people take these things so personally. It’s almost like the elves went out of their way to anger these people. Is there an ancient story where they killed a puppy and ate it?
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One that always drives me insane is that no one can come to a consensus on certain things… Elfin, Elfen, Elven, Elfish, Elvish…
Everytime I hear Elvish bow, or Elfish people, I want to pull my hair out!
I’ve always really pushed that there is a fine difference…
ish = Language
en= ‘Of Elves/Elfs’
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I have to admit that I use Elven for just about everything including the language. For some reason, I cringe when I see ‘spoke in Elvish’. Maybe it’s too close to Elvis when I say it out loud.
I guess my question would be if we really need a consensus on that. As long as it’s consistent in the series/book and one can understand what it means, I think any version is fine. Unless the only time it’s used is ‘Elvish/Elven whores’, which seems to be a rather common insult in fantasy.
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And then there’s that Santa guy always bossing slaves around and making them do all the hard work! (Sorry, that is probably only funny to me.)
I don’t read a ton of fantasy these days, though I did in high school. However, I think using the original Nordic “alfr” is really great! That would cause readers to (if they’re anything like me) go and look up the origins. It would definitely be memorable.
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That is funny. Santa really is a psychotic taskmaster. I’m Jewish, so I don’t get to interact with him beyond telling him to get out of the Halloween and Thanksgiving displays.
I like that idea of using fantasy to get people to investigate mythology. That’s what got a friend of mine into Japanese mythology.
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I’m Protestant, and I still think Santa invades Halloween and Thanksgiving. There was a cartoon circulating last year that showed the turkey yelling at Santa to wait his turn. 😀 It was great!
Mythology is intriguing. I always love to learn about the origins, and I always wonder where storytellers got their ideas about some creatures from, or what inspired their stories. Then to see all the various ways that writers interpret and portray certain characters and beings – that is the fun part! Amazing what so many minds can do.
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That cartoon has made a comeback this year. I actually started seeing Christmas stuff around Labor Day. Last year I had a post that had all the holidays talking and Christmas was the bully. Not really sure how that one ended, so I might have to reblog it at some point.
One interesting thing I find about mythology is how certain creatures are found all over the word. There are so many variations of dragons that one has to wonder how it got into so many regions. They all have similarities too.
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Yes! It makes you wonder if we all think so alike or if there is some missing origin story. (Or maybe even if dragons were real…)
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Maybe they existed and decided to leave when humans were getting too dangerous. Though I’m not sure where they would have gone.
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LMFAO!!!!
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Interestingly enough, even our ancestors seemed to enjoy a few twists on an old tale every now and then. Mythical creatures (nymphs, leprechauns etc) can be benevolent in one story and cruel in the next; ugly or beautiful; close to humans or secretive. Which, to me, suggests that we have the artistic freedom to play around with our characters as much as we want. 🙂
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So true. Cultures and the use of the story seemed to dictate what a fairy would do. If it was to be positive then they were benevolent. If it was to stop people from doing something or explain disaster then they were mean. You’re right that such a thing means modern authors should be free to go in any direction they please.
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As always, my opinion is: as long as it makes sense, go for it! So if you’ve got a world full of elves and half elves and dwarves and ogres, awesome. Just make sure you address the fact that there are a boatload of sentient races competing for the same resources, with different goals for their civilizations, etc. etc. As long as it makes sense, I’m happy to read it 😀
Side note: I am in full agreement about authors who “invent” a new species which is obviously based on elf/dwarf/troll/orc. If there’s a good reason for it, sure, why not. But if it’s just to avoid being cliche … dude, if you’re that worried about being cliche, you probably are.
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I’m curious why the races have to compete so much and can’t live together. I’ve actually set it up that they kind of share cities. At least the elves, calicos, dwarves, humans, and halflings fall under the same kingdom. Orcs, gnomes, and fireskins have their own regions even though there are those that live within other areas. Guess this really stems from me not being interested in writing about politics.
Another thing that I thought of with that name change thing. What about an author who changes the names of elves, orcs, etc. and they leaves humans alone? I think we’re at the point where Terran doesn’t count.
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Well, the races don’t necessarily have to compete — peaceful co-existence is definitely possible. As humanity is currently the only sentient species on the planet, we don’t have much experience with other sentient species to work from 😀 And I’m hardly one to start harping on about politics — my brother’s favorite thing to do is read my writing and then start dissecting the political situation and explaining why it doesn’t make sense. My answer is usually, “God, Jesse, just read the book and enjoy it!”
As for name change … dunno. It’s a mystery!
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That brings up a good point. In science fiction, you have humans running into aliens after being the lone sentient species on Earth for centuries. There’s bound to be friction since many stories appear rather early in a human/alien relationship. It brings the idea of territory, past wars, and several other issues that one would find when two established groups meet for the first time.
Fantasy doesn’t always have this. There’s at least some legends about the other series, but more commonly they evolve and grow alongside each other. This does make some of the feuds rather odd. It’s almost like some authors use the a variety of species solely to cause conflict and, possibly, have racist storylines without insulting anyone in the real world.
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Since I’m new to the genre you can use anything as a character and I will think it’s great. I’ve become real fond of blue hair and purple eyes.
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Exposure definitely plays a role in people’s opinions. Maybe too much of a genre makes us a bit jaded.
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In my work I have created a number of non-human characters, more or less of my own design (although I have taken inspiration from a number of sources.) My characters, though, are people who started life as human and made a conscious choice to become something other than human. (James and Agony being notable exceptions–they were altered well before the age of consent.)
I do this deliberately, because the theme of self-directed transformation is central to the thesis of my work. How we choose to become what we are, the price that we are willing to pay for our transformations, and how our changes effect those around us–these are the questions that drive The Book Of Lost Doors series.
So my question back at you is, what are you saying with the species that you choose to include in your work? What does it mean to be an elf or a dwarf or an orc? What would be missing from the story if they all were human?
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1. I’m saying there are more than humans in Windemere. It is a world of magic and active gods, so nature has created more than one ‘dominant’ species. No real depth to it because I simply like utilizing various character species.
2. To be an Elf is to live without a central government or city. You exist under the laws of the kingdom you’re in along with the remains of your own culture. Also, you live with the knowledge that there is a hint of demon blood in your veins.
3. To be a dwarf is to live for work and social fun. You have remained unchanged for most of your existence and may be the only constant in the entire world. This means change is frustrating, but there’s always a place for a solid foundation.
4. To be an Orc is to be seen as an outcast even though you have a society. Wiped out of existence and returned by the sacrifice of the gods, people will not entirely trust your full-bloods. They may lust after your women who are more beautiful than Elves, but there may always be a void between you and the other species.
5. Variety would be missing from the story. Some abilities would also be lacking if everyone was straight human, but more importantly it would be a world that seems bland to me. Every species brings another aspect to the history and culture of Windemere, which weaves the reader into the story. If you have multiple cultures and species at risk then some readers will see that there is more to lose. Also, a non-human species can get away with more colorful cultures because a reader can be more inclined to accept their differences. I know many people who have no problem with the slutty Elf characters, but rail against a human with the same persona.
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I love non-humans, particularly elves and dryads. I also love the villainous creatures (orcs, goblins, etc.) I agree that you can’t please everyone. The naysayers who claim that elves have been done before probably couldn’t come up with alternatives themselves. Just because elves have been done before does that mean no one should ever write another book with an elf? Vampires and werewolves have been done many, many times. We love them, that’s why!
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Funny how orcs and goblins are always seen as the villainous creatures. Has Shrek taught us nothing? 😛
I always find the ‘been done before’ argument flimsy. Most, if not all, things have been done before. Swords, humans, magic, castles, and I could keep going on for days. I think it should come down to the characters and fun of the story instead of basing something off what came before. Yes, blatant plagiarism and unoriginality is bad, but there are other aspects of a story that people need to look at.
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I agree with you, in part. The old stand-by fantasy races (Elves, Dwarves, Orcs) are convenient stereotypes to use when you don’t have room for a lot of background history. You just say Dwarf, everyone knows what that is, and you can go from there. But that definitely runs the risk of all stereotypes, that it can become predictable and/or annoying. Among the many cardinal sins of a writer is to pen an annoying, predictable story.
If your tale permits, it’s definitely preferable to create something fresh and interesting. Not just an Elf by another name, I mean a well thought out race by the standards we would look for in science fiction. Treat them like aliens — because they are. And the best way to really carry this across would be to have a person of that race be a major viewpoint character. This shows the readers all the unique perspective and priorities of an alien, the big and small differences, and the areas of convergence.
Some readers may still complain about too much world-building, but at least your story won’t be predictable!
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(Had a long response, but my phone deleted it.)
This is why I try for a mix with the classics alongside some newish species. Though, there’s really no rule that says the originals have to be in the same roles. I’ve always wondered why orcs always have to be monsters, elves are always immortal blonde beauties, etc. It’s almost like these species are designated to one persona while humans run the gamut. This is why I’m starting to think the species isn’t as important as what role they play and the personalities of those that represent the species.
I’m curious what you mean by treating them like aliens. Do you mean in the eyes of the readers or the eyes of the human characters?
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Much as I adore Tolkein, there’s an odd flatness to the Hobbits, Elves and Dwarves. They are just like humans but with hairy feet and beards. Same priorities. Same concepts of honor and infamy.
What I mean by treating fantasy races like aliens is that they shouldn’t just be humans with pointy ears, etc. They should have different perspectives (especially a long lived breed such as dragons or elves), different values or mores, different governments and religions, different needs and desires. Most likely, they shouldn’t be able to have offspring with humans.
If these characters truly are not human, they should not sound and act just like humans.
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But humans and non- humans share the same emotions, basic needs, and other similarities that would come across. Yet there would also be differences. The elves were apathetic to the fate of Middle Earth, hobbits were rather country and isolated, and dwarves were extremely greedy. They seemed to demonstrate some of the negative aspects of humanity.
It really does come down to the history of the world too. Middle Earth had the races separated from each other, but there are other worlds where they live together. I actually prefer that because I don’t understand how a world can have a deep history where the big races don’t merge to some extent.
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