List of fictional humanoid species in literature

This is a list of fictional humanoid species in literature, and is subsidiary to the lists of humanoids. It is a collection of various notable humanoid species that are featured in text literature, including novels, short stories, and poems, but not originating in comics or other sequential art.

Species Author Work Notes
Abh Hiroyuki Morioka Crest of the Stars, Banner of the Stars serieses The Abh had been created with blue hair and a spatial-sensor organ on their forehead. The spatial-sensor organ is a compact visual organ with roughly 100 million receptors. It enables them to receive information via light from a headpiece known as an alpha. Unique to the Abh is the navigational lobe that serves to process information from the spatial-sensor organ.

Their body has been modified to accommodate both high gravitational force and weightlessness. Their frame and circulatory system have also been adjusted to function under such conditions.

Avian Americans James Patterson Maximum Ride series
Blemmyes Pliny Naturalis historia Tribe which became fictionalized as a race of creatures believed to be acephalous (headless) monsters who had eyes and mouths on their chest. Pliny the Elder writes of them that Blemmyes traduntur capita abesse, ore et oculis pectore adfixis ("It is said that the Blemmyes have no heads, and that their mouth and eyes are put in their chests"). The Blemmyes were said to live in Africa, in Nubia, Kush, or Ethiopia, generally south of Egypt.[1]
The Borrowers Mary Norton The Borrowers series
Brobdingnagians Jonathan Swift Gulliver's Travels
Daeva AssertiveRoland and others SCP Foundation The daevas, or Homo sanguinus,[2] is an extinct human cousin species who lived in matriarchal clan-based societies and regularly practiced human sacrifice, slavery, and thaumaturgy. Before the Common Era, the daevas founded the Daevite Empire that covered most of Eurasia, and remains a threat to humanity despite having long since fallen. Daevite history is inconsistent due to supernatural artifacts remaining that have changed the Daevite Empire's course of history through retrocausality, a process the SCP Foundation works to prevent. Inspired from the daevas of Zoroastrianism.[3][4]
Death bringers Adam Blade Beast Quest Death bringers resemble bloated humanoids with four long tentacles. In Series Four of Beast Quest, The Amulet of Avantia, Nixa the Death Bringer guards one of the Amulet's shards. She can assume a ghost-like form.
Elves J. R. R. Tolkien legendarium
Dwarf Christopher Paolini Inheritance Cycle The dwarves are the two races native to Alagaësia, the others being the dragons, or possibly the spirits. The dwarves went into many wars with the dragons. They dwell in the Beor Mountains. The other races, humans and Ra'zac, came from an unknown continent, while the elves and Urgals came from Alalëa.
Dwarves J. R. R. Tolkien legendarium
Eloi H. G. Wells The Time Machine
Frankenstein's Monster Mary Shelley Frankenstein Created by Dr. Frankenstein, the Monster was stitched together from human flesh and organs originating from multiple sources. It is suggested that he retains some traits and muscle memory from the humans he was composed of. He is exceptionally large and strong, and can easily survive on food that is difficult to digest for humans.
Gallivespians Philip Pullman His Dark Materials Diminutive humanoids no taller than the width of a human's hand, who had spurs on their heels that could deliver poison to a target. They lived for an average of ten human years, and were a natural species alongside humans on Earth in their native universe.
Goblins J.K Rowling Harry Potter
Hobbits/Halflings J. R. R. Tolkien legendarium
Horse-men Adam Blade Beast Quest Men with the lower bodies of horses. There are only two known, Tagus the Night Horse/Horse-Man and Equinus the Spirit Horse. Tagus guards Avantia, and was put under an evil, corrupting curse cast by Malvel. Tom, the protagonist, along with his companion, Elenna, free Taguus from the curse. He later helps them defeat Trillion the Three-Headed Lion, and he is later captured by Torgor the Minotaur. Equinus, however, is a true evil beast sent by Malvel. Equinus can turn people evil.
House elves J.K Rowling Harry Potter
Leoniders Strugatsky brothers Noon Universe
Lilliputians Jonathan Swift Gulliver's Travels
Morlocks H. G. Wells The Time Machine
Nac Mac Feegle Terry Pratchett Discworld
Newts Karel Čapek War with the Newts
Nomes Terry Pratchett The Nome Trilogy
Oompa-Loompas Roald Dahl Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Orcs J. R. R. Tolkien legendarium
Ra'zac Christopher Paolini Inheritance Cycle Reptilian beings that have three stages like an insect, egg, youngster, and the adult. They have beaks and black eyes with no pupils or eyelids. Their breath can put people in a dream-like state, and they hide their bodies with black cloaks. The Ra'zac dwell in Helgrind, the Gates of Death. At the time when Eragon was living, there were only two Ra'zac left, though Galbatorix, the main antagonist, hid many Ra'zac eggs. Two of the eggs were destroyed at Helgrind. When it is 20 years, old, a Ra'zac becomes a lethrblaka, which resembles a bony, withered, Ra'zac-like dragon.
Sciapodes Pliny Naturalis historia
Shadowhunters Cassandra Clare The Mortal Instruments Also known as Nephilim, are human-angel hybrids created by the angel Raziel, who poured his blood into a sacred object, the Mortal Cup, and declared that any who drank from it would become Shadowhunters. Shadowhunters are not nephilim in the traditional sense, as they are not the offspring of an angel and human pairing.
Shades Christopher Paolini Inheritance Cycle Humans that have merged with spirits and become evil. Known shades are Durza (originally Carsaib), and Varaug.
Spirits Christopher Paolini Inheritance Cycle Mystical beings that are summoned by magic users and others. They can use magic and take any form they desire. It is possible that they are native to Alagaësia, along with the dragons and dwarves.
Stone Charmers Adam Blade Beast Quest Tall, purple humanoids that have no face, except for their large, green eyes that turn people to stone. Although they have no mouths, they can speak in beautiful, feminine voices. The only known Stone Charmer is Soltra. Soltra guards the golden breastplate in Series Two of Beast Quest, The Golden Armor.
Urgals/Kulls Christopher Paolini Inheritance Cycle Resemble giants with spiraled horns. Urgals that become very tall are called Kulls. Urgals came from the same continent elves came from, Alalëa.
Veela J. K. Rowling Harry Potter
Yahoos Jonathan Swift Gulliver's Travels

References[edit]

  1. ^ History of Blemmyes and nomads in southern Egypt and Nubia, Saudi Aramco World, May/June 1998.
  2. ^ djkaktus (August 15, 2021). "Project PARAGON". SCP Foundation. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  3. ^ AssertiveRoland (April 15, 2018). "SCP-140 - An Incomplete Chronicle". SCP Foundation. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  4. ^ Grigori Karpin (December 7, 2021). "Daevite Hub". SCP Foundation. Retrieved February 21, 2022.