Furry Literature: The History of Anthropomorphic Animal Xenofiction

Anthropomoprhism, or the process of giving human traits to other creatures, objects, natural forces, or even concepts, is one of the oldest elements of our species’ collective cultural heritage, and while stories featuring anthropomorphic animals can be found as far back as the classical era, within the last century and a half, tales utilizing this approach have achieved unprecedented popularity across the globe. Here, we’ll be diving into the history of anthropomorphic animal fiction, taking a specific focus on those stories told from the perspective of their nonhuman characters.

Special thanks to the wonderfully talented Kenket (@tessgarman) for allowing me to use her artwork in the thumbnail:
https://twitter.com/tessgarman?lang=en

The end credits song is “Knife in the Coffee” by Car Seat Headrest:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU5hJs8W1v8

If you would like to see more videos from me, please consider supporting my channel on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/cardinalwest
and follow me on Twitter for updates:
https://twitter.com/cardinal_west

And if you are interested in xenofiction of a more realistic variety, my debut novel, Winter Without End, is now available for purchase from Fenris Publishing in both ebook and paperback format:
https://www.fenrispublishing.com/winter

A post-apocalyptic story told through the eyes of a dog, Winter Without End follows a Labrador retriever who, after being abandoned by his human family in the aftermath of a devastating pandemic, makes an uneasy alliance with a wounded wolf in order to survive.

And lastly, three of my short stories, “Mark of the Stranger,” “The Merchant and the Martyr,” and “The Abbey of Saint Vera,” can be found in volumes 1-3 of our ongoing anthropomorphic historical fiction anthology, available here:

Volume 1 (“When the World Was Young”): https://makyo-ink.square.site/product/when-the-world-was-young-a-prehistoric-anthology/13

Volume 2 (“In the Light of the Dawn”): https://makyo-ink.square.site/product/in-the-light-of-the-dawn-an-anthology-of-antiquity/16

Volume 3 (“The Heavens Within Our Grasp”): https://makyo-ink.square.site/product/the-heavens-within-our-grasp-a-medieval-anthology/20

Note: Portions of this script originally appeared in my reviews for Furry Book Review.
https://furrybookreview.com/tag/casimir-laski/

00:00 Introduction
04:26 Origins and Early History
13:31 Modern Anthro Animal Fiction
17:38 Subgenres of Anthro Animal Fiction
21:39 Hybrid Anthro
37:49 Secret World
44:40 Secondary World
56:35 Coffeeshop Fox
01:04:00 Semi-Anthro
01:10:08 Conclusion
01:12:39 Credits

Видео Furry Literature: The History of Anthropomorphic Animal Xenofiction канала Cardinal West