Top 10 Cats in Science Fiction and Fantasy
It’s interesting to write lists like this, because often times you don’t remember certain characters or animals in the various novels and movies you’ve seen, and when it comes time to dig up those memories, you end up recalling next to nothing. I’ve seen very few films and read very few books in which cats have played a prominent enough role to be memorable. Even worse is trying to remember all the house cats that have played some significant role in SF/F–hence why this list will not limit itself to house cats. Without further delay, here is my list of the top ten cats in science fiction and fantasy (in no particular order): The Baron (The Cat Returns / Neko no ongaeshi)Most of you have probably never heard of The Cat Returns. It’s a Japanese animated movie that follows a young girl who is whisked away into a world of cats after saving the Prince of the cat world. She enlists the help of The Baron and Muta (another cat on this list) to help her get out of her obligations to marry the Prince–because, after all, she can’t marry a cat! The Baron is played by Cary Elwes in the English subtitled version of the movie and the character of the Baron is simply amazing. He’s well-dressed, intelligent, and pretty much the best thing since sliced bread…in the cat world, that is. Muta (The Cat Returns / Neko no ongaeshi) A typical fat cat with an attitude, Muta is the strangely reliable, intensely grumpy sidekick of The Baron. As mean as he seems, he’s actually a big, lovable fur ball with enough of an attitude to take on anything thrown his way. He makes for a good sidekick, that’s for sure, and his comedic role in The Cat Returns makes him quite memorable–he’s the only cat I know who spends much of his time arguing with a talking crow. The Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland) How could anyone leave this creepy feline off a list like that? Whether you’ve seen Disney’s version of Lewis Carroll’s novel, have played American McGee’s twisted version, or read the book, the Cheshire Cat is one of the most memorable and fascinating characters in the history of children’s fantasy stories. I personally prefer American McGee’s version, an emaciated, skinless creature that helps you along your way in the equally as twisted world of Wonderland. But, the other versions certainly get the job done; it’s hard to compete with a cat that can make itself invisible! Aslan (The Chronicles of Narnia) If Mufasa is the definition of cool in the lion world, then Aslan is the definition of awesome. Not only can Aslan return from the dead, but he has god-like powers on top of being enormous and the harbinger of light and all that good stuff. Oh, and you can ride him if you’re a good person. I’ve love to ride a giant, friendly lion, wouldn’t you? Bagheera (The Jungle Book) Probably best remembered for Disney’s animated rendition of Kipling’s young adult novel, this panther acted as a father figure for young Mowgli. Smart and careful, Bagheera is everything a panther should be when turned into a talking cartoon. Jonesy (Alien) Science fiction is relatively devoid of good cat companions or characters. I’m putting Jonesy on this list primarily because, despite being a relatively insignificant character, he’s still a pretty cool little cat, with an attitude. Not much else to say, though. Oh, he hisses a lot…especially at aliens… Mufasa (The Lion King) Would any list consisting of cats in fantasy be complete without mentioning Mufasa? I submit not. I left Simba off this list primarily because I’m never thought Simba was all that great. Mufasa, on the other hand, is amazing. Strong, lovable, and capable of returning from the dead as a talking cloud, Mufasa is the definition of cool in the lion world. Too bad he was back-stabbed by his brother (or half-brother). Spot (Star Trek: The Next Generation) Most Star Trek fans know about this cat, but unfortunately a great majority of science fiction fans do not. Spot was Data’s cat and had a meaningful influence on him. In fact, their relationship became so important that the first tear Data ever shed was for Spot. This is made more profound by the fact that Data was never created with emotions; his process to “humanize” himself involved much trial and error with emotion programming, etc. Spot became, I would argue, a catalyst for his emotional maturity. The Kzinti (Larry Niven’s Known Space series) Sadly the only cat-like species I can think of from science fiction literature that I think deserves to be on this list. The Kzinti are a bloodthirsty race of giant, intelligent cats who, in Niven’s Known Space universe, engage in several wars with human beings, and other species. If you haven’t read the books, that’s okay, because all you need to know is that these critters were so awesome that they were actually included into the Star Trek extended universe. That’s right, these guys were invented outside of Star Trek, but then were brought into it and given a few spots through the various television series. That’s pretty cool in my book. The Thundercats (The Thundercats)I’m including them all on here. It would be wrong to split them up individual, and since I have the utmost respect for the Thundercats, while acknowledging that they are fictional and, thus, incapable of being upset with me for treating them as individuals, I have included them here as a group. If you don’t know who the Thundercats are, then you need to get out more. They’re, well, the Thundercats. What more do I need to say? Thunder…thunder…THUNDERCATS! I need help… And that ends this list. If you have any reservations about the items of this list, feel free to let me know in the comments. Suggestions always welcome; discussion and debates encouraged!
Top 6 Lesser Known or Forgotten Fantasy Series
The sad thing about this list is that it is wholly incomplete. It cannot possibly touch upon the hundreds of fantasy series that have been written, because I have not read all of them–and neither have you. There are too many books to properly write this list, but I’m going to try nonetheless. The following are six lesser known or forgotten fantasy series that I consider to be particularly noteworthy (in no particular order): The DragonRealm Series by Richard A. KnaakKnaak was one of the first writers to get me into fantasy. I started reading fantasy with his Dragonlance books and, some years later, discovered he had his own fantasy series. After reading the first book, I was hooked. It’s been a while since I’ve read the books, but I remember them being quite entertaining, with a mage who changes from good to evil (and vice versa) every time he dies (and is resurrected) and a complex dragon society. The Duncton Wood Series by William HorwoodI suspect this is one of those lesser known fantasy series. Horwood’s fantasy series is a mixture of Richard Adams’ Watership Down and Brian Jacque’s animal fantasies, only a million times more elaborate and epic. Each novel follows a series of moles in an enormous mole society, richly developed and conceived as if it actually existed today, with mythology and more interweaved into the storylines. Truly the cream of the crop as far as animal fantasies are concerned. Even if you don’t like books with animals as the central characters, you should try Horwood’s books. They’re amazing. The Iron Dragon Series by Paul GenesseI don’t know if you would say that Genesse’s Iron Dragon series is forgotten, but it is certainly lesser known. Part of this is due to Genesse’s publisher, Five Star, being particularly small. Regardless, Genesse has written an intense, action-packed series that will continue to be developed ever the next three books. His work is relatively new, too, so get into them while you still can! The Godslayer Chronicles by James ClemensThe series is apparently incomplete, but the Godslayer Chronicles, beginning with Shadowfall, is one of the my favorite fantasy series in existence. I wish he would write the third book already, but as it is, Shadowfall is richly developed and uses gods and magic in a fairly unique way–to my knowledge. Even the main character has one heck of a special ability! Definitely worth reading. The Remin Chronicles by Nick RuthOne of two young adult fantasy series on this list, The Remin Chronicles, starting with The Dark Dreamweaver, is a fantastic quirky series in the vein of Leven Thumps. One of the main characters is a magic-weilding caterpillar! I’m fond of quirky fantasy, and if you are too, then check out the first book. The Young Wizards Series by Diane DuaneI’m not sure if Duane’s young adult fantasy series is lesser known or forgotten, but I’m assuming it’s the former as I don’t hear much about it these days. Her Young Wizards books follow a duo of, well, young wizards as they learn and use their newfound magic abilities to combat various foes within the wizarding world. Her novels came well before Harry Potter flooded the market, and one should not compare her work to Rowling’s. The Young Wizards series is intricate, well written, and fascinating. And there you have it. Since obviously I have not read every fantasy series ever written, if you have any suggestions for additions, please let me know! I’m always curious to see what people have enjoyed in the past and present. Anywho!
Top 10 Fantasy Worlds
There are a lot of fantasy worlds out there: some I’m familiar with, some I’m not. The following list consists of those worlds I consider to be the cream of the crop. I might be wrong, which is why you’re welcome to disagree with me in the comments and make your own suggestions. Here goes (in no particular order): Arda (J. R. R. Tolkien)For those that don’t know, Arda is the name of the world Tolkien created, which included Middle Earth. Probably the most elaborately detailed fantasy world, and most well known, Arda is without competition. Oz (L. Frank Baum)What can I say? I’m a fan of The Wizard of Oz. Quirky, fun, and memorable. The only thing working against it are the Munchkins (because they creep me out). But any world with talking lions, men made of tin and straw, and crazy witches with flying monkeys is good in my book. Narnia (C. S. Lewis)I’m a bigger fan of the films than the books, but C. S. Lewis’ fantasy series has always been in the top for me. What is most fascinating about the series are the allusions to Christian mythology and other mythologies. I like that in my fantasy. Beyond that, though, Narnia is fun. It’s sort of like what Oz would be if it wasn’t such a quirky place. Star Wars (George Lucas)I know that a lot of people consider Star Wars to be science fiction, but it really is a fantasy universe. The Jedi use magic (i.e. the Force) and the universe itself is populated by creatures that look like something out of a bad 80s fantasy movie (which I actually think is a good thing, because they work for Star Wars, but not bad 80s fantasy movies). But you gotta love it, right? It’s frakking Star Wars. Utopia (Thomas More)If you’re not familiar with this world, you probably should pick up More’s book. Richly detailed, fascinating, and influential, Utopia is, well, a utopia (at least it’s supposed to be). It’s a bit old these days, but definitely worth familiarizing yourself with. Wonderland (Lewis Carroll)Quirky worlds are always the best ones. If you’ve never seen Alice in Wonderland or the various live-action versions of Carroll’s fantastic novels, then you’re missing out. His work is like seeing an acid trip without actually being on acid, and that’s pretty impressive to convey in a children’s story, don’t you think? Neverland (J. M. Barrie)For some reason I have an obsession with fantasy worlds in children’s and YA books. Neverland is one of those childhood loves for me. My grandma used to make me watch Disney movies, and Peter Pan was always one of my favorites. So, understandably, Neverland is on this list. Plus, the crocodile is awesome! Hyrule (Zelda)I grew up with the NES and Gameboy and have played pretty much every Zelda game in existence. So how can I leave this exciting world out of a list like this? Swords, magic, gems, weird creatures, and a lot of other nifty stuff make up this fantasy world, and make it one of the best, most entertaining places to visit (in your head or on your TV, that is). Foo (Obert Skye)More quirkiness for this list. Foo is bizarrely fascinating, with strange creatures that can’t decide which side of themselves to follow (literally), people with strange powers, and a talking, walking toothpick that used to be a great king. If you haven’t read the Leven Thumps series, you should, because it’s awesome. You DecideWhich fantasy world should take up the tenth slot on this list? Let me know in the comments and tell me why! Thanks for reading!
Top 7 Fiercest Dragons
The criteria for this list is fairly specific. The dragons must be mean little (or big) buggers, and they must not, at any point, be cuddly, per my idea of what that word means. This may mean that certain dragons that might be particularly fierce will not make it on this list (such as Saphira from Eragon, who is rather fierce, but also has her moments as a loving, wonderful creature). With that in mind, here are my top seven fiercest dragons (in no particular order): Smaug (The Hobbit)I don’t know if you would consider this dragon to be particularly fierce so much as misunderstood, but Smaug did apparently destroy a village and take control of the mountain where all that lovely treasure was buried. I consider that to be rather fierce. Unnamed Dragon from BeowulfWhile it’s true that there is only one story of this dragon in existence, it’s still a pretty good story that reminds us how dangerous and powerful this creature really was. Not only did it destroy everything in sight, but it even managed to kill Beowulf, albeit after its own death. Considering that Beowulf was pretty much the best thing since sliced bread back then, that’s impressive. The World Serpent, or Jormungandr from Norse MythologyWhy on this list? Because according to Norse myth, this dragon is supposed to engage Thor in a final battle during Ragnarok (or Norse apocalypse, if you will), and in doing so he will poison the skies and the seas. While the World Serpent is supposed to lose to Thor, his poison will eventually destroy Thor and, well, you can imagine what other horrible things will occur after. It’s hard to survive in a world that has been poisoned, right? The Dragons from Reign of FireWhile the movie itself wasn’t all that good, the dragons were formidable enemies. These creatures breed like rabbits, lay waste to pretty much everything they come in contact with, and seem to have only two modes: kill and spit fire (which sort of go hand in hand, I suppose). Nasty beasts, for sure. Vermithrax Pejorative (Dragonslayer)I don’t know how many of you have actually seen this movie, or have even heard of it, but Vermithrax was a remarkably ruthless creature with a lust for virgins. His name actually means “the Wurm of Thrace who makes things worse.” Much like the dragons from Reign of Fire, Vermithrax is pretty much interested in only two things: killing (virgins) and spitting fire. There’s some reproduction and general desire to be mean thrown in there for good measure, too. Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty)While technically she’s a witch, the fact that she turns into the dragon at the end lets her be on this list. When I was a kid, that final fight scene actually scared the hell out of me. I don’t know why, because you’d think even kids would be able to tell the difference between cartoons and reality, but Maleficent was a terrifying, monstrous creature with astounding power. That’s good enough to put her on this list. Godzilla (from all the Godzilla movies)Terrible temper + ocean-side city = smash and crunch. How many Godzilla movies are there anyway? Something like thirty-eight, actually, each one involving this skyscraper-tall monster smashing cities or beating on other giant monsters. I can’t think of any moment in which Godzilla was even remotely liked by the poor people of Japan. Imagine having this guy as your next door neighbor! The Hungarian Horntail (Harry Potter)I’m not going to say anything at all. I’m just going to point you to the video below. That should show everything needed to be said as evidence of this creature’s fierce personality.Honorable mentions: The Eborsisk from Willow, Glaurung from Tolkien’s Middle Earth, the dragon that Saint George kills from European mythology, Fafnir from Norse Mythology, and many others. It’s quite difficult to make a list like this! There are so many dragons both mythological and straight-fictional to choose from. Which dragons would you put on this list instead of the ones I have there and why? Feel free to disagree with me!
SF/F Links: The Last For June
Well, here are a few more for this month to keep things interesting. Enjoy! L. E. Modesitt, Jr. talks about the “golden age” of writing that everyone seems to refer to. Definitely eye-opening. Things weren’t all that great back in the day… A little history about my ancient relatives from many hundreds of years ago that might be interesting to some of you out there. I found it fascinating the other day. Bibliophile Stalker offers a fantastic argument for why the ebook industry is not like the music industry. The Torch Online asks why it’s called the “Science Fiction Section” when fantasy outsells SF. I don’t agree with the way the article ends, but it’s still interesting. Follow the Reader talks about the potential impact of Twitter and blogs on book sales. A bit inconclusive, but still interesting. An interesting prediction: reading and writing will peak in 2025 and then decline (like smoking did some time ago). Not sure I agree, but it’s an interesting prediction nonetheless. Here’s something interesting: a 35,000-year-old flute has been found and is the oldest musical instrument known to exist. How about some steampunk? Well here’s an interesting discussion on the intersection of race and steampunk. And don’t forget this history of steampunk. Seems like steampunk is the big things these day. Of course, that’s quite obvious. J. A. Brock asks whether fantasy is speculative fiction. It is, but his reasoning is worth checking out. The Cedar Lounge Revolution talks about the Guardian List of 100 best SF/F novels and literary fiction. A good bit of criticism about top lists. Here’s an informative article on dragons. Not sure if it was stolen from Wikipedia, but it’s still interesting. Fantasy Book Reviewers asks whether fantasy is more re-readable than SF. Is it? I don’t know. I’ve re-read 1984 a few times, but haven’t re-read any fantasy books. But that’s me.
Top 10 Overused Fantasy Cliches
I’m surprised that I haven’t done this one before. There are quite a lot of fantasy tropes/cliches, so this list is particularly difficult to put together to my satisfaction. Which ones deserve to be on a top 10 list? Which ones don’t? Well, here’s what I came up with. If you have suggestions, let me know in the comments! 10. Alternate Worlds/Dimensions (like Narnia)Mostly an issue in the YA world, but let’s be honest, how many more of these alternate worlds can we take before it becomes irritating? They’re piling up on one another and it’s getting hard to keep track of all the pieces. Aslan is being eaten by a talking toothpick! Good lord! (Yes, that is a Leven Thumps reference.)9. Schools (of any description)Harry Potter ruined it. Blame Rowling. Now any time you see a wizard school, you think of HP. And don’t forget all the blasted schools that teach eleven-year-old boys how to be great knights. How many knights do we need, anyway? I think we’re good with three. Bill, Ted, and King Arthur. That’s good enough.8. Enchanted Weapons, etc.The sad thing about this entry is that I still like enchanted weapons, but they have become an overused trope. All these magical flutes and swords and crystal balls, it’s just too much. Are there any normal things left in fantasy, or is everything magical? Even food is enchanted! Elven bread! It would suck if you were allergic to magic, wouldn’t it? Wait…that’s a story idea. Ha!7. ElvesI’m sick of elves. Honestly, I was sick of elves when Tolkien used them for Lord of the Rings. They’re all the same. Calm, collected, and slightly mental. They’ve invaded science fiction too. Someone needs to come up with something less, err, cliche. What about a weird mutant hybrid between an elf and a gerbil?6. Bearded WizardsDumbledore is lovely and likable, and yet one of a long list of cliched figures crammed into the fantasy genre. Bearded wise old men are probably annoying for most people, but they’ve made a glorious comeback in YA fiction. My question is: why are they always old and bearded? Where are all the young, attractive know-it-alls who hang out in libraries reading dusty manuscripts?5. VampiresTechnically part of the urban fantasy vein, vampires have pretty much flooded the market with their pointed teeth and thirst for blood. And I do mean flooded. The problem is that now all the vampires seem the same to me. Come on people, you can come up with something else. Where are my urban fantasy tales about talking capybaras? Or vampiric capybaras…ooooooh.4. HeroesFantasy has this thing with heroes. It’s like an intentional, seventy-year mating ritual between two siblings…or something like that. There aren’t nearly enough stories about villains, and certainly not enough about folks who have no desire to be heroes. It’s just about heroes. Black and white. Which brings us to…3. Good vs. EvilThere’s not nearly enough gray in the fantasy genre. Everyone is purely evil or purely good. Thankfully we’re seeing a few more novels that highlight the unexpected heroes of the world (thieves, assassins, etc.). But, such novels are overwhelmed by all the cookie-cutter black and white, good vs. evil battles. I get it. It’s a human thing. We want easily defined good guys and bad guys, but sometimes reality is more interesting.2. The Chosen OneIt seems weird that there is always a Chosen One. I guess it makes sense when you think about the prevalence of “chosen ones” in the real world, but I still find them grossly overused. Too many fantasy novels with chosen ones and prophecies and all that garbage. I think we need more books where the Chosen One dies and everyone is screwed. That would be interesting.1. DragonsWhatever it is about dragons, fantasy writers love to use them. They love them so much that the genre is ridiculously saturated with them. There’s Eragon, Naomi Novik’s stuff, Funke, Genesse, etc. Everyone is using dragons. Don’t get me wrong, some of them are wonderful stories, but it’s gotten to the point where if I see a dragon on the cover, I won’t pick it up–with rare exception. It’s sort of like the vampire thing: there are simply too many novels out there with dragons as a centerpiece, and after seeing it repeated over and over, it gets old and pointless. We need novels about centaurs and ninja unicorns and pirate lawn gnomes… And there you have it. What overused tropes bug you?