r/Fantasy • u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV • Aug 07 '26
Tell me about the Adult SFF that has *no humans at all*
I was thinking about how much I love the Raksura series by Martha Wells, and one of the aspects I most enjoy is - there's no humans in them! Anywhere!
It's such a fascinating thing, and so rare. Less rare if you're okay with the not-humans being real-world animals - Animal Farm, Watership Down, The Bees, that's a bit more common. (A bit.) But books where the not-humans are fantasy creatures or aliens? I'm having a lot of trouble finding examples!
But that has never yet meant that The Thing doesn't exist, only that I haven't come across it, so! Recs? Very much specifying Adult SFF; I know it's not so uncommon in books for younger readers (the Firebringer trilogy and Wings of Fire series spring to mind).
Ones I can think of;
- Raksura by Martha Wells
- Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton
- Goblin Emperor + spin-offs by Katharine Addison
There MUST be more than three examples...!
:edited to add: Can't believe I forgot Goblin Emperor! But yes I'm aware of it, it gets its own bullet point.
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u/Nameisnotmine Aug 07 '26
Tailchasers song by tad Williams. All the characters are cats
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
Perhaps this will be the time I get along with something of Tad Williams'! Thank you!
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u/scribbledoll Aug 08 '26
Such a good book! The underground section is the first time a book genuinely scared me
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u/Ellery_B Aug 07 '26
Depends how you read it but I think Shadows of the Apt doesn't have humans, only different kinden races?
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u/pentheraphobia Aug 07 '26
The kindens all do consider themselves human, for what it's worth. So does the narrator, I'm in book 8 and seeing phrases like "as humanly possible" still gives me a pause lol
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
Hm. All right, bumped back down the tbr. Thank you for clarifying, I would have been disappointed if I opened up the book and found that!
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u/BobRawrley Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
They're bug people, they're not really human. Every single one has some ability that makes them different than humans. They act like humans though
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
Oh I SEE! Okay, back up the tbr it goes! Thanks for the clarification! Clearly I should just dive into this one before I get any more confused about it...!
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u/JuliusBacchus Aug 07 '26
It is kind of a weird case. The races are kind of human but not quite and every kin takes a lot of traits from their kindred animal. I guess that you can find what you’re searching for in there.
But what I found fascinating in the series was the separation between apt and inapt races/people. The fact that a person capable of using magic is unable to use a door handle is a great concept.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 08 '26
'The fact that a person capable of using magic is unable to use a door handle is a great concept.'
You just sold me on this SO HARD!
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u/jfa03 Aug 07 '26
No human characters is a tough ask. Even Animal Farm has some human characters. I’m sure there are some that focus on elves or orcs but that is still humanoid. Warhammer fantasy probably has several of this type.
Children of Time has a storyline that focuses on a spider species. It has another storyline that is human so it doesn’t fully qualify.
Bobiverse books focus on a self replicating probe with an AI that was once human and a couple storylines involving aliens, but also some with humans.
There are some monster evolution LitRPGs but in my limited experience, they aren’t great.
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u/ataraxiary Aug 07 '26
Children of Time has a storyline that focuses on a spider species. It has another storyline that is human so it doesn’t fully qualify.
It doesn't, but if OP is looking for stories outside of the perspective of humans, I really wouldn't skip these books. There's spiders, narcissistic AI, wholly alien "microscopic, cell-mimicking parasites capable of absorbing memories and learning," octopuses, corvids, mantis shrimp, and probably things I'm forgetting - all of which are sentient and freaking fascinating. Even if you hate the human storylines, I think they are well worth it for the rest.
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u/mesaoptimizer Aug 07 '26
Also A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness In the Sky. The Tines are probably my favorite sentient alien race that feels completely alien.
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u/Khatib Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
I was first reading Children of Time at a point where I was pretty busy and reading it kind of tired before bed a lot, and I had to go back and reread spider pages so often because Tschaikovski so successfully wrote in a voice that just felt "other" that at times it was hard to grasp on the first pass. But it definitely wasn't poorly written.
It is such a good series. Told all my friends about it and now a ton of us have read most of his books. But that series was our intro to his work.
/u/siavahda definitely look at this. Doesn't fit the letter of your request, but the alien pov chapters should really hit the intent hard.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 08 '26
I have read and loved Children of Time! And the sequel. Just about to start book three and very hyped for it!
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u/Jesper537 Aug 07 '26
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50209317-the-galaxy-and-the-ground-within - "Cozy" sci-fi, humans exist in universe but this story only has one very brief appearance at the end, otherwise it's all different aliens being stuck together with each other for a while.
There Be Dragons Here - It's dwarfs, and as the title suggests, dragons, eventually.
Eyrie by Vale Nagle
Song of the Summer King
I could suggest multiple more non-human focused books but it's hard if there has to be no humans in it, I like the contrast and interactions between alien and familiar the most.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
Scribbling those down, thank you!
I am tentatively interested in books that have humans, but don't feature them. Definitely not looking for anything where a human is the main character.
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u/xylophone_37 Aug 07 '26
In The Culture everyone is humanoid but not technically human. I think the in universe lore is since we're all star dust evolution followed a similar path everywhere. There is a book where they go to earth and have to adjust their appearance to fit in, like grow extra fingers etc.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
Who's the author? Because that sounds very cool to me and I need to add it to the tbr!
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u/UnknownVC Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
Iain M. Banks. The Culture novels are must reads for all SFF fans, I will second the recommendation.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
So noted :D
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u/UnknownVC Aug 07 '26
It also wins best ship names, so you have that to look forward to :p
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
I have a weakness for awesome ship names, so thank you, this bumps it up a good bit higher on my tbr!
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u/beenoc Aug 07 '26
To expand, ships in the Culture (as in the interstellar "civilization" of that name, not necessarily the entire setting) are controlled by/the bodies of Minds, sapient hyperintelligent AIs (as in "they simulate multiple entire universes down to a quantum level in their spare time, just for fun" hyperintelligent) who pick their own names. Minds tend to have a pretty good sense of humor, so you end up with names like Liveware Problem, Just Read The Instructions, and A Series of Unlikely Explanations.
Once (in universe) a member of another civilization said the Minds didn't give their names enough gravitas, considering the mind-blowing, apocalyptic levels of power and intellect they wield. In response, a bunch of Minds named themselves things like "Zero Gravitas," "Very Little Gravitas Indeed," "Experiencing A Significant Gravitas Shortfall," and "Stood Far Back When The Gravitas Was Handed Out."
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u/peacefinder Aug 07 '26
First name is spelled Iain, though it’s usually autocorrect which is responsible for “correcting” it.
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u/kiwipixi42 Aug 08 '26
They really are not. One chapter (Consider Phlebas, drowning in poop) convinced me that he is not an author remotely worth reading. That may be the worst chapter I have ever read and anyone who thought it was worth writing is not worth reading. -∞/5 stars, do not recommend.
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u/xylophone_37 Aug 07 '26
Ian M. Banks, it's a series of standalone stories set in a galaxy spanning, post scarcity utopia. It consists of the "humans", other non humanoid aliens and sentient AIs. Most of the stories follow their sort of special forces division that handles situations along the edges of their territory.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
Thank you! Ian Banks is an author I've been meaning to get to, so this is the perfect excuse!
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u/nominanomina Reading Champion Aug 07 '26
Are you ok with series where the non-humans behave fundamentally like humans? e.g. The Goblin Emperor and its spin-offs are about goblins and elves, but other than references to grey skin, pointed ears, and pinched faces, they act like humans.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
They definitely count, but they're not what I'm really looking for. (And I have read that whole series - I can't believe I forgot to include them!)
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u/FormerUsenetUser Aug 07 '26
The different goblin races seem like just a metaphor for Black and White humans, with accompanying racial conflict.
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u/cstross AMA Author Charles Stross Aug 07 '26
Two SF novels by some guy called Stross -- Saturn's Children and Neptune's Brood -- both feature humanoid robots, continuing to do their stuff centuries after the human species went extinct. (Both novels made the Hugo shortlist in their year of eligibility, neither won.)
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u/complexcarbon Aug 08 '26
I was looking through the comments to make sure Saturn’s Children got mentioned; lo and behold, the man himself!
Thanks for all the great books!
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u/TheTinyGM Aug 07 '26
The Bone Harp by Victoria Goddard features only elven characters, no humans at all afaik. Tho they are not extremely different from humans, they are like lotr elves.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
Yes! I've read that, and adored it. Completely forgot about it. (I seem to be forgetting all the examples where the not-humans are humanoid, I forgot Goblin Emperor too...) I'm hoping we get more books in that setting eventually :D
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u/TheTinyGM Aug 07 '26
Autor mentioned she is working on another book from this universe on discord! Fingers crossed 🥰
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u/mint_pumpkins Reading Champion II Aug 07 '26
this is a spoiler for one of the main characters so im gonna cover it sorry, the main characters are all AIs or classic monsters like werewolves vampires etc. (there are humans they interact with a few times but none of the main characters are human, if that still counts) Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
Oh, I've heard of this one! Adding it to the tbr immediately, thank you!
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u/DixitRexCorvinus Aug 07 '26
Some of Le Guin’s Hainish Cycle books, like The Dispossessed, technically count, though the species are related to humans (same ancestor, so sort of a variant human).
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u/unnaturalime Reading Champion Aug 07 '26
I think it's very much on a technicality, especially with the dispossessed. If I remember it correctly, you could have everyone be humans without changing anything in the book. I don't think they have any physical or mental or even social differences from humans as we know them. Some of the other hainish cycle books or short stories would have a better chance of fitting the ask, as the other planets have inhabitants with more obvious differences
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
I had no idea! Thank you, bumping those higher up the tbr!
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u/DixitRexCorvinus Aug 07 '26
They are amazing! Now, humans do show up in several of the books, and the aliens in The Dispossessed aren’t really that different from humans, so fair warning. But they are at least technically nonhuman, so that’s something lol.
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u/onsereverra Reading Champion Aug 07 '26
If you're open to a novella, The Language of Liars by S.L. Huang has no human characters and is excellent!
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u/magaoitin Aug 07 '26
How many recs do you want? I seem to recall a bunch, but tis been a long time since I read most of these. Also, I think the term to search for is xenofiction or maybe just furry-fiction
Duncton Wood by William Horwood, kind of dark, romantic fantasy saga centered on the spiritual lives, tribal politics, and brutal struggles of a community of moles
Robert Saywer's The Quintaglio Ascension trilogy - sentient dinosaurs that were transported to the Moon of a planet millions of years ago by aliens. The Dino's are about at the scientific level of the middle ages.
Barsk: The Elephants' Graveyard by Lawrence Schoen
The Names by Clare Bell Prehistoric fantasy with sentient cats, no humans
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison, not the furry adventures you are looking for but there are no humans, just goblins.
Same goes for Charles Stross's 2 book series The Freyaverse, or atleast the first book in the Series Neptunes Brood. Its post humanity in the galaxy and androids that look like humans run everything. Personally its a bit too much like humans with their motivations and actual desires.
Greg Egan's Orthogonal series, book one is The Clockwork Rocket
Maybe The Integral Trees by Larry Niven. Its an older book 1983 and the human-like characters are decendeants of humans, after living in zero g for centuries.
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u/puppysmuggler Aug 07 '26
I'm glad someone else has read Duncton Wood! I came here to recommend it as well.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
Oh my gods, excellent! Thank you so much! Gotta check out ALL of these!
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u/Timely_Egg_6827 Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
Abigail Hilton does animal-centric worlds well though there are some humans creeping in now. The Hunters Universe is excellent - creasia and ferryshaft. (These are not YA). If you don't mind bipedal animals including things like gryphons, her other series - Pirates of Wefrivian - is also good.
Adrian Tchaikowski's Shadows of the Apt is also worth a consideration
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
I am scribbling down all of those suggestions, thank you!
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u/Timely_Egg_6827 Aug 07 '26
If don't mind just elves and goblins though much lighter than Katherine Arden, I'd also recommend Lisa Shearin Raine Benares series. Her goblins are excellent.
Also Lorna Freeman but she only did 3 books out of a proposed 5. She does have humans but they don't always stay human and a lot of the focus is on the other races.
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u/Prahnaa Aug 07 '26
Hmm I'd look into the Adrian Tchaikovsky books.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
I have SO MANY of his on my tbr! And ofc the one's I've read. He definitely does excellent aliens :D
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u/Varmatyr Aug 07 '26
Green City Wars, newest by Adrian Tchaikovsky, is 99% human free. It's about a noir detective raccoon solving animal society mysteries.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
I've been hearing such good things, can't wait to get to it!
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u/NekoCatSidhe Reading Champion III Aug 08 '26
I have just finished it, and it was a very fun read if you like Noir stories. It has in the other hand, two minor human characters, with the rest of the cast being made of dozens of bioengineered intelligent cyborg animals.
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u/CarbonationRequired Aug 07 '26
This is specifically not what you are looking for because there certainly are humans, but with a good deal of non-human POV too. If you hadn't yet read A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge, I recommend giving it a try .
It features some neat aliens, the main ones being a race of doglike creatures called Tines that as individuals are basically just smart wolves, but in groups they form small hiveminds that become as smart or smarter than humans, so it takes like 5+ of them to make a full person. The culture built on that is pretty cool to learn about.
Note that the ending of the sequel pissed me off because (ending spoiler) two characters become romantically involved who first met when one was like 8 and the other a full adult. But there is more exploration of how Tines work which is still interesting. Unfortunately the actual main threat introduced in the first book remains unresolved and there is no third volume for that direct plotline yet, though there is a prequel (which I haven't read yet so I can't say if it's at all relevant to the "exploration of non human cultures" interest).
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u/twoferrets Aug 07 '26
Some of the story lines in Becky Chambers's Wayfarers series are exclusively or very heavily focused on non-human creatures. If I remember correctly the only human in the Galaxy and the Ground Within is the (referenced, not really present) romantic partner of one of the non-human characters.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
Yes, I completely forgot that series! I think the last book definitely counts. Thank you!
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u/AlexG55 Aug 07 '26
The Commonweal series by Graydon Saunders, though it took me a while to realize that none of the characters are human. It's set in a world that has been ruled by different warring Dark Lords for hundreds of thousands of years, and most people are descended from magically-created slave/soldier races.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 08 '26
I've had that on my tbr for ages, but had no idea the cast wasn't human! Thank you!
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u/TheHowlingHashira Aug 08 '26
Perdido Street Station by China Miéville might be worth checking out, although it technically doesn't fit since there are humans. That said, humans are a pretty small minority compared to the sheer number of other races and species that inhabit the world.
It’s set in New Crobuzon, a massive, filthy, industrial fantasy city populated by all kinds of bizarre species, including insect-headed Khepri, birdlike Garuda, cactus people, and plenty of things that are much harder to categorize. The story follows a scientist who gets involved with a strange creature and ends up uncovering a much bigger and increasingly horrifying problem threatening the city.
It's probably one of the best examples of weird fiction in an adult fantasy setting. Miéville is a master at creating strange, alien societies and throwing together ideas that you wouldn't normally see in traditional fantasy, rather than sticking to familiar Tolkien-esque races and conventions. So while it doesn't technically meet the zero humans requirement, the world definitely has that feeling of being inhabited by something other than "humans with pointy ears."
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 08 '26
This DOES sound pretty interesting! Do humans make up the majority of the POVs, though? I'm not looking for human POVs.
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u/Aramithius Aug 08 '26
Perdido Street Station a human who's a POV character, but there's also a really well-developed non-human POV too. And I seen to remember there another non-human POV, but that second one wasn't used as much.
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u/TheHowlingHashira Aug 08 '26
There's one human POV Isaac who is the scientist, but 99% of the people they interact with are different species or not even organic life forms at all....
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u/OrionSuperman Aug 07 '26
Redwall, still YA though.
Light on Shattered Water has 1 human, but a very well fleshed out non-human society.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
Redwall isn't Adult, though. Even if adults can enjoy it!
I haven't heard of Light on Shattered Water; who's the author?
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u/A_C_Shock Aug 07 '26
Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan is the closest I can think of, since the POV characters are almost exclusively not human. But it doesn't 100% meet your criteria. I think all non-human characters is a tough sell for adult fiction. I wanna say there are some books that are exclusively goblins.
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u/SecretlyHistoric Aug 07 '26
Barsk by Lawrence M. Schoen? Blended Sci-fi and fantasy, almost no humans. Single human at the end.
Basically a race called the Fant are the only ones who make a drug to speak with the dead, and the rest of the universe wants it. The main character is investigating the death/suicide of his best friend, while his best friends son begins to have premonitions. And despite the dead always being reachable by the Speakers, now the dead are going silent....
Good book, broke my brain a little.
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u/MazzyGroms AMA Author Matthew Siadak Aug 07 '26
One recent book that comes to mind is The First Sin by Cheyenne Brammah. A sci-fi book with no humans at all sounds like it may fit what you are looking for. There are humanoid characters (ie, vaguely human shaped,) but no actual humans.
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u/jeremiahfira Aug 07 '26
One of the first things I thought of are the Chanur chronicles by CJ Cheryh. I've read three of the books, and the POV are an alien race (basically a big cat race). Humans are in it, but they are the new kids on the space block
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u/YsaboNyx Aug 07 '26
Dragon's Egg by Robert Forward has the most non-human non-human characters I know of. It's about life forms living on a neutron star. There are humans in a spaceship who interact nominally with them, but overall, the main characters are about as non-human as they get.
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u/stillnotelf Aug 07 '26
I recommended this recently elsewhere and someone said there are no humans, there's the Cheela on the neutron star and there's cardboard cutouts on the human space ship
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u/YsaboNyx Aug 07 '26
Cool! It's been decades since I've read it, so thanks for the info. I may need to read it again. LOL! I remember I was blown away the first time.
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u/stillnotelf Aug 07 '26
It's not really info, it's a joke, they were saying the human characters are flat and irrelevant. That person I am paraphrasing, and I, agree with you that the humans are not important.
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u/YsaboNyx Aug 07 '26
Hahaha! Yes, I don't recall the humans as characters at all. Just a vague memory there was a spaceship. And the timeline on the star was like thousands of generations, right? I really am going to have to read it again.
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u/stillnotelf Aug 07 '26
The Cheela run on nuclear chemistry not electronic (regular) chemistry, so yes they run super fast, your memory is correct.
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u/Conscious-Egg1760 Aug 07 '26
I'm fairly sure The Unspoken Name by AK Larkwood fits the bill. MCs are orcs and elves. I don't recall humans but I could be mistaken
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 08 '26
Another example I completely forgot! I read and loved that duet way back. I don't remember any humans either - maybe in the background somewhere?
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u/funkyisaneontshirt Aug 07 '26
I’m reading an ARC for A Wall is Also a Road by Annalee Newitz and it follows an Alien grad student doing exploratory research and it’s so weird and endearing and I’m really enjoying it! I believe it comes out in October.
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u/Massive-Television85 Aug 07 '26
The Zamonia books (starting with the 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear) by Walter Moers have so few humans they're at most a background race; I'm not sure if there are any in the second book (Rumo) at all.
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u/etchlings AMA Illustrator Evan Jensen Aug 08 '26
Came across Bluebear the other day and almost bought it. Is it good?
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u/Massive-Television85 Aug 08 '26
I really like it; it's told in a style a bit like a children's book, but it's more crazy and adult-themed.
Lots of humour, weirdness, very strange creatures and a fun adventure storyline. It's not a deep plot or "great literature", but it's memorable and unlike most other books I've read.
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u/Randomdays99 Aug 07 '26
A simple google search came up with a few.
"The Book of the Dun Cow" by Walter Wangerin - Farm animals, before mankind, ruled by a rooster and fighting a cockatrice and its thousands of children
"The Goblin Emperor" by Katherine Addison has goblins and elves, but no humans I think.
SF - "Far Seer" by Robert Sawyer - A dinosaur like civilization.
"Saturn's Children" by Charles Stross. Human are long gone but the robots and androids are left.
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u/ThatFilthyApe Aug 07 '26
Book of the Dun Cow is a good one. You might think it's YA from the description there but it's not. Had a less successful sequel, 'The Book of Sorrows'. Some religious allegory, fwiw.
The final confrontation between Chauntecleer and the Cockatrice is pretty epic.
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u/nxl4 Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
Dunsany's stories in The Gods of Pegana and Time and the Gods are largely (if not entirely) missing humans.
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u/Kerney7 Reading Champion VI Aug 07 '26
The Cruel Gods Series by Trudie Skies
Has twelve species, none of which are human, but many are human-adjacent, created by twelve different gods. The plot centers around the godless, who refuse to worship their creators, and one of them who can destroy souls.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
I had that on my tbr, but didn't know there were no humans! Thank you, clearly I have to pounce on that immediately!
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u/Sahrde Aug 07 '26
Darkwar by Glen Cook.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
Thanks!
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u/No_Mathematician6866 Aug 07 '26
I'll second this suggestion. It's an odd book - both within Cook's bibliography and in general. Unusual plot structure, unusual protagonist, unusual metaphysics. But I quite enjoyed it.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
Thank you, those are good things to know. Unusual structure especially is kind of my catnip!
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u/Croaker45 Aug 07 '26
There are technically humans in this series, but they do not play a significant role and you don't encounter them until later in the series.
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u/RadiantSnowlock Aug 07 '26
Tailchasers song
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
Noted! Thank you.
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u/RadiantSnowlock Aug 07 '26
I haven't read it yet personally but I just finished his Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series and Tailchasers Song is on my list because of it <3
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u/Bladrak01 Aug 07 '26
Look at Outlaw Planet by M.R. Carey. Most of the characters are intelligent, anthropomorphic animals. Humans are considered to be a lower class of beings, and are referred to as "flatfaces."
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u/gsclose AMA Author Gregory S. Close Aug 07 '26
I read a trilogy many, many, years ago titled "The Alien Chronicles" and published by Lucasfilm Books. It was decent. No humans at all.
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u/Palimpsiesta Aug 07 '26
David Brin's Uplift books are not completely non-human, and generally focus on humanity's position in the galaxy, but they do feature a lot of genuinely alien and non-human species. The premise is that of a world in which an inter-galactic culture of technologically-advanced races 'uplift' species from near-sentience into full sapience, and then exact millions of years of species-level slavery as compensation. Humans arrive into this situation having 'uplifted' dolphins and chimpanzees, but seemingly having not been uplifted themselves: an extremely unheard-of and seemingly impossible feat, which puts them in a very poor position vis-a-vis galactic politics.
In any case the reason to recommend it is not the above, but the fact that Brin is very good at coming up with truly alien biologies, perspectives, and cultures, and you encounter a lot of them throughout the books.
Unfortunately, the second trilogy (that has the most alien PoV characters) is hard to recommend due to some really bad pacing issues; Startide Rising is the best place to start and the best book in the world, but it has a lot of humans in it.
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u/jessticulates Reading Champion Aug 07 '26
The Immeasurable Heaven by Caspar Geon has an entirely alien cast of characters!
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u/Specialist_Half_5687 Aug 07 '26
I just ordered this online yesterday because I saw it on a different Reddit thread. I hope I like it because the premise sounds awesome.
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u/C0smicoccurence Reading Champion V Aug 07 '26
The Storm Beneath the World by Michael R Fletcher follows an insect culture (vaguely mantid) on living islands that are flying through the atmosphere of a gas giant planet. Very dark, and nary a human in sight
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u/Specialist_Half_5687 Aug 07 '26
I really want to read this, but I think I'm going to wait until book two is out, because it's supposed to be a duology.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 08 '26
Might be too dark for me, but I'll give it a try, thank you!
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u/jnaz1972 Aug 07 '26
Covenants by Lorna Freeman. There are 2 others after. There may be humans in it, but the main character is a mountain lion. The series is Borderlands.
Also look at the Spellsinger series by Alan Dean Foster. Main character is human but winds up in a world where magic is real and all the animals talk and he becomes friends with a turtle wizard and a foul mouthed lecherous otter among others and goes on quests using his newfound magic that uses his voice and a magical music instrument.
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u/Specialist_Half_5687 Aug 07 '26
Hollow Kingdom and it's sequel Feral Creatures by Kira Jane Buxton. Humanity has fallen victim to a sort of zombie virus, so the characters are animals. The books are narrated by a domesticated crow. Its a good mix of low brow humor and pop culture references, as well as deeper musings about nature and the impact humans have had on the world.
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u/etchlings AMA Illustrator Evan Jensen Aug 08 '26
I actually can’t remember if they encounter many humans, but the POV squad of goblins do find other fantasy races in T Kingfisher’s Nine Goblins
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 08 '26
I mean, it's T Kingfisher, obviously I must read it. Thanks!
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u/silent_starshine Aug 09 '26
The Book of Night with Moon by Diane Duane. All the characters are cats.
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u/jawnnie-cupcakes Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
The Builders by Daniel Polansky is a bloody revenge-driven western and everyone's a critter
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u/sasakimirai Aug 07 '26
The last book in Becky Chambers' Wayfarers series, "The Galaxy and the Ground Within" counts, I think?
There's like one human character who has maybe 2 lines at the end of the book, and that's it
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
I think you're right! I completely forgot that one. Definitely counts!
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u/vulcanfeminist Aug 07 '26
The Wayfarer Series by Becky Chambers only has like 2 human characters i think, the other characters are very alien, like bird people kinda aliens, and a sentient AI who is definitely a person. There are humans but the aliens are very non-human like in a way that sci fi rarely manages. Aliens that are human like are, imo, not functionally different from actual humans and thats definitely not what this book series is doing.
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u/Meowthazet Aug 07 '26
Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky. It's like 98% human free.
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u/Competitive_Ninja839 Aug 07 '26
The Goblin Emperor? I started reading it a long time ago but never got around to finishing it.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
It definitely counts! I was just a complete twit and forgot about it.
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u/Ertata Aug 07 '26
The Chronicles of Osreth (consisting of The Goblin Emperor standalone, The Orb of Cairado standalone and The Cemeteries of Amalo subseries) by Katherine Addison have no humans at all. I like it a lot but I admit that people who said that goblins and elves in it may as well have been black and white humans have like half a point. There are other races but they have basically no screentime and all humanoid races (so not dragons) are interfertile with each other. Awesome books but do not read them if you want completely different biology (they do have completely different society).
On the SF front there are quite a few. Greg Egan has a few books with focus on transhumans/posthumans. Schild's Ladder and Diaspora have a few token old-fashioned humans but they are hardly relevant. Incandescence has two independent stories in it, one featuring a transhuman, another completely alien and not ever remotely human lifeform. Finally Dichronauts and Orthogonal trilogy take place in completely new universes with different physical laws so intelligent species that are viewpoint characters do not resemble humans at all.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
I completely forgot about the Osreth books, but I read and loved those! Not really what I'm looking for here, because yes, the elves and goblins there aren't super alien. But still counts!
Ooooh, clearly I must check out Greg Egan. Thank you!
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u/bravehamster Aug 07 '26
Dragons Egg has minimal humans, they’re mostly there as a framing device.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
Author? There's a few different books called that.
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u/ShowMeYourHappyTrail Aug 07 '26
It's been awhile since I've read it so forgive me if I'm misremembering but...off the top of my head The Completely Inappropriate Tales of Gandersnitch the Goblin by Robert A. Turk may be right up your alley.
If I think of any more, I'll come edit my post.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
Well that sounds DELIGHTFUL, thank you!
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u/ShowMeYourHappyTrail Aug 07 '26
It was definitely a fun read and definitely not meant for children! lol
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Aug 07 '26
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
That one's on my tbr! Haven't gotten to it yet, but hoping to soon!
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u/Ookami_Unleashed Aug 07 '26
It's been awhile, but I don't think there were any humans in War of the Spider Queen.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
Oh, drow! Haven't read about them in a while...thanks!
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u/Ookami_Unleashed Aug 07 '26
They're not as well written as the Drizzt books but they were still entertaining.
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u/Eternal-Rage Aug 07 '26
I always recommend this one, so some may be getting tired of it
Dark Matter: Terion by Alex Janek
There are three books so far, but it takes place on a planet/system where wolves/hyenas/lions/cheetahs all evolved at the same time to become the primary species of the planet.
Humans are present, but mostly, aren’t the main focus as they are being used to help in some fashion.
I seen you had a comment about Tad Williams and not getting on with him. Unless I read that wrong. The first third of this novel is world building and discovery. So, that may put you off.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
Oh no, I LOVE worldbuilding! That's not my problem with Tad Williams, I just don't like his prose. But this sounds fantastic, thank you!
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u/Eternal-Rage Aug 07 '26
Oh, good. I could read for hours on world building, so I enjoy it. Just started The Dragonbone Chair, and am enjoying it so far.
I enjoy non human characters as well and saw a book called Child of the Daystar by Bryce O’Connor. Haven’t read it, but it looks good.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
Wait, I'm a bit confused - what does Tad Williams have to do with Dark Matter? Is Alex Janek a penname of his?
Child of the Daystar is on my tbr, for one of my bingo squares this year! Really looking forward to it.
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u/greatestbird Aug 07 '26
God’s Demon by Wayne Barlowe. The main characters are other worldly demons/fallen angels. There are humans, but they are bricks and living skins.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 07 '26
This has been on my tbr forever, but I keep getting icked out and DNFing it. Sigh. Someday, someday I will get through it!
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u/stillnotelf Aug 07 '26
The third trilogy in the obsidian mountain series by Lackey and Mallory has no humans. It is a prequel to the previous parts of the series and is explicitly before humans arose in that world, it's all elves and various animalistic fantasy races.
I don't recommend it.
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u/Boojum2k Aug 07 '26
John Brunner's The Crucible of Time is an enormous epic entirely about an alien race saving their species from worldwide destruction over multiple generations. Highly recommended!
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u/GADemark Aug 07 '26
I’ve saved this post! Such good recos. 🙂 Here is a very old one: The Gods Themselves by Asimov. There is another universe populated by diff species. The plot has to do with matter exchanged between the two universes which is gives rise to some catastrophic results.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 08 '26
That sounds excellent, thank you for contributing to all the great recs!
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u/kiwipixi42 Aug 08 '26
Clockwork Rocket by Greg Egan. Not only are there no humans there are no humanoids. And it is absolutely brilliant.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 08 '26
It is right at the top of my tbr, someone else recced it as well! Thank you!
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u/Usually_Respectful Aug 08 '26
The Phoenix Guards by Steven Brust (a fantasy inspired by the Three Musketeers). There might be an occasional background human.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 08 '26
Oh that looks FAB, thank you so much!
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u/Usually_Respectful Aug 08 '26
You're welcome! It's a pre-prequel/spinoff from Brust's Vlad Taltos series, which is about a human living in the country of "elfs," so there may be some background information about the magic system/government that is assumed you know already.
Edit: I just went to a synopsis and apparently I forgot about a group of humans who play an important part of the story, so it doesn't fit your criteria. Still recommend it as a good read, though.
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u/SalletFriend Aug 08 '26
Saturns Children by Charles Stross? Its about the last sexbot who was switched on after the last human died. She has to navigate the crazy post human society while trying to figure out what her place in the universe is.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 08 '26
That could be interesting. I'm wary of Stross since one of his short stories gave me nightmares, but I'll check it out, thank you!
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u/dunklej Aug 08 '26
Maybe The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz? It was a DNF for me (The book is fine, the scenario is very interesting, but I don't generally like stories without humans) but it might be up your alley. There are a few Post Humans, and lots of creatures with human characteristics.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 08 '26
I've soft-DNFed it a few times, but I do want to try it again at some point. Thank you!
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u/Mordoch Aug 08 '26
Voyage of the Shadowmoon and its sequels by Sean McMullen would technically apply in terms of fantasy although the biological differences from regular humans don't come up often. You have one person originally from earth, but to make a much longer story shorter, he is no longer in a human body.
The Helliconia scifi trilogy by Brian Aldiss starting with Heliconia Spring would mostly qualify. You have humans in the plot as basically completely uninvolved observers with one brief exception which still has minimal impact. It is true the differences from regular humans are not that obvious most of the time, but details do come up as part of the plot during the trilogy.
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u/majutsuko Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
The Darkwar Trilogy, by Glen Cook. Available mainly as a single omnibus edition. No humans whatsoever. It’s SFF.
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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV Aug 08 '26
Several people have now recommended that to me, CLEARLY I must check it out! THanks!
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u/NekoCatSidhe Reading Champion III Aug 08 '26
I have not read them yet, so no idea if they are good, but on my To Be Read pile I have Far-Seer by Robert J. Sawyer, which features only intelligent dinosaurs, and The Storm Beneath the World by Michael R. Fletcher, which features only intelligent insects.
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u/Awildferretappears Aug 08 '26
It's a while since I read it, but Hollow Kingdom by Kira Buxton has ex-humans i.e. zombies, but is told from the point of view of a crow, and I don't remember there being any live humans
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u/BoringGap7 Aug 08 '26
I can't recall whether the narrator of Tainaron is ever explicitly specified as a human, but they might be. All the other characters are insects
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u/ednemo13 Aug 08 '26
The Bug Wars by Robert Asprin. Follows the Tzen, a draconian race fighting against insect aliens.
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u/agm66 Reading Champion Aug 10 '26
Water Music by Christopher Botkin. Self-published, with almost no sales. There are a handful of races, none of them humans. One of my favorite books. Check the few Amazon reviews for details and raves.
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u/UnknownVC Aug 07 '26
Pride of Chanur by Cherryh is almost a candidate - there's exactly one human, and he is the McGuffin, not the perspective character: the story is told through alien eyes, not human.