A Guide to Worldbuilding for Animal Societies 

If you enjoyed this video, please consider checking out my debut xenofiction novel, Winter Without End, available now in both ebook and paperback form: 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.

I'm starting to think this channel is just Cardinal Wests way of trying to jump start the popularity of the Xenofiction genre so that there's more of it for him to read, and I for one approve.

This made me realized that meerkats have an absurd amount of potential for xenofiction stories and now I really want to write about meerkats.

There is nothing more frustrating than doing a ton of research and discovering that something is untenable. Glad you were able to use a backup.

I'm surprised this ended up only with mammals and birds being discussed. I could see a lot of potential with a lot of different organisms: Crocodilians, snakes, turtles, lizards, frogs. You could work out entire territorial warfare easily with bull frogs. Garter snakes having hyper social overwintering gatherings culminating in a reproductive festival before heading off for a year of solitude. Alligators negotiating territory in the everglades and working to deal with the invasive python problem. Ocean wanderings of sea turtles. Anoles navigating the maze of built human structures while avoiding predators like birds. I think branching out beyond mammal and bird centric xenofiction could be an interesting route. Reptiles and amphibians have a fair bit of potential to work with, and I could even argue the same for some fish and invertebrates. I may end up incorporating elements of xenofiction into a work of mine. It's far more fantasy and focuses on tiny humanoids living in a suburban back yard, but I always wanted a connection to the fauna around them. Giving some of the more social species they come across the vague impression of their own societies and consciousness is a good angle I should lean into.

I've always wanted to read a xenofiction story about squirrels. As like rats their intelligence is well documented. There is also the ongoing conflict here in the UK, between native red and invasive grey squirrels. Which would be fertile ground for a story I think.

I feel a need to point out that "xenofiction" means anything from a non-human perspective, not just standard animals. Anthropomorphic animals, aliens, and (distinctly non-human) fantasy races fall under the term, too!

I'm actually currently planning a xenofiction story where firehawks have a very important role! They're very fascinating to me and fit too well with the current worldbuilding for me to not include them somewhere. The story is mostly based off of animals interactions with humans and how they view them. Most animals treat humans as somewhat godly, and aim to be like them for various reasons. It's sort of an in-universe explanation for animals that have traits that were for a long time considered to be only present in humans. They all have different ideas as to what makes humans human, so some use tools, others speak, some domesticated themselves(though this one's more a cultural explanation for why domesticated animals exist than actual fact), etc. Firehawks believe that fire is the key to humanity, and made it a core part of their culture. They teach their offspring how to safely transport burning vegetation without burning their feathers soon after they learn to fly and have perfected the use of fire over many generations. They aren't the main focus of the story, but if I ever write it I'll definitely write a book solely about the firehawks.

Another group of creatures that I think deserve more of a spotlight in mythic xeno fiction are orcas as different orca pods around the world have been found to have different languages and hunting techniques which are pasted from mother to calf. All of which are lead by an elder matriarch. With a basis like that the stories practically write themselves

“(i’m not joking we need good bird-related xenofiction)” a friend of mine is working on a middle grade novel about rock doves/pigeons!! he’s done a ton of research and they’re his favorite animal, and the writing is super charming. it’s not done yet but it’s coming!! there will be good bird xenofiction!!

Maybe one day I'll get around to writing mythic xenofiction about chickens, my favourite animal. Chickens already have an extremely complex hierarchy that could quite easily become anthropomorphised as a society that not only experiences, but outright values conflict as a natural part of life, and who don't recognise grief as meaningful. Chicken society would be a paranoid one, as prey animals they obviously fear many things, but just as a rooster may give his life for the flock, or a hen for her chicks, they would just as easily devour their own eggs or dead brethren. Lower ranking hens might speak scornfully of the bald necks of the rooster's favourites, and of course pushing out massive eggs each day, only for them to inevitably be taken, might be seen more as a deliberate sacrifice to the humans, so that their lives are spared. To be unable to lay is a moral failure, as is failing to remain atop a nest of eggs (as in real life, broody hens will often be driven back to the next by other chickens), or to be a cowardly cockerel (as hens are generally self sufficient, but roos serve to both fertilize eggs and protect the flock, so if you can't perform your duties, you endanger the whole flock and fail to be useful to society). It would be a highly patriarchal society based upon shame and self-flaggelation, valuing the survival of the flock above individuals and both worshipping and fearing their human gods. There's so much to expand on, I haven't even touched on scratching or hunting (or the chasing-stealing bloodbath game that follows a successful hunt), or other various taboos (such as eating out of turn). I love watching my chickens interact, and I can't express enough how much there is to go off of with them.

13:31 I for one actually think an animal xenofiction story about exploring these moral dilemmas would actually be really cool. Having different individual predators have different ideas and feelings about their niche, and ditto for prey could be really interesting to explore, especially if they decide to face the reality of each other’s personhood while also understanding what they must do to survive. Every creature could have different ideas about what it means to respect their prey or predators, or even if they really should try at all. I think it would be fascinating to explore that.

This inspired me to work on a selection of short stories about insects! Here's what I've got for a creation myth if anybody's interested: At the beginning of time, the world was barren and lifeless on the surface. Underneath the ground, however, all manner of bug, beast, and plant lived and thrived together. Before long, however, a rivalry began between the bugs and the plants. The plants felt that the bugs were eating them too quickly, for plants took a long time to grow. The bugs simply said that if the plants could not defend themselves, then they would be eaten. So, the plants tried various methods to deter the bugs. They tried to become poisonous, they tried to grow thick defenses, they tried to wield weapons, but no matter what they tried, the bugs were able to adapt to the changes in turn. They gained strong stomachs to deal with the poison, became small to penetrate the thick defenses, and became so swift that the plants seemed like they weren't moving at all in order to avoid their weapons. The plants soon realized that escape was their only option. They fled upward, growing out of the earth and toward the sky, reaching up to the clouds. For a time, their escape seemed successful and they covered the world's surface, but it didn't take long for the bugs to find them, and the beasts soon followed. The plants, dismayed at having been found, resigned themselves to their fate. In despair, they simply watched themselves be devoured by their tiny adversaries. One day, Tree, the largest, oldest, and wisest of the plants had an idea. As she watched the beasts run about her forest, she saw the reason they had never been a threat: the beasts ate the plants, yes, but they also ate other beasts. So, what if the bugs were to do the same? Tree and the other plants, invigorated by the light of the sun, decided that they would create for the bugs Hunters as the beasts had. From Tree's roots came the Stalkers (ambush spiders), who were strong and cunning, as she was. From the tangled ivy came the Trappers (web-weaving spiders), whose silken nets could catch the swiftest of bugs. From the sweet flowers came the Stingers (wasps), whose venom was stronger than any poison. From the water reeds came the Flitters (dragonflies and damselflies), who moved through the air with speed and grace. Finally, from the spiked thornbush came the Strikers (mantises), whose claws struck fast and true. These were the first Hunters, tasked with killing the bugs who would threaten their mother plants. There's a lot of variation in this story between the different types of bugs (this version is the one told by the predators) and they all have different traditions unique to them, but I thought this was a good place to start from :)

I've always wanted to try my hand at dinosaur xenofiction, as there are so many incredible environments and animals that have rarely been written, I can only think of Raptor Red and one of Oppel's Sunwing books.

Okay so, I’ve been outlining a werewolf-series for a while now, and I was planning to focus very much on the human side... but you’ve convinced me in a few days that the animal-side is so incredibly interesting. Like, I’m back to the drawing board to incorporate more real wolf stuff and I’m really excited about it. Thank you! :)

I'm not someone who delves into animal society much in my writing, but I think this look at mythology as it relates to animals helps a whole lot in thinking about designing fantasy worlds, dystopian societies and all manner of other non-human based universes. Thank you very much for this video

I'm surprised no one has (or at least to my knowledge) made a xenofiction book about dolphins. Intelligent, loved by humans (mostly), ARE ACTUALLY FRICKEN MEAN TO EACH OTHER, get high off of pufferfish, and do live in a family group. That's prime for story telling. A dolphin society that both fears and respects humans (maybe some reviering them as gods because one dolphin ended up getting a fish sandwich from a kid or something), have to fight each other, a group that are just puffer stoners. Another that I would love to see as xenofiction story is the monarch butterfly. Imagine a story of their migration from Mexico to the Rocky Mountains or vice versa, knowing that their journey is long but they do it for one thing; repopulation. I could imagine tensions of stress, starvation, storms, freezing, or even things such as a car driving by and one hitting the windshield. Yet they find "paradises" sometimes which are community grown Monarch rest stops (which, I actually know butterfly groups who work together to build Butterfly Oasises as they call it and maintain them). I could see their society as one who follows the wind and their inner guide (aka magnetism). They have to for this journey. Maybe they view Winter as this hand of death that wipes out many and humans as cthulhu like beings that... sometimes taste really good (aka licking our sweat. Ever have a butterfly land in your hand? Yeah they like your sweat!).

Fun idea for Pigeons: They see the opening of a new building by humans as a religious event, and 'dirty' the roofs with their celebrations, the humans cleaning up the decorations just being seen as the end of the celebrations. After that, they begin their nesting, going 99% of the time undisturbed by the humans

Damn, now I kinda want to write a wolf xenofiction story. I love wolves, I love all animals, it's just there's something truly magical and humbling about them. Symbols of honor, courage, loyalty, and ferocity, they inspire a sense of respect and love for nature and the spiritual. But humanity, or some of it, has viewed them as evil and vile for their wildness and freedom of spirit/will. I already have a dog, cat xenofiction story in mind that I mentioned...damn...though I fear wolves are still mainly portrayed as cruel and evil, not the balancers of nature and symbols of honor that they truly are. (Lotta love for House Stark, even with their flaws.)

Point on the rabbit societies: European rabbits live in groups and have underground warrens. The north American cotton tail doesn't. Which could make an interesting plot difference.

When you where talking about the speculative religious beliefs of animals, I thought of Warriors by Erin Hunter and Bambi by Felix Salten. Both novels handle the idea very differently, but at the same time, I feel they both handle the very well. In the Warriors Series, the cats in the Clans follow a form of ancestor worship, but only the leader and medicine cat can communicate with the ancestors (which they called StarClan). As the series progressed, we met cats outside the Clans with different beliefs, and there were even a few cats within the Clans who didn't believe in StarClan. In the novel, Bambi, on the other hand, the animals believed that humans where a malevolent god. The reason for His malice was unstated, but (if I remember correctly) the only one who knew man was mortal (and therefore not a god) was Bambi's father.

I’m of the opinion this would be the perfect channel to review a book I read as a kid called “Beautiful Joe”, a book about the life of a dog which seemed like perfect material for an animated adaptation, that people seem to have just forgotten completely.

Finally! Someone else knows what a Dhole is!

Ive always thought that communal wasps would make for great Xenofiction. Not only do they have a unique perspective of the world compared to not only us but most other species mentioned in this video, but some like paper wasps have a complex social structure that requires them to recognize the faces of their peers to help them know who is who. Also they can fly yet have 6 limbs to work with, have a massive variety of other similarly sized species to interact with, are omnivores so will maximize the amount of interactions between interesting species ranging from those found in flowers to garbage. And best of all, they have to contend with giants, often feeding on deceased members of such animals as well, just to spice things up a little more (yet more interestingly, this meat is not for them, rather its for the larvae who also feed their caretakers by serving them a nutrient rich liquid that they can actually eat).

A xenofiction story involving orcas is basically almost a freebie, because the entire world building is almost there for you already. Different languages and hunting practices between different pods is fascinating to read about, I'm not sure why no one has picked it up yet

Interestingly the sequels to Duncton Wood do explore the religious conflict idea in Duncton Quest and Duncton Found (I know, I can't stop talking about these books as I love them)! It is basically the Word (Christianity) vs the Stone (Paganism), inspired by Holy Wars. I find it pretty interesting. On another note, my dromeosaur mythic xenofiction also explores religious conflcits throughout the whole trilogy. Across each book, it targets various types of conflict revolving around each raptor society's beliefs. I haven't revisited that WIP in a long while so my memory is vague, but it also does include fire in the final book, an element that was only touched upon rarely in previous installments. Your ideas for those various animal cultures are so intriging! I might gather some as inspiration for future books.

I'm so grateful how this channel appeared in my algorithm. The episodes I've watched are not only insightful, educational, and entertaining; something deeper has been stirred to awareness. Thank you

I’ve been writing a xenofiction story about my own original species, called cerriens, which are basically just demonic-looking cat-like creatures. They live on their own continent called Fintaria where there are four subspecies each adapted to living in certain habitats: The Mountain Kingdom, Desert Kingdom, the Fintarian Tribe (the first civilization to exist that live in forest/moorland habitats), and the Treetop Tribe (which live mostly in trees). When a cerrien dies they go to the Spirit World as a ghost that can visit the Living World occasionally through a portal. No mortals can see the ghosts except for one special cerrien born every century called the Spirit-Watcher. For the actual plot of the story, the Spirit World has been corrupted and is in the process of being destroyed forever by a mysterious evil ghost, and the Spirit-Watcher at the time (named Echo) and some other cerriens have to journey across Fintarian to find a portal to make it to the Spirit World and stop its corruption. (This is way too long lol)

Although I am not so interested in xenofiction this is nonetheless a great resource for someone interested in mental anthropomorphication. Although you might consider what I am working on xenofiction either way. Really good work with the humour aswell, the way you sneak it in makes it so much more fun. Audibly laughed at a lecture on weird animal books more than three times, quite an achivement. Great content as always.

I've wondered about the black kite too! So many possibilities for lore with that species. Fire being gifted could be seen as a good omen or blessing from their deities for sure.

the bit at 13:30 kinda relates to a book I'm writing. the animals can't naturally understand other species at all, but the main character ones know english and talk on computers for reasons. of the two predators in the group, one swears to be a vegetarian but breaks her oath in a moment of weakness, and the other verbally bullies and terrorizes the squirrel and the rabbit of the group, but doesn't actually want to kill them when they meet in real life. the story is more complicated than that, but you've heard everything that matters for this moment of the video.

There is nothing more I desire than to read a xenofiction story about capybaras.

This channel is so underrated.

I haven't read much xenofiction, but as someone who has pet rabbits (and had to struggle with getting them to bond with each other) I wonder how the writers of rabbit stories deal with combat. Unbonded rabbits (at least domesticated, I'm not sure about wild rabbits) will sometimes try to fight to the death. They circle around each other, getting into what's referred to as a "bunny tornado", and try to get their teeth into each other's soft underbellies to rip their opponent's guts out. My two rabbits are bonded now (and totally inseparable), but one still has scars all over his ears from fights we didn't stop in time. Ritualized duels to the death in rabbit society seems like it could be a cool worldbuilding idea.

When it comes to communication, I like the idea of carnivores and herbivores speaking different languages, with omnivores speaking a mix

Watching this video and as someone who is studying to be a veterinarian assistant. Hearing you bring up the wolf and corvid relationships made me smile like an idiot cause i have two ocs who fit this dynamic, a lone wolf who grew up alongside a raven friend who sticks with him through thick and thin. Also that is so cool to see someone else appreciating cheetahs, which funny you brought up cause i have a king cheetah who has a emotional support otter who helps with his anxiety. Odd duo but since otters are rarely ever used along with cheetahs i thought it would be interesting lol.

Man, I'm glad to have found this channel. You showed me that xenofiction is a genre I greatly enjoy and have been toying around with writing it here and there for years now. Just never had a name for it I guess. This video is a great source of inspiration and gave me a lot to think about. I've been slowly writing a story about a fictional species of sapient crustacean. It will probably never see the light of day if it ever gets finished, but videos like these help to make it as good as it possibly can be (for an amateur like me).

Got really excited because I loved reading xenofic as a kid. Putting your book on my to read list!

Nice. I watched your other xeno fiction video and your bit on show don’t tell was great. Helped me out a lot when writing my own story. As for xeno fiction I will be honest I never looked into it until a friend loaned me watership down. A really good book. Definitely will go in my top ten favorite books. So I’m curious to see more of the genre and see your own work.

If this guy's novel is half as well written as this video, it should be a masterpiece. I'm definitelly subscribing to his channel and buying a copy of the ebook right now!

You've simulatenously inspired an interest in a genre I hadn't considered before and helped deepen my understanding of my own projects. Many thanks for your effort and passion.

Why doesn’t this have more views?? This is a fantastic in-depth analysis, great job!

Ahhh - This is getting me pumped to work on my own Xenofiction book. I've been working on it the longest and have been on break over the holidays. Perfect time to watch tons of videos to improve my knowledge and help me out

such a fantastic video!! i frequently come back to this for help with my writing, so thank you!

This was really interesting to watch. You clearly put a lot of thought into the ideas you came up with for animal societies.

I've been toying with writing for a while now, and have watched many good videos but they have all centred on writing with humans as the main characters. This is the first I've seen about how to worldbuild with animal main characters. Since I love animals and animal stories, this is brilliant and I am going to have to give it a try!

I was hoping you'd talk about the Duncton Wood Chronicles, but I am very happy you mentioned rats, because not only do I love rats but I've been planning to write a book about wild city rats! I already had the plot and characters sorted out, but I spent this video mentally preparing the other important aspect - their culture and religion. Feel free to ask me if you're curious about the details and keep up the good work! 😄

Thank you for your hard work and generosity; this was as encouraging as it was inspirational.

I am definitely going to be using this for reference for my future projects.

I have been struggling with a wolf based xenofiction based story, really just the culture and such needed for the story, so I will gladly be yoinking that wolf story concept you presented thank you much!

I think it'd be really cool to play into the ability of crows and ravens to mimic in their relationship with the wolves. Maybe they learned how to speak rudimentary wolf language to serve as messengers, and their regular crow-speak is seen as a divine language by the wolves, used to speak to the gods.

very educational video you got here. I've been building up my own form of animal tribal society for my own works and this is giving me a lot of good pointers ^^ keep up the great work

Just discovered your channel today, and glad I found it! I'm working towards being a writer and I've been dabbling in Xenofiction for a while now.

i'm so glad i researched meerkats so much as a kid bc it means i get to write about so much fun stuff i've learned about them over the years. i hope more people write xenofiction, it's so much fun

Huh. I thought the other day that this video had a few hundred thousand views. You certainly deserve as much for your effort. Well done video

The king has returned

Another aspect of the wolf-coyote-crow world that I think could be built on is the society of dogs. Specifically stray dogs (for context I am taking a lot of inspiration from Celtic views of fae/elves because humans and animals basically have a similar vibe to humans and fae: beings with near-supernatural abilities and bountiful resources, but with rules and personalities that can be arbitrary and cruel). Maybe in dog folklore the wolves who "betrayed" their kind for humans were actually forced to do so via a trick or game of chance. After generations twisted by the forbidden knowledge and magic of humans, some managed to escape, but their cruel cousins who remained wild rejected them. So the dogs retain their freedom but live near or within human territory. Dog culture is similar to wolf culture, but packs are defined much more broadly and structure more horizontally; essentially a dog pack is more of a confederation of several families centered around a food source or culturally significant location. The Alfa isn't selected by strength or seniority, but rather if they contain the virtues of courage, loyalty, humility, etc., and the Alfa also doesn't really have many powers, just organizing already agreed upon plans and moderating pack meetings. Dog religion is also very similar to the other wild canines but with more rituals for "placating" any nearby humans. Perhaps their folklore/mythology would include epic wars of when dogs first allied themselves with humans, explanations as to why humans and dogs first came together, and stories of dogs either being rewarded by humans for their loyalty or being punished for fucking with us. Also referring to humans with euphemism like "those with no forelegs" or "the dwellers in warm dens" This was a lot of fun and if anyone wants to add anything please do!

Definitely going to have to look into those Kites! That does sound like a huge draw! These are amazing ideas!

Well shoot, I've been working on writing my own story about rats. I clicked this video to get some inspiration while trying to flesh out their society and belief systems. The plan was to have it set in nature, like a wooded area or some wild plains, since I feel like most rat/mice stories are set either in urban areas or are too anthropomorphic for what I am going for. But... post-apocalyptic rat society has me very intrigued.

Damn, another fascinating watch! Your knowledge on mythic xenofiction, and your ideas for various different animal cultures, are very helpful. I've been trying to write an apocalyptic fantasy series about the conflicts between the mortal animal world and the supernatural underworld of hellhounds, when the supernatural creatures break out of their own dying world, forcing a hellhound-hybrid and his more mortal canine friends (called Gaians) go on a journey to reach a mythical promised land called Elysia. Kinda like Farthing Wood, Watership Down and the anime Wolf's Rain. Been conflicted for a while though about it being more anthropomorphic story like Beastars and Zootopia or a more feral-anthro story (feranthro?) like The Animals of Farthing Wood, Watership Down, The Fox & Little Tanuki/Korisenman, and Wolf's Rain. But, I've also been focusing on the world-building. The religious side is still a little weak in some areas, but so far, my dogs have two supreme beings they worship called the Allfather (the Sun god Sol) and Allmother Sarama (the moon goddess), the first dogs, and the hellhounds have their own deity they believe in called the Beast of the Abyss, a Cerberus-inspired creature that's believed to be the father of all hellhounds and progenitor of the Bloodflame (the supernatural power the hybrid protagonist contains which the hybrid antagonist is after). I've also been waiting to write a story about coyotes. Particularly a white coyote that's banished from his pack due to his abnormal coat color. And I've started writing a Russian borzoi-wolf hybrid story about a wolf x borzoi hybrid named Volk who's raised to become a wolf hunter, only to discover his wolf heritage and sets out to find his wolf parent, meeting a pureblooded wolf pack and falling in love with a she-wolf in the process. Wherever I get with any of these stories, anthro or feral, I hope they'll be a lot of fun to read. I'll definitely be using this video as reference.

I remember when I was younger, I watched a documentary on raccoons and attempted to start writing a story about them. Watching your videos makes me remember my passion for animals and now I kinda want to revisit that now. Raccoons have so much potential because you can find them in so many different environments and because they’re so intelligent. Thank you for your videos! They’re well done, intriguing, and your writing tips are excellent and applicable.

what about xenofiction using alien species, extinct species, or even eldritch horrors?

This is so helpful THANK YOU!!

The brief section between 6:35 and 7:55 was deeply interesting to hear you talk about.

i want to write a xenofiction story of my own someday (about seals, hopefully) and your channel is a huge help. i'm glad that there is a channel who actually talks about such a niche but awesome genre. i'm sure i've made a comment like this before on one of your videos but i am just so happy for this channel's existence

In “A Song of Ice and Fire”, the R’hllor religion is heavily dualistic, while the Faith of the Seven is a lot like Hinduism and Buddhism in its conception of the Divine. There’s also a pantheistic element to the Old Gods.

I would just like to say that I've always had a love of animal fiction. Especially Watership Down and Plauge Dogs. And always had ideas of making an animal type novel. For my first im going to make mine about ducks, and how they are arrogant creatures who just see humans as friends. But would soon come to realize that not all humans are friends of ducks. But mainly I would just like to say this video is a massive help and thank you

This channel popped up for me in the best time. Im currently writing a comic centered around lion society and i had no idea of where to start with the world building.

I'm writing a sci fi show, and I set out just trying to make a timeline including all mythology and a sci fi future like star wars + myth, and this type of stuff is perfect to describe what most of my show is

I just discovered your channel and I really love it! I’ve noticed you sometimes use audio from the Wolf’s Rain soundtrack. I’d love to see you make a video about the series! It’s criminally under discussed.

You mentioned a Xenofiction book idea about the relationship between ravens and wolves. I actually remember reading a book where that was an important part. It's called Ravenquest, and it's about a raven who gets cast out of his flock after being framed for murder. While in exile, he remembers stories about animals called Grey Ones, who in the past were close friends to the ravens, and he decides to see if he can find any, hoping that if he does so, he'll be allowed back in to his old flock.

Would you be willing to compare Tailchaser's Song with the first series in Warriors? Or even Dodoma video on the former? I didn’t see you mention Tailchaser's Song in other videos (though I could’ve missed it!) and I found it a fascinating Xenofiction novel ^^ I ask because the similarities are… many.

Nicke video! You actually made me want to write a story!

this is a really good video not just for earth animals, but any non-human culture! Im currently working on a piece of speculative biology world-building about an alien planet; it's always useful to think about your aliens as animals first and build their culture from there, to avoid the looming pitfall of "it's just humans but they look different"

I’ve been having this idea in my head for a xenofiction tale involving orcas and their plight. It takes place off the Alaskan coast and concerns the two communities of orca that live there. Their lives and societies are structured around the prey they eat. They also live in a world very different from ours, centered around sound rather than sight. Pods have different dialects that are more similar the more closely they’re related. It’s very alien to us humans, but it’s fun to imagine. One is called the Nahiiti and they’re nomadic marine mammal hunters. (Transients) They’re quiet and superstitious by nature since any mistake could cost them prey. The other culture is called the Ikrahvarr and they eat salmon. Since they’re resident orcas, they live in a highly complex, family centered society. These two cultures are deeply distrustful of one another and rarely interact. The Nahiiti worship a trinity of Gods: Nahi, Sitka, and Ilka. Nahi is the creator and is personified by the land, so basically all orcas are swimming alongside her. Sitka is the moon and goddess of the hunt and the tides, while Ilka is the sun and he protects the family, especially calves. Meanwhile, the Ikrahvarr practice a form of ancestor worship with a dash of animism. Ikrah is the founder of their people, basically think of a female orca version of Abraham, maybe. They see her as the greatest matriarch and believe she had supernatural powers. I don’t think they worship a deity but rather believe in a life force that connects everything. When whales die they return to it and become one of the many venerated ancestors. Maybe the Northern Lights could have something to do with that. It takes place after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in ‘89, and both communities have suffered from it, especially the Ikrahvarr. The most powerful matriarchs in their society have imposed harsh rules on the population in order to survive. Meanwhile a pair of Nahiiti twins are orphaned when their mother dies and are taken in by an Ikrahvarr family. The matriarchs fearmonger about a group of radicals spreading dissent among the Ikrahvarr. In truth they’re an alliance of whales from both cultures that believe that uniting together is the only way to survive. The twins, along with some Ikrahvarr allies, join this org, and find out the truth about their mother. It’s been baking in my head ever since middle school (in my 20s) and I’ve wanted to make something out of it. I figured maybe a novel but I don’t really enjoy writing prose anymore. Then maybe a comic, since I love doing those, but I figure it’d be real hard trying to differentiate all the orca characters, lol…

Finding this video came at the perfect time for me. I have been nursing a story about birds off and on for about ten years. I got discouraged and dropped it because I bullied myself into thinking it was stupid to care about xenofiction as an adult, that I needed to "figure my life out" and find a direction. Well... that hasn't happened and it isn't happening anytime soon, so I figure I can be directionless and write about birds at the same time. I'd say this channel lit a fire under me.

I've had the idea for a story based on Spotted Hyenas for a while now. They're one of my favourite animals and I feel like they aren't explored as much as they could be (aside from as the evil villains a lot of the time). One of my ideas that I like a lot is that they worship vultures, who take care of the body of the hyenas' loved ones and allow their souls to part from their body and reach the afterlife. Vultures are also seen as good omens, as their presence leads hyenas to food :) I find that a lot of animals can be so interesting if only you do a little bit of research! There's so many weird things animals do, it's fun to think about and to use as a basis for their culture! (and, of course, to tweak reality a bit. One of my hyenas semi-adopts a lion cub for a while :) )

I love your videos, and I haven't even started watching this one yet. But I highly suggest checking out the book series Wolves of the Beyond. Not the entire series, but the first one. There is something haunting about the lonely mythical sensation of the sprawling wolf-less world of the Western Beyond, inhabited only by bears, the great river, and spruce covered craggs.

When I think of good bird-focused xenofiction, I think of The Guardians of Ga'Hoole by Kathryn Lasky. I heard somewhere that the author originally intended to write a non-fiction book on owls, but somewhere along in her research, she decided to go full-fantasy. I'm not sure if it's true that she originally intended it to be non-fiction, but if it is, that is kinda funny. I mean, what non-fiction book doesn't tell you about the blacksmith owls that make weapons to cover talons with? Ok, on a serious note, you can tell Kathryn Lasky had done research on owls before writing The Guardians of Ga'Hoole, even though most of what she wrote is clearly fictionalized. Another good bird-related xenofiction novel is Wabi: A Hero's Tale by Joseph Bruchac (also about an owl). Granted, Wabi goes through a magic transformation at about the halfway point, but he was an owl for the better half of the novel. (Even after the magic transform, his human body is something he needs to get used to.) Granted, I agree there should be more bird-focused xenofiction, and maybe I'll write a novel about those Australian fire kites. 'Cause you've convinced me that needs to be done.

One of my favorite books about wolves is called 'Runt'. I really liked the naming system giving in the book, it was how the mother saw each pup would be useful to the pack.

I'm surprised that reptiles and/or amphibians aren't often considered as subjects for xenofiction... though I could see snakes, which have limited ability to hear, and thus their language being alien to human language, being an extremely difficult hurdle for most writers. But hey, I love snakes so maybe I'll give it a try. In a related vein, mongooses are very interesting animals as well...Rudyard Kipling's "Rikki Tikki Tavvi" was super influential to me at a young age and sparked my love of the animals (I even wanted one as a pet lol). And of course there's horses, though (aside from the obvious "Black Beauty") most of the horse books I've read are from a human's perspective, and few people seem to write good xenofiction about horses that isn't directed at very young children or middle schoolers, which is a shame since wild horses are social animals, usually nomadic or semi-nomadic, and their society and religion could be very unique since while they are a prey animal in the wild, they are much larger and reproduce more slowly than many other prey species. I will add the caveat to my comment that I haven't been into the xenofiction scene in a while, mostly due to a busy life and being unable to seriously read fiction for the last couple years, so if anyone has recommendations about any of these animals that I've missed or other newer books from the last couple years, feel free to let me know cause I'd definitely be interested!

This is an excellent video about worldbuilding in general, and could equally apply to science fiction and fantasy of any subgenre when dealing with non-human species. If I might add some points you didn't touch on, considering size, means of travel, and lifespan are also important. Again, to go back to Watership Down (this is how I found you, a mutual deep appreciation of this novel,) the trek from the Sandleford Warren to Watership Down, to a creature the size of a rabbit, is an epic quest through thousands of miles of uncharted wilderness. Birds would experience less of the "size effect," however, because flying is a much more direct method of travel and gives you a clearer view of the landscape (as Richard Adams contrasted to great effect with the character of Kehaar.) And to a creature who lives about nine years, generations are short and things therefore pass into myth more quickly. Human vehicles and cigarettes were part of the myths of El-Ahrairah, because to a rabbit, our lifetimes are unfathomable centuries; for them, encountering and having a connection with us is not unlike humans associating with Tolkienian elves, or a creature like Dracula. To them, vehicles and smoking were created eons ago. Also, I may just run away with your rabbit matriarchy. I can see parallels to a period of human history I find fascinating and have written in before, and I'm sure, based on your level of education, particularly in the area of religious study and history, you are well aware of it.

Did you ever read the Named series by Clare Bell? It's a really good series about a prehistoric big cat society and how one learns to use fire. They even made a (not very good) animated Saturday morning special of the first book.

Haven't heard the term xenofiction before until now, but I have read a book related to it. White Fang and listened to Raptor Red, but that's it. Maybe I'll make a book about Tyrannosaurus clans... that'd be cool. Thanks for introducing me to this new genre of fiction.

half way throught this video I realized I was actually working on a short Xenofiction story, even before I knew that was a thing. Altought mine could be call something like "robot xenofiction". Designed to serve humans in a time after humans, the robots still have traditions beyond their understanding hard wired into their code. Their society has a rigid structure acording to the task they ware build for. They even had rituals for a robot is broken beyond repair, their version of death. So far I actually don't have a plot for it, but I could just have an antology of short scenes exploring how their world would work.

Had to watch this video after watching your video on the Animals of FArthing Wood, which even inspired me to track down both a copy of the series collection DVD and copies of the books at an online library. Great stuff. Have you ever considered doing a video on a xenofiction series called "Duncton Wood", which is a very religious-themed xenofiction world centered around the trials and tribulations of a civilization of moles?

I carnally NEED someone to write a story about eusocial wasps😭😭 LIKE they have EVERYTHING for a great and interesting story: you wanna hard caste system with complicated hierarchy? Take yellow jackets or hornets! You like the idea, but want a more laid-back, chiller society? Take paper wasps, who don't have such convoluted social structures and are quite FREE to do whatever they wanna! They're excellent hunters, but only hunt for their young, while their primary diet is nectar and pollen (cute)! And the majority of wasps in hives are siblings, so familial dynamics are here too! Mythology aspect can be molded into SOO many ideas too. Let them tell stories about the colony's first Queen, heck, dynasties of Queens, about the first ever group of solitary wasps sticking together and forming their current societies. Maybe they'll have the Goddes of the Sun, deities of fertility, hive-building, flower gods, wind and rain gods etc. How do they view other insects, who are their beloathed neighbors? Sighhh i can go on and on about wasps...

This video was great! You mentioned it briefly in the end, but throughout the whole video I was thinking about animals that aren't with us any more, mammoths at first came to mind and I considered dinosaurs too. Though dinosaurs are cool, the fact they never lived with man makes them kind of hard to expand upon, that and the fragmentary nature of paleontology, it'd mostly be guesswork. Still, lots of interesting ideas!

I have a African wild dog story I’ve been mulling over that’s actually about a young wild dog having to grapple with being the only one in her family who can hear and understand other animals. This makes hunting not very fun for her and her siblings make fun of her for it. Cause as you said, being able to understand and empathize with your food is pretty messed up.

Wildebeest follow the rains as that means fertile lands. Maybe they worship a deity that leads them with storms. Crossing the river and avoiding crocodiles is a right of passage, and the first one to go in may be treated with some significance whether they live or die. Migration as a whole could be important to them as a religious act

I’m surprised that more people haven’t written proper xenofiction on domesticated animals other than dogs and cats. Imagine how interesting a sheep’s relationship with a sheepdog would be, especially when they speak the same language as wolves

Naturally I was building my own ideas as I followed along and amusingly you got remarkably close to what I was thinking when you gave your rat example lol.

Children of Time has a very well thought out animal language that is honestly incredible. Not really xenofiction, but still a phenomenal book. If you haven't read it give it a read!

Hello, i am *really* enjoying your Xenofiction videos, just so grateful to have found your channel! If You're in dire need of some NAX, i'd recommend checking out The Guardian Herd. not cuz it's so great or anything (but it's about a herd of pegasi and dang that's pretty cool) there is almost no content on TGH online T_T I'm simply curious how you would evaluate the series/single book. You are carrying this genre "fandom" so to speak, keep up the good work!

Have you heard of Serina? It’s a combination of both speculative evolution and quiet literally evolves into xenofiction. It follows the story of a world stocked solely with Canaries, fish, and the bugs they eat for several hundred million years.

Great video! I'm definitely going to have to use this for a resource. I'd like to get back to writing some xenofiction of my own and this is a pretty good guide. On another note, I was browsing the dealer's den at a local furry convention (Furrydelphia) and I saw Winter Without End. The cover reminded me of previous xenofiction novels I've read and the description on the back cover was pretty enticing. It wasn't until I started watching this video that I realized it was YOUR novel. Wow. I did a double take. I'm just two chapters in, but I'm having a blast with the book so far. If it weren't available at a convention, I might have missed it.

11:51 I love the idea that all animals can communicate with each other but choose not to so as to avoid making things awkward.

15:00 this reminds me a lot of how wolves are a common symbol for many aspects of humanity and rarely are they consistent. like wolves have represented everything: greed, hunger, lust, pride, rage, rebellion, community, cunning, authority, loyalty.

I think I might take that coyote idea and run with it. I've been fascinated by those little guys for such a long time.

I'd love to see you cover the Earth's Children series. It's a xenofic about an orphaned cromagnon girl being adopted by a family of neanderthals.