Hi there.
I'm currently looking for talking animal books / animal fiction / xenofiction / whatever you call those animal-focused books. The difference? I'm looking for books shelved in teen/adult, preferably adult (not juvenile).
I've read Watership Down and Plague Dogs by Richard Adams, Survivors and Seekers by Erin Hunter, Guardians of Ga'Hoole by Katherine Lasky, A Wolf Called Wander and Pax by authors I forgot, and probably a few more.
In other words, books from the perspective of an animal with little to no human involvement. They can exist, but I want to see the world through the animals' eyes and how they react to everything, how they survive, what they believe, etc.
I'm specifying teen/adult because I want to try and read about animals from a more adult perspective. The most adult series I've read was the aforementioned Survivors by Erin Hunter, which is only a juvenile book. Something with more adult themes or darker topics, violence (but not constant meaningless bloodshed), or heck, even mating sequences are what I'm eyeing.
Any good suggestions? I've searched a bit but it seems there aren't a lot of talking animal books for an older demographic. Perhaps I'm not looking in the right spots, so I came here.
Thanks!
~wolfburrito95
by wolfburrito95
8 Comments
Open Throat by Henry Hoke
“Three Bags Full” (sheep as detectives, trying to find out who killed their shepherd in the first book) by Leonie Swann
Hollow Kingdom and its sequel by Kira Jane Buxton. That’s my number one recommendation.
A Cat’s Guide to Bonding with Dragons by Chris Behrsin (wasn’t my thing, but probably decent if you like fantasy)
I’ve heard good things about Pod by Laline Paull, but haven’t read it.
There’s kind of a whole genre of Japanese translated cat books. My favorite is The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa, though there’s more human involvement then the other books on this list.
*The Builders* by Daniel Polanksy!!!!!!
Call of the wild and white fang,
Raptor red,
The traveling cat Chronicles
Remarkably Bright Creatures. There’s a large human focus in this book but portions of it are written from the perspective of an octopus living in an aquarium, and the way the octopus’ feelings and perspectives are conveyed is just so unique and a must for if you are studying how to write anthropomorphic animals.
Shady Hollow by Juneau Black
Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch. May have been my favorite book of 2024