A worldbuilding resource for speculative fiction writers of any kind, with a focus on fantasy fiction. Read the articles below to learn more about various zoology topics and how they can be used in creature design!
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Let’s Make a Gryphon
For a while now, we’ve been discussing how various scientific principles tie into things like anatomy and ecology. And unless you’re new here, you’ve probably seen me throwing out suggestions for how to tie those topics into some of the classic fantastical beasts. I think by this point, we’ve discussed enough basics that we can…
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Massive Monsters and How to Sustain Them
Fantasy creatures come in all shapes. Some are basically existing animals but with special traits or abilities. Others are chimeric, with two or more species smashed together wholesale. And still others are completely bizarre monstrosities. They can be fishlike, insectoid, reptilian, mammalian, you name it. Many are very much like humans. But some fantastical traits…
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Breathing Fire and Other “Elemental” Powers
Of all the classic fantasy monsters out there, the mighty dragon is easily the most pervasive. What’s not to love about a good old giant reptile? Especially one that, among other common traits like flight and a penchant for great wisdom and magic, is capable of breathing fire? Not that all dragons have those qualities,…
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Hybrid Monsters: Chimeras in Taxonomy
In the days before evolutionary theory and modern taxonomy, people were already describing species and their relationships. This helped with identifying and grouping useful or dangerous plants and animals. Early taxonomy was largely focused on broad observations. Scholars often placed species into groups like trees, fish and even invertebrates. But these scholars were still figuring…
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I Wrote a Book!
Announcement time! I have put my money where my mouth is, so to speak, and published a fantasy book. Wyrm: A Story of the Hoizonlands is now available in paperback or ebook format on Amazon. This book is a short novelette, making it a quick read. True to its subtitle, it’s also just the first…
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The Square-Cube Law and Giant Fliers: Part Two
In the last post, we learned a little bit about the square-cube law and how it influences flight mechanics. To recap, the bigger animals get, the harder it is to fly because the effect of weight increases faster than the effect of lift. This makes things tricky for “giant fliers.” Airplanes can overcome the issue…