Anthrofiction Defined
One cannot really promote anthrofiction, especially as a serious genre of fiction, without a definition. After much thought, I’ve come up with the following:
anthrofiction
an·thro·fic·tion [ànthrə fíkshən] noun
Anthrofiction is a genre of fiction in which at least one important character is anthropomorphic. The essence of anthrofiction is the characters—what it’s like to be nonhuman and how that intersects with the experience of the reader. A reader reads anthrofiction to feel what it is to be that character and that species. With essential anthrofiction, if you were to rewrite the story so the anthropomorphic characters were human, or even a different species—the story would fail.
I do two things with this definition: Give a basic definition, which sometimes intersects with other genres of fiction. And narrow the definition to try to differentiate it from other genres that often contain anthropomorphic characters.
Anthropomorphic Characters
Perhaps it would help to define anthropomorphic. The 2001 Encarta World Dictionary says:
anthropomorphic
an·thro·po·mor·phic [ànthrəpə máwr fìk] noun
Attribution of human characteristics to nonhumans. The attribution of a human form, human characteristics, or human behavior to nonhuman things such as deities in mythology and animals in children’s stories.
Any nonhuman character who speaks, lives like a human, or has human traits such as jealousy or greed, qualifies. By this definition there are many genres of fiction with anthropomorphic characters, or anthros. Science fiction often features aliens and robots; fantasy has all manner of nonhuman races and magical creatures; horror features werewolves, vampires, and ghosts; and of course children’s literature is full of talking animals.
How Anthrofiction is Different
To understand how anthrofiction is different from other genres of fiction, we need to define some of these other genres. This depends on the answers to two fundamental questions: What is a story? And, why do people read stories?
Story and Motivation
A story, at least an entertaining story, is about a character with a problem. The problem and the eventual resolution of that problem is the central element of the story. Who the character is, what their problem is, and how the problem is eventually resolved is a large part of how we define a particular genre.
Readers read stories for the emotional experience. And a superior story delivers a superior emotional experience. What sort of superior emotional experience depends on the genre of the story.
Given that Sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and kid-lit often have anthropomorphic characters, if we can discover what sorts of problems and resolutions these genres feature, and what sorts of emotional experiences readers desire in these genres, we can define them. And in defining them we can get a handle on defining anthrofiction.
What Makes a Genre, a Few Examples
Science Fiction: The central problem and/or the resolution of that problem is about science. The sci-fi reader wants to be transported to another time (typically, the future) or another place, and wants to feel that the science that makes it all possible is real. With essential sci-fi, if you remove the science, the story fails.
Fantasy: The central problem and/or the resolution of that problem is about magic and magical creatures. The fantasy reader wants to be transported to another time (typically, the past) or place and wants to believe that the fae (magical creatures) and magic are real. With essential fantasy, if you remove the magic, the story fails.
Horror: The central problem and/or the resolution of that problem is about the intersection between the supernatural world and the real world. The horror reader wants to feel helpless in the face of the supernatural, or they want to feel a part of that supernatural power. With essential horror, if you remove the supernatural, the story fails.
Children’s Literature: The central problem and/or the resolution of that problem is typically to teach life’s lessons. Often an important lesson is that other people may look different from us, but inside they are the same. Talking animals work for the young because a book about a family of bears is more universal than a book featuring a particular race of humans. The kid-lit reader (or kid being read to) wants to know that in the face of uncertainty they can find safety and familiarity.
Anthrofiction: The central problem and/or the resolution of that problem will hinge upon the characters. Their differences and similarities to humans should be a major force in the story. The anthrofiction reader wants to know what it feels like to have a nonhuman friend, business partner, or lover—or even what it feels like to be nonhuman. With essential anthrofiction, if you change the anthropomorphic characters into humans, the story fails.
How this Relates to the Contest
Characterization is a skill that comes with experience. As long as you understand and use basic sentence structure and paragraphs, and include one or more anthropomorphic characters in an important role, your story has a good chance of being accepted for the contest.
One of the criteria I and several of the regulars use when judging the stories is the sophistication of the characterization—especially your anthropomorphic characters. So do some research, understand the natural state of your characters’ species, then design your characters and the society they live in. Make us believe your characters are real and you will produce a more satisfying story.
Document History
2006-Nov-26 – First publication.