Non-human perspective

[paperlibrarian]

As children, we often read stories about where animals act, talk, and even dress like people. Are there many (any?) adult books that do this? What else would fall under the category of "Non-human perspective"? Robots?

Comments

[mabith]

Aren't Rita Mae Brown's mysteries from the cat's perspective?

A novel I read recently had a neat little bit (quite short in the grand scheme) from the perspective of a fly or gnat.

[paperlibrarian]

Oh, I think they are. Or maybe I'm thinking of Braun or whatever her name is? Or both?

[mabith]

According to The School Library Journal, "Braun's "The Cat Who" series comes close, but it doesn't give the in-depth look at animal conversations and sleuthing from the point of view that [Wish You Were Here by Brown] does."

Brown apparently has a new series that is either focused around or from the point of view of a dog now too. Animals only get mystery books, apparently. Amusing that the two main ones are both cats and written by Braun and Brown.

[paperlibrarian]

Someone should write a cat thriller.

[mahasin]

I like to pretend that Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep counts, I think technically it doesn't. I need to read more Asimov since I know some of his do that. Tad William's Tailchaser's Song, which is just a rip off of Watership Down.

[paperlibrarian]

Yeah, I'm not sure it does.

[cryptaknight]

Brian Jacques' Redwall books, I think? I remember shelving them under adult sci-fi/fantasy at Barnes & Noble.

I'm reading Warm Bodies right now, which is from the zombie's perspective.

There is also a series called Orcs, which is from the orcs' perspective. Goodreads says it's by Stan Nicholls.

[paperlibrarian]

Really? I've always found them in the J section of the library.

[cryptaknight]

Iirc, we had them doubled. There was a section for them in young readers, and a section in sci-fi/fantasy.

[paperlibrarian]

The librarian in me is twitching over that. :)

[katemacetak]

Tailchaser's Song is kind of like the grown up version of the Warriors cats series. (and just realized someone else already mentioned this.)
Hunter's Moon by Garry Kilworth is about foxes.

Isn't Watership Down actually for adults? I mean, there's some intense stuff in there.

Michael Crichton (yes, the guy who wrote Jurassic Park) had one from the pov of a raptor but I can't remember the title now.

Plenty of sci-fi books have alien perspectives, but I can't think of one where the narrator wasn't at least humanoid, even if they were technically another species.

[paperlibrarian]

I'd say the last book of Xenogensis by Octavia Butler may count. May.

[paperlibrarian]

Not sure if Watership Down is "for" adults. I've seen it shelved everywhere from J to Y to adult to classics.

[paperlibrarian]

Watership Down is for kids. It was told during a car trip with and for his kids.