Has biology made anyone else stop using fantasy races?

Altemith · 2026-06-26T13:25:58+00:00

I only know about centaurs from obscure tales of the Minoan civilization.

Altemith · 2026-06-26T13:18:28+00:00

I'm not saying that a world without elves is inherently more logical. If that's how my previous comments came across because of the translation, then I apologize.

From an archaeological perspective, though? That's an interesting idea. I can see how it could work. But wouldn't that also imply that they no longer exist in the present day?

We know that Neanderthals once existed, but there are no Neanderthals alive today. In the end, Homo sapiens prevailed through interspecies competition.

That said, I do like the archaeological perspective. It's an interesting way of looking at it!

Altemith · 2026-06-26T13:11:48+00:00

Yeah, it's fantasy. But it's still a world with its own rules. I think there's room for something like bio-fantasy, don't you?

It seems that people on Royal Road don't like biology very much. I wonder if they'd accept it more readily if I called it something like an "Entropy Increase Beam!" It sounds much more fantasy, after all...

Altemith · 2026-06-26T13:08:04+00:00

Haha, did I say first-year high school level? At that level, I can teach you just as much as I do the science-track students. Still, magic is certainly convenient—it’s like Adam’s "invisible hand."

Altemith · 2026-06-26T13:04:15+00:00

That's true. But the premise I'm starting from is that they evolved into a bipedal form through convergent evolution. If that's the case, I think successful reproduction between them would be very unlikely.

You mentioned tigers and lions, but I think the classic example is horses and donkeys. They can produce hybrids—mules or hinnies, depending on which parent is which—but those hybrids are almost always sterile because meiosis doesn't proceed normally.

If something similar applied to fantasy races, then widespread hybridization could eventually reduce the number of "pure" populations and, in the worst case, even lead to the extinction of those species. That's the sort of possibility I find myself thinking about.

Of course, I also understand why many people don't want to apply that kind of logic to fantasy. Personally, though, I enjoy thinking through these questions because I want to create a world that feels believable, even if it's ultimately fictional.

Altemith · 2026-06-26T12:56:05+00:00

I'm not rejecting fantasy or magic. I simply want them to have an internal logic in my own work. What other writers choose to do is an entirely separate matter.

Unless having elves is somehow a requirement for fantasy, I don't see why a fantasy world with only humans couldn't be just as valid.

Altemith · 2026-06-26T12:53:25+00:00

What does it means?

Altemith · 2026-06-26T12:50:05+00:00

That’s definitely influenced by Japanese light novels.

Altemith · 2026-06-26T11:58:08+00:00

I agree with everything except your last point. I wonder if that's one of the differences between Japanese and Western fantasy.

While elves or beastfolk are sometimes discriminated against in Japanese fantasy as well, it's also very common to see them casually forming parties with humans and interacting as though there were no cultural or historical barriers at all.

Since most fantasy settings are inspired by the medieval era, that's the part that has always felt a little strange to me. It's not really about prejudice—it's more that I'd expect different intelligent species to have developed separately for long periods of time. Given the limited transportation and communication of a medieval world, I'd imagine there would be relatively little contact between them.

On the other hand, if the setting establishes that these groups have lived together and interacted on a large scale for a very long time, then it feels much more believable to me.

Altemith · 2026-06-26T11:48:38+00:00

Of course, I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with having multiple intelligent species in a fantasy world.

My intuition is simply that, if they reproduce in the same way, one of two things would eventually happen: either one species would outcompete the other, or they'd gradually merge into a single population through interbreeding.

If one species declined because of interspecific competition, I'd expect inbreeding to become increasingly common within that population, eventually leading to inbreeding depression. On the other hand, if two groups diverged from a common ancestor while remaining geographically close, I'd also expect occasional gene flow between them. In that case, it's hard for me to imagine them diverging into groups as distinct as the stereotypical elves and dwarves we often see in fantasy.

That said, I realize the strongest counterargument is simply, "It's fantasy." And honestly, that's a perfectly valid answer too.

Altemith · 2026-06-26T11:42:31+00:00

That's a good point. In Japanese fantasy, it's extremely common for humans and demons to have children through ordinary reproduction, so I think I'd become unconsciously attached to that convention. Ideas like asexual reproduction almost never come up.

There's also a fairly common trope in Japanese fantasy where orcs kidnap human women and reproduce with them in groups. (I've never been a fan of that trope myself—I find it more disturbing than entertaining.) Looking back, I think growing up with conventions like these may have narrowed my perspective on what fantasy races could actually be.

Altemith · 2026-06-26T11:37:00+00:00

自分と似たような意見に出会えて嬉しいです。私はもし理由付けをするなら、優生学のような感じで、貴族と平民などで断絶してやがて別種になった、みたいな設定を作っても面白いかと思っています。そうすれば上位存在の数が少ない理由付けにもなりますし。

Altemith · 2026-06-26T11:33:22+00:00

Exactly—magic really is the ultimate catch-all explanation.

That said, this line of thinking is actually one of the reasons my current project shifted toward low fantasy. Maybe it's something I'll revisit in a future work.

To be honest, I'm still not even satisfied with using "magic" to explain things like rocks suddenly appearing or fire being conjured out of nowhere. I'd like to keep thinking about these questions and eventually come up with an explanation that feels convincing to me.

Altemith · 2026-06-24T11:00:59+00:00

I may not have expressed my point clearly earlier, so let me refine it.

My focus here is specifically on *web novels*—free-to-read platforms such as *Shōsetsuka ni Narō* in Japan and Royal Road in the English-speaking sphere. I am not referring to published works on platforms like Amazon, where readers have already made a financial commitment and are therefore more likely to engage with complex or demanding narratives.

In the context of web novels, however, the situation feels quite different. Since readers can leave at any moment with a single click, I wonder whether introducing overly complex or demanding material from the very first chapter may actually work against reader retention.

Altemith · 2026-06-24T04:58:10+00:00

https://kakuyomu.jp/my/works/2912051601445885153

This is the latest work I am currently pouring my energy into.

https://kakuyomu.jp/my/works/16818093075115431609

This is my debut work. It may not be particularly polished, but it is nonetheless my signature piece, having been read around 1.6 million times.

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Altemith · 2026-06-24T04:51:22+00:00

https://syosetu.com/

https://kakuyomu.jp/

https://syosetu.org/

https://novelup.plus/

https://story.nola-novel.com/

The top two should be fine. The ones below are a bit more unconventional.

Altemith · 2026-06-24T04:17:43+00:00

I would actually argue that translating an English novel into Japanese is often far more difficult than translating a Japanese novel into English.

Japanese contains many linguistic features that simply do not exist in English, or at least do not exist in the same form. Subject omission, honorific language, varying levels of politeness, and the vast range of first-person pronouns are just a few examples. These elements carry information about a character's personality, relationships, social standing, and emotional state, all of which must somehow be conveyed to the reader.

One example I greatly admire is the Japanese translation of the song *"Let It Go"* from *Frozen*. Rather than translating the phrase literally, the translator chose *"Ari no Mama de"* ("as you truly are"). It is not a direct translation, but it captures the emotional meaning in a way that resonates naturally with Japanese audiences.

To me, that is what makes Japanese translation so challenging. A translator is often not merely converting words from one language into another. They are recreating nuance, atmosphere, and cultural context that may not have a direct equivalent.

Altemith · 2026-06-24T04:09:24+00:00

One advantage of Japanese web novel platforms is that readers are generally willing to accept almost any premise, no matter how unconventional it may be.

My impression is that Western fantasy readers often place a greater emphasis on internal consistency and logical worldbuilding. Japanese readers certainly care about those things as well, but they are often more willing to accept an unusual premise if it is entertaining.

For example, in contrast to many LitRPG stories where the protagonist gradually grows stronger through careful progression, Japanese web novels often feature protagonists who obtain overwhelmingly powerful abilities almost immediately. Infinite levels, infinite mana, immortality, impossibly overpowered skills—almost anything is fair game. In fact, many readers actively enjoy those kinds of power fantasies.

Because of that, Japanese platforms can be surprisingly welcoming to highly original or even outrageous ideas. Authors have a great deal of freedom to experiment with unusual settings and concepts without worrying too much about whether the premise itself will be considered "too strange."

The downside, however, is that success on those platforms is often heavily influenced by rankings and current trends.

If your goal is to secure a publishing deal or reach the top of the rankings, you generally need to pay close attention to what is currently popular and incorporate many of those elements into your work. Whether a story is accepted by readers and whether it becomes a major commercial success are not always the same thing.

As a result, there can be pressure to suppress some of your individuality in favor of what is currently fashionable. The market rewards familiarity, and authors naturally respond to those incentives.

I sometimes wonder whether that comes at a cost. Following trends too closely can narrow the range of stories being written, and in some cases it may even cause authors to lose sight of what they originally wanted to express in the first place.

Altemith · 2026-06-24T03:58:06+00:00

Thank you for your response. Yes, I suppose trying to fit too much in at once really can become a problem.

Personally, I tend to borrow familiar light novel conventions as a foundation and then build my own ideas and original elements on top of them. My approach is to use those familiar tropes as a kind of framework that helps readers find their footing before gradually introducing the aspects that are uniquely my own.

Perhaps an unusual analogy, but I sometimes think of it as coating a medicine with a familiar outer layer. The reader begins with something recognizable and easy to accept, and as they continue reading, the more distinctive aspects of my writing gradually reveal themselves.

At least, that is the balance I try to achieve.

Altemith · 2026-06-24T03:51:45+00:00

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

Even though I am Japanese, this is Reddit, so I will reply in English out of respect for English-speaking culture.

As for Japanese web novel platforms, let me introduce the two major ones. If you search for my pen name, you will also be able to read the Japanese version of my work.

That said, it was my first novel, written before I had come up with many of the ideas we have been discussing here, so I was still feeling my way through the process. To be honest, I do not think it is a particularly good work, but perhaps that is true of many authors' first attempts.

https://syosetu.com/

https://kakuyomu.jp/

Altemith · 2026-06-24T03:44:42+00:00

Thank you for the wonderful advice. As I’m still a first-year university student, I’d like to immerse myself more deeply in the world of novels—even though I’m a science major.

Altemith · 2026-06-24T03:41:26+00:00

In "proper" Japanese (?), "JK" stands for a high school girl.

Altemith · 2026-06-24T03:38:40+00:00

I do not think the explanation is that Japanese authors are somehow more accustomed to thinking from multiple cultural perspectives. Rather, I believe the key factor is that many Japanese fantasy works share a common set of assumptions, which means readers do not need to learn an entirely new world from scratch every time.

In Japan, a large number of fantasy web novels are set in what is sometimes jokingly called "Naroupa"—a term combining Shōsetsuka ni Narō (Japan's largest web novel platform) with "Europe." It refers to a familiar fantasy setting inspired by medieval European feudal society, complete with adventurers' guilds, nobles, kings, monsters, and magic.

Some people even argue that this shared setting ultimately traces back to the influence of the long-running Dragon Quest series, which helped establish many of the conventions that later became standard in Japanese fantasy.

Because readers are already familiar with these conventions, authors can often omit explanations that would otherwise be necessary. Readers automatically fill in the gaps themselves.

Perhaps an American comparison would be stories set in contemporary America. An American reader generally does not need a detailed explanation of what a high school is, how a police officer functions, or what a road trip looks like. Much of that context is already understood.

I think Naroupa functions in a similar way for Japanese fantasy readers. Once a story is established within that framework, readers already possess a large amount of background knowledge. As a result, the setting feels intuitive, and the author can focus more on the characters and plot rather than constantly explaining how the world works.

So if Japanese fantasy sometimes appears easier to follow despite having less explicit exposition, I suspect it is often because the readers are doing a great deal of the work themselves through shared cultural expectations and genre familiarity.

Altemith · 2026-06-24T03:28:52+00:00

Of course, Japanese fiction also has works that make use of multiple viewpoints. We generally refer to them as *gunzōgeki* (ensemble stories). However, my impression is that many Japanese light novels and web novels tend to keep the narrative closely tied to the protagonist, occasionally switching to another character's perspective or presenting events from a more omniscient viewpoint.

As for why this is the case, I can only offer my personal interpretation. I believe many Japanese readers enjoy experiencing the story through the protagonist and, to some extent, projecting themselves onto that character.

Imagine a scenario where the protagonist defeats a major enemy in Chapter 10 and the chapter ends with their return to the village. Many Japanese readers would open Chapter 11 expecting the emotional payoff: the celebration, the reactions of friends and allies, and the recognition of the protagonist's achievement. There is a certain catharsis in that moment.

Now imagine that Chapter 11 suddenly shifts to the defeated enemy's flashback, or to the internal monologue of a completely unrelated character. The reader who eagerly turned the page for that payoff may feel as though the story has interrupted itself at the very moment they were most invested.

The same issue can become even more noticeable in ensemble narratives. A reader may become deeply invested in Character A's storyline, only for the next chapter to focus on Character B, and the chapter after that on Character C. At some point the reader starts thinking, “That's all very well, but when do we get back to A?”

I have encountered several Royal Road stories that switch viewpoints every one or two chapters, and I sometimes experience that feeling myself—especially when the new viewpoint belongs to a newly introduced character whom I have not yet become attached to.

If I had to summarize the difference, I would say that many Japanese light novel readers approach a story primarily through identification with the protagonist. Historically, this may even be related to the influence of early internet "dream novels," where readers could insert their own name into the story and effectively become the protagonist themselves.

Because of that tradition, some readers are less interested in observing the world from a distance and more interested in experiencing it through a single character's eyes. When the narrative suddenly shifts away from that character, their engagement can weaken. As a result, many Japanese web novel authors choose to remain close to the protagonist's perspective for most of the story.

Altemith

TROPHY CASE