WikiFur - User contributions [en]

Anthrolations

2008-08-19T03:47:29Z

Kris Schnee: Anthrolations is being canceled.

'''''Anthrolations: The Magazine of Anthropomorphic Dramatic Fiction''''' was a periodic publication in magazine form by [[Sofawolf Press]] dedicated to high-quality furry fiction. Art was secondary to the fiction, often serving only as illustrations, though comics also featured.

*'''Addresses''':
**'''Catalog''': http://www.sofawolf.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=21
**'''Submission information ''': http://www.sofawolf.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27

It was originally published semiannually in January and July, beginning with #1, January 2000; however, publication became sporadic after the first two years due to a lack of stories considered of high-enough quality. There was a three-year gap between #7, July 2003, and #8, November 2006; the latter won the [[Ursa Major Awards#2006|2006 Ursa Major Award]] for ''Best Anthropomorphic Fanzine''. Anthrolations was revived in 2007 for consideration of new stories, but the re-launch was canceled in 2008.

== See also ==
*[[Heat]], a sister publication of Anthrolations which focuses on more erotic themes.

[[Category:Publications]]
[[Category:Fanzines]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]

Lapism

2008-08-04T04:12:17Z

Kris Schnee: /* Bibilography */ Added "Prodigal Son"; minor cleanup.

[[Image:AdventuresInWonderlandRabbit-Tenniel.jpg|right|A convert to Lapism?]]
'''Lapism''' is a belief system created in the stories of [[Phil Geusz]]. It is described as a [[Wikipedia:Religion|religion]] followed by a small but growing number of people on twenty-first century Earth. The most obvious feature of Lapists is that many of them have undergone a physical [[transformation]] through [[genetic engineering]] to resemble [[anthropomorphic]] [[rabbit]]s.

==Origins==
Within the context of the stories, Lapism was founded in the twenty-first century by [[Dr. Thomas Aaron]], a master "gengineer" ([[Wikipedia:Genetic engineering|genetic engineer]]) who underwent radical alteration to become an anthropomorphic rabbit. He had multiple motives: to regenerate his ailing body, to use a masterpiece body design that would otherwise have been wasted, and to help himself become a better person through emulating rabbits' reputation for peace and kindness. He found that the transformation had a profound effect on him, and ultimately published a document known as the Book of Peace describing his moral insights.

Aaron changed his name to "Sweetgrass" and soon attracted several dozen "converts" to a rabbit form. The United States outlawed animal-based gengineering, but after a prolonged legal battle, the Supreme Court granted an exception for Lapists as a "legitimate religion" with a legally protected rite.

The movement continued to grow, becoming a small but prominent group through the end of the current stories' timeline.

==Beliefs and practices==
Lapists study the [[Book of Peace]] as a scripture, and hold regular Discussion Times, typically on Sundays and Wednesdays. These events are nominally for Book study, but in reality believers use them to share social interaction and discuss personal and community issues.

Lapists take new names to go with their new bodies. All of these new names adhere to the general pattern "<nowiki>[Specific plant] [Performer of specific activity]</nowiki> Rabbit". The tradition began with Aaron, who rechristened himself "Sweetgrass Bloomsniffer Rabbit," a name chosen spontaneously by a little girl. Other Lapist names include "Bluegrass Spelunker Rabbit", "Popcorn Scribbler Rabbit" and so on.

Lapists are portrayed as being anthropomorphic rabbits, because of their main ritual: an elaborate physical transformation called the ''Change''. Early Lapist characters joined the movement as adults, but as new generations were born, the children were changed at a young age. Far from merely cosmetic, the standard transformation process alters a person's [[Wikipedia:DNA|DNA]] with rabbit-based genes. Because of the altered body -- large [[feet]], mobile [[ear]]s, and [[tail]] -- the brain itself must be changed somewhat to accommodate it. A very small percentage of the population is incapable of safely undergoing this procedure, or similar regenerative therapies, due to biochemical problems.

Lapists believe that the Change serves two overlapping purposes. One is that the changes in brain structure and chemistry alter behavior directly, making the person more peaceful and friendly. The subtler aspect is social reinforcement. As the believer commits to appearing in public with a rabbit-like appearance as a religious practice, something possible even before any transformation, others react to them as a representative of the religion. The believer feels a duty to be on their best behavior and to live up to the group's positive stereotype. The fact that outsiders think "rabbit" reinforces that stereotype and peer pressure; e.g. Lapists are vulnerable to spontaneous juvenile adhesion ([[hug]]ging).

Not all Lapists have undergone the Change. A novice member wears imitation rabbit ears and tail in public as a means of preparing themselves. The relative importance of the physical rabbit-form and a person's actual beliefs and behavior is a major theme of the Lapist stories. Several protagonists question whether they "have a Rabbit in them," meaning whether they live up to the ideal regardless of their physical form. Aaron/Sweetgrass wrote much of the Book of Peace before his transformation, based on insights gained from other, traumatic experiences. The interplay is summed up by one character:

:''We're no better inside than the next man, despite the fact that we do turn the natural aggression knob down a few clicks as part of the Change. But, in the end, I think that what is important is the fact that we are trying to be something more, trying to achieve higher goals. That, far more than the fur and funny teeth, is what sets us apart from everyone else.'' - Digger, ''[[Full Immersion]]''

The Lapist Church is known to have at least one physical place of worship; a converted Christian church renamed the Oaktree Temple. The Church possesses a gengineering clinic that performs the conversion procedure, which can also be done elsewhere. Its other assets are unknown, but it probably has considerable funds from Aaron/Sweetgrass' numerous [[Wikipedia:Patent|patents]].

==Comparisons==
Geusz has described Lapism as "an entirely new kind of religion," yet it has roots in, and similarities to, existing belief systems. Lapist teachings do not specifically mention any gods or appeal to revealed knowledge, making Lapism similar to some religions, such as [[Wikipedia:Confucianism|Confucianism]], that are sometimes called "philosophy" rather than "religion." The definition of religion is fuzzy enough that Lapism could be considered as either, and even Lapist characters disagree on the question. The Book of Peace is described as Lapism's "bible" and is the topic of extensive study as with Christianity's [[Wikipedia:New Testament|New Testament]]. Church members argue about whether its moral positions should be taken literally, or questioned and reinterpreted. As with [[Wikipedia:Islam|Islam]] and the [[Wikipedia:Quaker|Quaker denomination]] of Christianity, there seem to be influential Church members but no official clergy. Lapists have no obvious idols, as with [[Christians]], and seem to avoid formally worded prayers, as with [[Wikipedia:Mormonism|Mormonism]]. <ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/mormon/worship/prayer.shtml Mormonism] from the BBC</ref> As with religion in general, Lapists maintain a community of believers and identify themselves by appearance and ritual.

Lapist ethics emphasize kindness and peace (as with the Quaker [[Wikipedia:Quaker#The_Peace_Testimony|Testimony of Peace]]) but do not reject violence when necessary, judging from the design decisions made for the original anthro-rabbit template. The lack of alleged divine revelation or a racial aspect sets it apart from most existing religions. The group's founder is revered as a leader, but unlike many religious prophets is not said to be divinely inspired. The fact that the Lapist body template involves improved senses and altered diet ties the movement in with [[Wikipedia:Transhumanism|Transhumanism]], the belief that technology can help people to surpass human limitations. One character suggests that Lapism hearkens back to ancient totemic faiths as well as embracing Transhumanism.

The Book of Peace explicitly rejects proselytization, on the grounds that the decision to convert must come from the individual, but almost immediately after Aaron/Sweetgrass' death Church leaders questioned how strictly this doctrine should be kept. The eventual decision, to the extent that the issue was settled, was that the Church would welcome media attention but avoid outright advertising, letting members' presence in the community serve as a recruitment tool.

==In context==
The overall setting of the Lapist stories is twenty-first century America. Its exact future history is not described in much detail, but includes the development of advanced gengineering technology and is not clearly utopian or dystopian. A noteworthy event that takes place early in the series is the schism of the Catholic Church into its Roman branch and a new American branch, which struggles to reconcile its faith with independence from the Vatican hierarchy.

==The unknown==
Some aspects of Lapism remain yet unknown through the stories. The legal battle over gengineering and the initial gathering of converts are not thoroughly described, and of Book of Peace itself only a few snippets are quoted by characters. The exact content of the Book is left to the reader's imagination, as is the setting's future.

==Bibilography==
Each Lapism story focuses on different aspects of the lives of individual believers and the people around them. These are the existing stories in the order written, with a mostly spoiler-free synopsis of each:

* '''[[Drama Class]]''': Two brothers deal with depression, suicide and gang violence. (published in ''[[Anthro]]'' <ref>[http://anthrozine.com/stry/drama.class.html Drama Class] from ''Anthro''</ref>)
* '''[[Intermission]]''': Described by Geusz as involving "a half-changed movie critic who's lost his wife and his reasons for living, and who goes home to find his roots." (Not publicly released.)
* '''[[Schism]]''': The young movement faces a severe crisis after its founder's death. (Published in ''[[TSAT]]'' <ref>[http://tsat.transform.to/stories/schism.html Schism] from ''TSAT''</ref>.)
* '''[[Full Immersion]]''': A boy questions his faith while facing poverty, and danger, at a family-owned cave. (Published in ''Anthro'' <ref>''[http://anthrozine.com/stry/full.immersion.html Full Immersion]'' from ''Anthro''</ref>.)
* '''[[In the Beginning]]''': An expert gengineer creates the most heavily transformed human design yet, while battling despair and addiction. (Published in ''Anthro'' <ref>''[http://anthrozine.com/stry/in.the.beginning.html In the Beginning]'' from ''Anthro''</ref>.)
* '''[[Prodigal Son]]''': A news producer covers a Lapist gathering that puts him in company with his estranged, troubled son. (Published in ''Anthro'' <ref>''[http://anthrozine.com/stry/prodigal.son.html Prodigal Son]'' from ''Anthro''</ref>.)

The chronological sequence, based on in-story events and Geusz' comments, is "In the Beginning" (Book of Peace unwritten) followed by "Schism" (Digger as toddler), "Drama Class," (Digger as teenager), "Full Immersion" (Digger as young adult), and "Prodigal Son" (Digger as young adult in contact with Bluegrass).

Geusz' "Freedom City" novel series also involves gengineered rabbit-folk. As the two continuities (FC and Lapism) have very little else in common, however, they should not be regarded as co-existing within any larger setting/world.

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Spirituality]]
[[Category:Religion]]
{{featured article}}

Anthrolations

2007-03-14T22:16:41Z

Kris Schnee: Anthrolations is now open for submissions.

'''''Anthrolations: The Magazine of Anthropomorphic Dramatic Fiction''''' is a periodic publication in magazine form by [[Sofawolf Press]] dedicated to high-quality furry fiction. Art is secondary to the fiction, often serving only as illustrations, though comics also feature.

*'''Addresses''':
**'''Catalog''': http://www.sofawolf.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=21
**'''Submission information ''': http://www.sofawolf.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27

It was originally published semiannually in January and July, beginning with #1, January 2000; however, publication became sporadic after the first two years due to a lack of stories considered of high-enough quality. There was a three-year gap between #7, July 2003, and #8, November 2006.

Anthrolations was revived in 2007 and is currently accepting submissions. Sofawolf Press plans a new issue's release in late 2007.

Editor: Kris Schnee.

== See also ==
*[[Heat]], a sister publication of Anthrolations which focuses on more erotic themes.

[[Category:Publications]]
[[Category:Fanzines]]

Talk:Transformation

2007-02-23T09:39:56Z

Kris Schnee: Why section was deleted.

Of course that assumes there is such a thing as a
"fandom"
From what I've heard the transformation community has
fragmented into much smaller pieces.

So what we have are a
a)a small group of academics who have been at it for a Very very long time( about 2 centuries or so)
or
b) several small groups who have been around 10-15 years tops [[User:209.29.165.111|209.29.165.111]]

Molecular biology? WTF?

This is NOT what Transformation means in the fandom. [[User:MelSkunk|MelSkunk]] 14:04, 19 Aug 2005 (UTC)

Just added a few things to the main article. It's naturally open to change. I just wanted to see more info on it.

== Transformation in academia ==

''Moving this here from my talk page'' --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]<sup>([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])</sup> 20:42, 10 May 2006 (UTC)

----
This is the "credentials" for TF in Mainstream
Society.Its just a small slice but shows how
the Ivory Tower crowd view Transformation
"Snake-maiden Transformation Narratives
in Hagiography and Folklore

By Karen Smith

The medieval versions of Margaret of Antioch’s life are significant texts in the
literatures of several medieval European languages. They have been interpreted
in terms of the theological and psychological meaning they had for their
readers, many of whom were women engaging in various forms of religious
practice, both in and out of convents. These interpretations, both literary and
historical, have not taken account of the influence of oral tradition and popular
belief in the development of the Margaret narratives1.
While hagiographic convention casts the life of Saint Margaret of Antioch in
the mold of virgin martyrs who suffer to keep their faith, there are deeper narrative
structures in this dragon-fighting virgin martyr tale that link it to a wider
folktale tradition. In the St. Margaret narratives, the saint (a pearl-like, pure
young daughter of nobility) is cast into a dungeon by a powerful and villainous
suitor, then swallowed by a dragon from whose jaws she escapes unharmed. She
then wrestles the dragon’s devil-brother to the ground, and finally after a series
of further tortures wins eternal salvation by being beheaded for her faith2. The
snake-maiden tales, with their themes of the serpent’s kiss, hidden treasure, and
white-woman seeking mortal marriage, present the snake-maiden as belonging
to the supernatural/divine realm. They comprise an important European folk
narrative tradition in their own right, but do not have explicitly religious content
in the sense that the hagiography does3. The motifs of serpent/maiden

(1 For a bibliography and a historical review of the Margaret narratives see Smith, K. P.:
Transforming Virgins: Margaret of Antioch, Snake Maidens and Medieval Mentalities.
Ph .D. dis s., Berkeley,Graduate Theological Union , 2000.
2 The version of the Margaret legend included by Jacobus de Voragine in the 13th century
Legenda aurea, along with many medieval vernacular versions based more or
less on the same 10th century Latin sources Jacobus used, has been carefully and
comprehensively studied, compared, and analyzed (mainly as medieval literature and
as ecclesiastical hagiography). For commentary on the English versions of the narrative
see Wolpers, T.: Die englische Heiligenlegende des Mittelalters: Eine Formgeschichte
des Legendenerzählens von der spätantiken lateinischen Tradition bis zur
Mitte des 16. Jahrhunderts. Tübingen 1964. For the French see Keller, H. E. (ed.):
Wace: La Vie de sainte Marguerite. Tübingen 1990. For analysis of German vernacular
versions see Van den Andel, G.G.: Die Margaretalegende in ihren mittelalterlichen
Versionen: eine vergleichende Studie. Groningen/Batavia 1933.
3 For a study of the snake-maiden’s history in German literature and oral tradition see
Frank, E.: Der Schlangenkuß: Die Geschichte eines Erlösungsmotivs in deutscher
Volksdichtung. Leipzig 1928.)

Fabula 43. Band (2002) Heft 3/4
252 Karen Smith)

transformation (Mot. F 562.1: Serpent damsel)4, and redemptive kisses, as well
as plot sequences of “high-born women, seeking to be set free, who turn into
serpents” are characteristic of the lives of St. Margaret5. Using the snakemaiden
tales as intertexts to the medieval St. Margaret lives, I will argue that
Margaret can be seen as a divine snake-maiden and that this identity helps explain
the enduring popularity of her biography6.
The snake-maiden legends
The snake-maiden narratives occur in memorates, legends, and ballads of
northern and western Europe, including Ireland and the British Isles7. Except
for Emma Frank’s 1928 history of the serpent-kiss theme in German literature,
these narratives have not been studied much as a group8. The gist of Frank’s

(4 This and the following parenthetical designations specify motif categories from
Thompson, S.: Motif-Index of Folk Literature 1–6. Bloomington 1955–58.
5 See Kühnau, R.: Schlesische Sagen. Leipzig 1910, 236. Particularly striking in this regard
are the snake-maiden local legends popular throughout Central and Northern
Europe; see Brüder Grimm: Deutsche Sagen. ed. H. Rölleke. Berlin 1994, 46–48 (no.
13: Die Schlangen-Jungfrau); also ibid., 46 (no. 12: Die Schloß-Jungfrau). She is
known by other names (e.g., die weiße Frau, die Schlangenkönigin, or die Schlüsseljungfrau)
in versions collected in the 19th and 20th centuries; see Jegerlehner, J.: Sagen
aus dem Unterwallis. Basel 1909; Kapff, R.: Schwäbische Sagen. Jena 1926; Kuoni, J.:
Sagen des Kantons St. Gallen. St. Gallen 1902; Peuckert, W.-E.: Schlesische Sagen.
Jena 1924; Schambach, G./Müller, W.: Niedersächsische Sagen und Märchen. Göttingen
1855; Schwebel, O.: Die Sagen der Hohenzollern. Berlin 1878; Vernaleken, T.:
Alpensagen. Wien 1858; Zingerle, I.: Sagen, Märchen und Gebräuche aus Tirol. Innsbruck
1859. On the history of the legend in Germany, see Frank (above, note 4).
6 The significance of the St. Margaret figure has been discussed by theorists of the later
middle ages such as Delaney, S.: The Somaticized Text: Corporeal Semiotic in a Late
Medieval Female Hagiography. In: Textual Bodies: Changing Boundaries of Literary
Representation. ed. L. H. Lefkovitz. Ithaca 1997, 101–125; Fox, A.: The Boundaries
of Sainthood: The Enclosed Female Body as Doctrine in Seinte Margarete. In: Medieval
Perspectives 8 (1993) 133–142; Lewis, K.J.: The Life of St. Margaret of Antioch in
Late Medieval England: A Gendered Reading. In: Studies in Church History: Gender
and Christian Religion 34 (1998) 129–142; Pearce, C.: The Cult of St. Margaret of
Antioch. In: Feminist Theology1 6 (1994) 70–85. Devotion to St. Margaret as patroness
of fertility and childbirth is also addressed in Smith, K.: Serpent-damsels and
demon-slayers. In: Demons, Spirits, Witches: Popular Mythology and Christian Demonology
(Hungarian Academy of Sciences, forthcoming).
7 See Larminie, W.: West Irish Folk Tales and Romances. London 1893; Henderson,
W.: Notes on the Folklore of the Northern Counties of England and the Borders.
London 1866; Child, F.J.: The English and Scottish Popular Ballads. New York
1962; see also Handwörterbuch des deutschen Aberglaubens 2. ed. E. Hoffmann-
Krayer/H. Bächtold-Stäubli. Berlin/Leipzig 1929/30, 928–931. Similar stories were
collected in Portugal in the 1980’s; see Pereira Bastos, J.G.: From the Chaos and the
Void of Symbols to the Rainbow of Symbolism – the Spectral Study of Symbols. In:
Maidens, Snakes and Dragons. CESIL [Centre for Symbolism and Imagination in
Literature, Department of Portuguese and Brazilian Studies, King’s College] Papers
(1991) 71–102, here 76.
8 A comparative approach has been taken by Vaz da Silva, F.: Symbolic Themes in the
European Cinderella Cycle. In: Southern Folklore 57 (2000) 159–180; Schuster, I.:)

Snake-maiden Transformation Narratives in Hagiography and Folklore 253

thesis is that the motif of the serpent maiden, or maiden in white, who can be
freed from a curse by a hero that allows himself to be kissed by a snake, developed
from a 13th–14th century melding of an Arthurian Romance episode
with popular German traditional themes9. Chris Knight has discussed the
snake-maiden-dragon symbolism in relation to the ritual authority of menstruating
women10, and Francisco Vaz Da Silva has written on the theme in
relation to dragon s layer folktales (AaTh 300: The Dragon-Slayer)11.
A typical German ‘Weiße Frau’ (woman in white) or ‘Schlangenjungfrau’
(snake-maiden) legend contains some or all of the following interrelated motifs:
a maiden of noble birth has been cursed (verwünscht), often for reasons... "
----

== Transformation in mainstream society ==

I deleted this section because it seems to be a highly focused discussion of something other than "transformation in mainstream society" in general. Maybe it would make a good article in its own right, like "Medieval Dragon Legends?" A good discussion of this topic might include brief mention of ancient legends, and many other things such as, oh, television commercials, movies, and video games.

Rym

2006-11-09T04:18:51Z

Kris Schnee: /* External links */ Not sure this is appropriate, but mine is the best link set I've seen to this.

'''Rym''' is a [[story world]] created by [[Ollie Canal]]. It exists as a set of fragments on multiple Web sites, containing many broken links. The author intended it as a world-building project suitable for use in an [[RPG]], but provided information on the setting in a variety of formats: statistics suitable for "Dungeons & Dragons" rules, stories, art, and even psychological diagrams.

==Backstory==

The world of Rym once contained a highly technological civilization known as the Creator Empire, which used both magic and machinery. The Creators' most ambitious project was the City Mind, an Artificial Intelligence meant to guide their civilization. Though the City Mind benefited society at first, it and the Creators' apparently autocratic government led to war with the gods themselves.

Rym's six gods (representing the traditional four elements, light, and darkness) attempted to humble the Creators with a series of natural disasters. The City Mind responded by launching a massive war effort against the gods and their base on one of the planet's moons. The war devastated the planet and killed all but the youngest of the gods, the sun goddess [[Kij]]. Kij gradually worked to revive the world, showing special attention for the otter-like [[Lutrai]]. The world reached a roughly medieval level of technology and established substantial nations of humans and other races.

Meanwhile, a race known as the [[Spiral]] invaded the region of space around Rym. The Spiral worshipped the [[Eater]], a black hole, and were attracted by the level of death and destruction the world had experienced. To them life itself was a form of deadly radiation, so they began a terraforming project -- the extermination of all life. A series of wars between the Spiral, a Kij-following sect called the Solinar, and various other factions followed, ending in defeat for the Solinar.

In the present time of the setting, the Spiral are gradually expanding their domain and destroying the planet through deliberate pollution and magic; other races are mainly divided against each other and apathetic in the face of this threat.

==Races==

The most thoroughly described race in Rym is the Lutrai, a race of otter-people who believe their ancestors saved the life of the goddess Kij. They are idealized creatures with mild empathy, innate magic related to life energy, extremely kind and innocent personalities, and a Polynesian-based culture. Though said to be prolific and peaceful, they seem not to have an overpopulation problem, which may have to do with human efforts to enslave them.

Other races mentioned are humans, [[Skole]] (arctic wolves), [[Hoomiku]] (felines from another planet working to re-establish high technology), [[Koba]] (extremely primitive lizard-men), [[Lapix]] (rabbit-folk), [[Cepn]] (bat-folk whose reigning culture is obsessed with death), [[Gorg]] (ultra-capitalist hippo-morphs), [[Fey]] (tailed elves), [[Machines]] (survivors of the City Mind), and Spirals (undead humanoids in protective suits).

==External links==
* [http://www.fur.com/~ollie/ Rym (Intro animation)]
* [http://www.fur.com/~ollie/rym3.html Rym (Main page)]
* [http://www.furnation.com/Lutrai/rym.html Rym RPG Guide]
* [http://www.furnation.com/Lutrai/lutrai2.html The Lutrai: Children of Kij]
* [http://www.furnation.com/Lutrai/proto1.html Out Of Darkness, a Rym story fragment]
* [http://www.furnation.com/Lutrai/characters.html Out of Darkness, Character Guide]
* [http://kschnee.xepher.net/rym/ Rym: Broken World, a collection of links]

[[Category:Story worlds]]

Talk:Human

2006-04-25T14:45:54Z

Kris Schnee:

{{FAC}}
----
Hehe, pretty funny :-) I'm willing to take a look at the original page, and make sure it's well translated, but the lack of a link to the source complicates things a bit. Could somebody give me a link to it? -- Vadim

:You mean to [[Wikipedia:Human]]? --[[User:Kris Schnee|Kris Schnee]], redefining "Human" since 2006.

== Origins ==

Do we really need this creationist sticker here? I thought these would only appear in school books of some backwood districts... --[[User:131.220.244.38|131.220.244.38]] 20:34, 20 Nov 2005 (UTC)

:I would agree that we can leave out the creationists, or would that be considered incorrect in aforementioned districts? (If we leave them in, why not mention [[Wikipedia:Erich von Däniken|Erich von Däniken]] too, with his theories that humans are descendants of aliens?) --[[User:Unci|Unci]] 21:03, 20 Nov 2005 (UTC)

::Because then we'd be leaving out [http://venganza.org FSMism] and the [http://www.re-discovery.org Periodic Table Controversy]!

::I've tweaked the language at the beginning of "Origins," to lead not directly to the article "Creationism" but to "Creation-Evolution Controversy." Rather than including exactly one religion-based idea and being biased in that direction, a link to "controversy" is a milder explanation of why this subject gets people so riled and exactly what the dispute is.

::And, the "backwoods districts" aren't so obscure. [http://www.geocities.com/lclane2/dover.html Dover, PA] is pretty close to a city I've lived in.

::--[[User:Kris Schnee|Kris Schnee]] 11:31, 16 April 2006 (UTC)

Human

2006-04-22T07:27:40Z

Kris Schnee: Bierce quote -- appropriate?

'''Human beings''' are one of the members of the family ''Hominidae'', which also includes chimpanzees, orang-utans, and gorillas. They are the only existant member of the genus ''Homo''. Numbering somewhat more than six billion, they are a ubiquitous species on the planet [[Earth]]. They are distinct from other primates in that they are [[bipedal]], possess syntactic language, and make use of technology to modify the world around them.

''MAN, n. An animal so lost in rapturous contemplation of what he thinks he is as to overlook what he indubitably ought to be. His chief occupation is extermination of other animals and his own species, which, however, multiplies with such insistent rapidity as to infest the whole habitable earth and Canada.'' -Ambrose Bierce, [http://www.alcyone.com/max/lit/devils/m.html The Devil's Dictionary]

==Genesis==

''This section of the article discusses the origins of human beings as products of natural forces, a concept known as [[Wikipedia:Evolution|evolution]] which is the prevailing scientific theory. Some people dispute this idea, mainly on religious grounds; for more information see [[Wikipedia:Creation_evolution_controversy]].''

As primates, human beings (''Homo sapiens'') share many characteristics of their close relatives, and as such may be considered to have a comparatively recent common ancestor with other hominids, such as the chimpanzee. At present, diversion from the rest of the hominid lineage is thought to have occurred somewhere greater than eight million years ago. In general, human evolution is characterised by expansion of the cranium, bipedality, and a tendency towards gracility concurrent with the development of technology.

Habitual bipedality is observed as early as ''Ardipithecus'' and quickly became a defining trait of the clade. Tool use may or may not have been associated with the Australopithecines, but had become endemic by the time of ''Homo habilis'' (Lat. "handy man"), with flaked stone tools common at ''H. habilis'' sites.

''Homo erectus'' (Lat. "upright man"), another Pleistocene hominid (~1.5 mya to 2-5 kya) refined the art of tool use. This was the first species in the genus to leave the African continent; ''H. Erectus'' skeletons have been found in Europe and as far away as China. There is somewhat controversial evidence for the domestication of fire at this time.

''Homo neanderthalensis'' (or ''H. sapiens neanderthalensis'') appeared at around 250 kya, and is associated with sites in Europe; the type specimen was discovered in Germany. This species possessed a varied toolkit consisting of bone and stone tools, including composite tools (composed of more than one element). There is some evidence of language use as well as ceremonial burial, and a flute discovered in Slovenia suggests that they had a concept of music.

Anatomically modern human beings, ''H. sapiens'' (Lat. "knowing man"), evolved several hundred thousand years ago. There is an ongoing debate as to the precise origin: simultaneous descent from ''H. neanderthalensis'' in all places occupied by that species, or a single evolution in Africa followed by dispersal from the continent. Presently, mitochondrial DNA lends heavy credibility to the "out of Africa" hypothesis, and the prevailing current of anthropology sides with this notion.

==Biology==

Human beings are placental mammals. As is typical of such creatures, they reproduce sexually and are born after a gestation period, after which they are dependant on their mother for sustenance until being weaned. Notably, human birth is somewhat more complicated than the process in other species owing to the comparatively large size of the foetal human cranium. The life cycle is relatively long, in common with other primates; the gestation averages around nine months, with a productive lifespan of several decades. Numerous human centenarians have been recorded.

They are fairly large primates and sexually dimorphic, although not strongly so: the mean height of a North American male is 175 cm with a weight of 78 kg; the averages for females are 162 cm and 62 kg. Height, weight, and muscle mass vary greatly with genetics and diet. Compared to other mammals (and indeed other primates) they are somewhat bald, with hair occurring predominantly in patches. Skin colour is varied and distributes itself clinally (darkest in low latitudes). Hair and eye color also vary greatly. Humans are traditionally divided into subspecies or "races" based on coloration and geographic origin, but many cultures reject the drawing of such distinctions as immoral ([[Wikipedia:Racism|racism]]) and as unjustified by the small magnitude of the difference between races. Still, racial distinctions have played a major role in defining human cultures and as a cause of, or rationale for, violence.

While the primate order tends towards intelligence, humans are commonly believed to be the most intelligent. The attempt to test this claim has involved extensive study of other species. Humans have smaller brains than those of elephants and cetaceans, but have a higher [[Wikipedia:Brain_to_body_mass_ratio|brain/body mass ratio]] than any species but certain shrews, whose absolute brain size is small. Humans are one of the few species to shape their environment through [[Wikipedia:Tool|tool use]] and are indisputably the most technologically advanced. Human linguistic skills appear to be more developed than those of other species, with no other animal clearly demonstrating use of [[Wikipedia:Grammar|grammar]], though there is dispute over [[Wikipedia:Great_Ape_language|whether great apes possess true language ability]]. They are one of only four species to successfully pass the so-called [[Wikipedia:Mirror_test|"mirror test"]] (recognition of a mirror image as being of itself). The proper means of defining and [[Wikipedia:IQ|measuring intelligence]] is an ongoing debate, as is the extent to which [[Wikipedia:Evolution|evolution]] and [[Wikipedia:Genetics|genetics]] shape [[Wikipedia:Sociobiology|human moral "instincts"]]. Humans continue to search for intelligence [[Wikipedia:Animal_intelligence|in other species]], [[Wikipedia:Artificial_intelligence|in human-built machines]], and [[Wikipedia:SETI|in space]], suggesting that the nature of intelligence is of great interest to them.

Humans are extremely social, typically living in groups, exchanging information through language, and interacting in other ways. In the modern world most humans are members of a [[Wikipedia:Nation-state|nation-state]] controlling a particular territory and having a unified [[Wikipedia:Government|government]].

==Humans and furriness==

===In furry worlds===



Human beings are fairly common in stories (art, literature, film, etc) depicting anthropomorphic characters ([[furry]] media). In many, perhaps particularly in children's movies, they cohabit with anthropomorphic characters and may or may not be aware of their presence or their intelligence. Indeed, recognition of this--and subsequent relationship between humans and furry elements--may be a plot point. In others, it is scarcely addressed.

Where the two are present concurrently and aware of the other, the relationship between them may be friendly or antagonistic. In some cases, there seems to be little inherent problem; the universe of Gene Roddenberry's "[[Star Trek]]" acting as a prime illustration. In others, for example [[Larry Niven]]'s ''Ringworld,'' conflicts exist but are not bred from anything in the 'difference' between man and 'the other.'

In others, however, the existence of this difference itself is a key motivation for antagonism. In some instances this is presented as an analogue of the Civil Rights movement, generally with the furry characters acting out the role of the oppressed minority. Personal relationships across species lines can be depicted as stigmatised, recalling beliefs about miscegenation.

In some instances, the very existence of anthropomorphic characters is credited to human beings, as in Clifford Simak's ''City'' or a number of less well-known pieces of literature. Here, this very fact may enter into the details of the dynamic between the two, recalling to some degree the fascination of [[science fiction]] with robotics and artificial intelligence.

Of course, a number of stories lack humans entirely. Occasionally an explanation is presented for this that acknowledges the once or current existence of human beings, though more frequently the rules of the universe simply replace them outright with furry counterparts. This, as well, is a comparatively common setup in anthropomorphic literature and artwork; perhaps the dominant archetype.

===In real life===



While all members of the furry fandom simultaneously belong to the species ''Homo sapiens'', this fact in and of itself seems to be occasionally a source of conflict: outside observers may notice a current of misanthropy running through some of the fandom, manifesting itself in ways subtle and otherwise. Additionally, a small but not necessarily insignificant percentage of furries appear to repudiate their ties to the human race entirely.

Furthermore, and somewhat intriguingly, the separation between furry and non-furry mentioned in the previous section--if not truly antagonistic--may not confine itself entirely to the world of art and the imagination. Online role-playing centre [[Second Life]] supports a furry community that, according to an article in the Austin ''360'', practises a degree of self-imposed segregation between itself and 'human' role-players. [http://www.austin360.com/recreation/content/recreation/video_games/features/secondlife/secondlife_1.html]

==References==

1. Stafford, Joe. "Exploring the World of 'Second Life'" Austin 360. 23 January 2005. Available [http://www.austin360.com/recreation/content/recreation/video_games/features/secondlife/secondlife_1.html online]

[[Category: Species]]

User talk:Kris Schnee

2006-04-22T07:23:33Z

Kris Schnee:

Hi there, Kris, and welcome to WikiFur! Thank you for adding the [[Lapism]] and [[Rym]] articles, and for your contributions to [[Human]] - [[User talk:GreenReaper|let me know]] if you need any [[help]] not already provided. :-) --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]<sup>([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])</sup> 07:41, 20 April 2006 (UTC)
::No problem! The existence of the "Human" article seems kind of pointless, though... in fact I think I should add something. 8) --[[User:Kris Schnee|Kris Schnee]] 07:23, 22 April 2006 (UTC)

WikiFur:Featured article candidates/Human

2006-04-17T05:13:53Z

Kris Schnee: /* Human */

=== [[Human]] ===

There's a lack of pictures, but it's very amusing, and seems pretty well-written. Perhaps we should save this for April Fools, though? :-) --{{UT|GreenReaper}} 21:51, 25 Dec 2005 (UTC)

Actually, I don't see why this is here at all when we could just refer to the main Wiki article. Although it was fun "redefining human."--[[User:Kris Schnee|Kris Schnee]] 05:13, 17 April 2006 (UTC)

Talk:Human

2006-04-16T11:31:27Z

Kris Schnee:

{{FAC}}
----
Hehe, pretty funny :-) I'm willing to take a look at the original page, and make sure it's well translated, but the lack of a link to the source complicates things a bit. Could somebody give me a link to it? -- Vadim

== Origins ==

Do we really need this creationist sticker here? I thought these would only appear in school books of some backwood districts... --[[User:131.220.244.38|131.220.244.38]] 20:34, 20 Nov 2005 (UTC)

:I would agree that we can leave out the creationists, or would that be considered incorrect in aforementioned districts? (If we leave them in, why not mention [[Wikipedia:Erich von Däniken|Erich von Däniken]] too, with his theories that humans are descendants of aliens?) --[[User:Unci|Unci]] 21:03, 20 Nov 2005 (UTC)

::Because then we'd be leaving out [http://venganza.org FSMism] and the [http://www.re-discovery.org Periodic Table Controversy]!

::I've tweaked the language at the beginning of "Origins," to lead not directly to the article "Creationism" but to "Creation-Evolution Controversy." Rather than including exactly one religion-based idea and being biased in that direction, a link to "controversy" is a milder explanation of why this subject gets people so riled and exactly what the dispute is.

::And, the "backwoods districts" aren't so obscure. [http://www.geocities.com/lclane2/dover.html Dover, PA] is pretty close to a city I've lived in.

::--[[User:Kris Schnee|Kris Schnee]] 11:31, 16 April 2006 (UTC)

Human

2006-04-16T11:13:04Z

Kris Schnee: /* Genesis */ Evolution - See Discussion page

'''Human beings''' are one of the members of the family ''Hominidae'', which also includes chimpanzees, orang-utans, and gorillas. They are the only existant member of the genus ''Homo''. Numbering somewhat more than six billion, they are a ubiquitous species on the planet [[Earth]]. They are distinct from other primates in that they are [[bipedal]], possess syntactic language, and make use of technology to modify the world around them.

==Genesis==

''This section of the article discusses the origins of human beings as products of natural forces, a concept known as [[Wikipedia:Evolution|evolution]] which is the prevailing scientific theory. Some people dispute this idea, mainly on religious grounds; for more information see [[Wikipedia:Creation_evolution_controversy]].''

As primates, human beings (''Homo sapiens'') share many characteristics of their close relatives, and as such may be considered to have a comparatively recent common ancestor with other hominids, such as the chimpanzee. At present, diversion from the rest of the hominid lineage is thought to have occurred somewhere greater than eight million years ago. In general, human evolution is characterised by expansion of the cranium, bipedality, and a tendency towards gracility concurrent with the development of technology.

Habitual bipedality is observed as early as ''Ardipithecus'' and quickly became a defining trait of the clade. Tool use may or may not have been associated with the Australopithecines, but had become endemic by the time of ''Homo habilis'' (Lat. "handy man"), with flaked stone tools common at ''H. habilis'' sites.

''Homo erectus'' (Lat. "upright man"), another Pleistocene hominid (~1.5 mya to 2-5 kya) refined the art of tool use. This was the first species in the genus to leave the African continent; ''H. Erectus'' skeletons have been found in Europe and as far away as China. There is somewhat controversial evidence for the domestication of fire at this time.

''Homo neanderthalensis'' (or ''H. sapiens neanderthalensis'') appeared at around 250 kya, and is associated with sites in Europe; the type specimen was discovered in Germany. This species possessed a varied toolkit consisting of bone and stone tools, including composite tools (composed of more than one element). There is some evidence of language use as well as ceremonial burial, and a flute discovered in Slovenia suggests that they had a concept of music.

Anatomically modern human beings, ''H. sapiens'' (Lat. "knowing man"), evolved several hundred thousand years ago. There is an ongoing debate as to the precise origin: simultaneous descent from ''H. neanderthalensis'' in all places occupied by that species, or a single evolution in Africa followed by dispersal from the continent. Presently, mitochondrial DNA lends heavy credibility to the "out of Africa" hypothesis, and the prevailing current of anthropology sides with this notion.

==Biology==

Human beings are placental mammals. As is typical of such creatures, they reproduce sexually and are born after a gestation period, after which they are dependant on their mother for sustenance until being weaned. Notably, human birth is somewhat more complicated than the process in other species owing to the comparatively large size of the foetal human cranium. The life cycle is relatively long, in common with other primates; the gestation averages around nine months, with a productive lifespan of several decades. Numerous human centenarians have been recorded.

They are fairly large primates and sexually dimorphic, although not strongly so: the mean height of a North American male is 175 cm with a weight of 78 kg; the averages for females are 162 cm and 62 kg. Height, weight, and muscle mass vary greatly with genetics and diet. Compared to other mammals (and indeed other primates) they are somewhat bald, with hair occurring predominantly in patches. Skin colour is varied and distributes itself clinally (darkest in low latitudes). Hair and eye color also vary greatly. Humans are traditionally divided into subspecies or "races" based on coloration and geographic origin, but many cultures reject the drawing of such distinctions as immoral ([[Wikipedia:Racism|racism]]) and as unjustified by the small magnitude of the difference between races. Still, racial distinctions have played a major role in defining human cultures and as a cause of, or rationale for, violence.

While the primate order tends towards intelligence, humans are commonly believed to be the most intelligent. The attempt to test this claim has involved extensive study of other species. Humans have smaller brains than those of elephants and cetaceans, but have a higher [[Wikipedia:Brain_to_body_mass_ratio|brain/body mass ratio]] than any species but certain shrews, whose absolute brain size is small. Humans are one of the few species to shape their environment through [[Wikipedia:Tool|tool use]] and are indisputably the most technologically advanced. Human linguistic skills appear to be more developed than those of other species, with no other animal clearly demonstrating use of [[Wikipedia:Grammar|grammar]], though there is dispute over [[Wikipedia:Great_Ape_language|whether great apes possess true language ability]]. They are one of only four species to successfully pass the so-called [[Wikipedia:Mirror_test|"mirror test"]] (recognition of a mirror image as being of itself). The proper means of defining and [[Wikipedia:IQ|measuring intelligence]] is an ongoing debate, as is the extent to which [[Wikipedia:Evolution|evolution]] and [[Wikipedia:Genetics|genetics]] shape [[Wikipedia:Sociobiology|human moral "instincts"]]. Humans continue to search for intelligence [[Wikipedia:Animal_intelligence|in other species]], [[Wikipedia:Artificial_intelligence|in human-built machines]], and [[Wikipedia:SETI|in space]], suggesting that the nature of intelligence is of great interest to them.

Humans are extremely social, typically living in groups, exchanging information through language, and interacting in other ways. In the modern world most humans are members of a [[Wikipedia:Nation-state|nation-state]] controlling a particular territory and having a unified [[Wikipedia:Government|government]].

==Humans and furriness==

===In furry worlds===



Human beings are fairly common in stories (art, literature, film, etc) depicting anthropomorphic characters ([[furry]] media). In many, perhaps particularly in children's movies, they cohabit with anthropomorphic characters and may or may not be aware of their presence or their intelligence. Indeed, recognition of this--and subsequent relationship between humans and furry elements--may be a plot point. In others, it is scarcely addressed.

Where the two are present concurrently and aware of the other, the relationship between them may be friendly or antagonistic. In some cases, there seems to be little inherent problem; the universe of Gene Roddenberry's "[[Star Trek]]" acting as a prime illustration. In others, for example [[Larry Niven]]'s ''Ringworld,'' conflicts exist but are not bred from anything in the 'difference' between man and 'the other.'

In others, however, the existence of this difference itself is a key motivation for antagonism. In some instances this is presented as an analogue of the Civil Rights movement, generally with the furry characters acting out the role of the oppressed minority. Personal relationships across species lines can be depicted as stigmatised, recalling beliefs about miscegenation.

In some instances, the very existence of anthropomorphic characters is credited to human beings, as in Clifford Simak's ''City'' or a number of less well-known pieces of literature. Here, this very fact may enter into the details of the dynamic between the two, recalling to some degree the fascination of [[science fiction]] with robotics and artificial intelligence.

Of course, a number of stories lack humans entirely. Occasionally an explanation is presented for this that acknowledges the once or current existence of human beings, though more frequently the rules of the universe simply replace them outright with furry counterparts. This, as well, is a comparatively common setup in anthropomorphic literature and artwork; perhaps the dominant archetype.

===In real life===



While all members of the furry fandom simultaneously belong to the species ''Homo sapiens'', this fact in and of itself seems to be occasionally a source of conflict: outside observers may notice a current of misanthropy running through some of the fandom, manifesting itself in ways subtle and otherwise. Additionally, a small but not necessarily insignificant percentage of furries appear to repudiate their ties to the human race entirely.

Furthermore, and somewhat intriguingly, the separation between furry and non-furry mentioned in the previous section--if not truly antagonistic--may not confine itself entirely to the world of art and the imagination. Online role-playing centre [[Second Life]] supports a furry community that, according to an article in the Austin ''360'', practises a degree of self-imposed segregation between itself and 'human' role-players. [http://www.austin360.com/recreation/content/recreation/video_games/features/secondlife/secondlife_1.html]

==References==

1. Stafford, Joe. "Exploring the World of 'Second Life'" Austin 360. 23 January 2005. Available [http://www.austin360.com/recreation/content/recreation/video_games/features/secondlife/secondlife_1.html online]

[[Category: Species]]

Human

2006-04-16T11:05:30Z

Kris Schnee: /* Biology */ Mostly about intelligence

'''Human beings''' are one of the members of the family ''Hominidae'', which also includes chimpanzees, orang-utans, and gorillas. They are the only existant member of the genus ''Homo''. Numbering somewhat more than six billion, they are a ubiquitous species on the planet [[Earth]]. They are distinct from other primates in that they are [[bipedal]], possess syntactic language, and make use of technology to modify the world around them.

==Genesis==

''This section of the article discusses the origins of human beings as a biological question. For another perspective, consider the Wikipedia article on [[Wikipedia:Creationism|Creationism]].''

As primates, human beings (''Homo sapiens'') share many characteristics of their close relatives, and as such may be considered to have a comparatively recent common ancestor with other hominids, such as the chimpanzee. At present, diversion from the rest of the hominid lineage is thought to have occurred somewhere greater than eight million years ago. In general, human evolution is characterised by expansion of the cranium, bipedality, and a tendency towards gracility concurrent with the development of technology.

Habitual bipedality is observed as early as ''Ardipithecus'' and quickly became a defining trait of the clade. Tool use may or may not have been associated with the Australopithecines, but had become endemic by the time of ''Homo habilis'' (Lat. "handy man"), with flaked stone tools common at ''H. habilis'' sites.

''Homo erectus'' (Lat. "upright man"), another Pleistocene hominid (~1.5 mya to 2-5 kya) refined the art of tool use. This was the first species in the genus to leave the African continent; ''H. Erectus'' skeletons have been found in Europe and as far away as China. There is somewhat controversial evidence for the domestication of fire at this time.

''Homo neanderthalensis'' (or ''H. sapiens neanderthalensis'') appeared at around 250 kya, and is associated with sites in Europe; the type specimen was discovered in Germany. This species possessed a varied toolkit consisting of bone and stone tools, including composite tools (composed of more than one element). There is some evidence of language use as well as ceremonial burial, and a flute discovered in Slovenia suggests that they had a concept of music.

Anatomically modern human beings, ''H. sapiens'' (Lat. "knowing man"), evolved several hundred thousand years ago. There is an ongoing debate as to the precise origin: simultaneous descent from ''H. neanderthalensis'' in all places occupied by that species, or a single evolution in Africa followed by dispersal from the continent. Presently, mitochondrial DNA lends heavy credibility to the "out of Africa" hypothesis, and the prevailing current of anthropology sides with this notion.

==Biology==

Human beings are placental mammals. As is typical of such creatures, they reproduce sexually and are born after a gestation period, after which they are dependant on their mother for sustenance until being weaned. Notably, human birth is somewhat more complicated than the process in other species owing to the comparatively large size of the foetal human cranium. The life cycle is relatively long, in common with other primates; the gestation averages around nine months, with a productive lifespan of several decades. Numerous human centenarians have been recorded.

They are fairly large primates and sexually dimorphic, although not strongly so: the mean height of a North American male is 175 cm with a weight of 78 kg; the averages for females are 162 cm and 62 kg. Height, weight, and muscle mass vary greatly with genetics and diet. Compared to other mammals (and indeed other primates) they are somewhat bald, with hair occurring predominantly in patches. Skin colour is varied and distributes itself clinally (darkest in low latitudes). Hair and eye color also vary greatly. Humans are traditionally divided into subspecies or "races" based on coloration and geographic origin, but many cultures reject the drawing of such distinctions as immoral ([[Wikipedia:Racism|racism]]) and as unjustified by the small magnitude of the difference between races. Still, racial distinctions have played a major role in defining human cultures and as a cause of, or rationale for, violence.

While the primate order tends towards intelligence, humans are commonly believed to be the most intelligent. The attempt to test this claim has involved extensive study of other species. Humans have smaller brains than those of elephants and cetaceans, but have a higher [[Wikipedia:Brain_to_body_mass_ratio|brain/body mass ratio]] than any species but certain shrews, whose absolute brain size is small. Humans are one of the few species to shape their environment through [[Wikipedia:Tool|tool use]] and are indisputably the most technologically advanced. Human linguistic skills appear to be more developed than those of other species, with no other animal clearly demonstrating use of [[Wikipedia:Grammar|grammar]], though there is dispute over [[Wikipedia:Great_Ape_language|whether great apes possess true language ability]]. They are one of only four species to successfully pass the so-called [[Wikipedia:Mirror_test|"mirror test"]] (recognition of a mirror image as being of itself). The proper means of defining and [[Wikipedia:IQ|measuring intelligence]] is an ongoing debate, as is the extent to which [[Wikipedia:Evolution|evolution]] and [[Wikipedia:Genetics|genetics]] shape [[Wikipedia:Sociobiology|human moral "instincts"]]. Humans continue to search for intelligence [[Wikipedia:Animal_intelligence|in other species]], [[Wikipedia:Artificial_intelligence|in human-built machines]], and [[Wikipedia:SETI|in space]], suggesting that the nature of intelligence is of great interest to them.

Humans are extremely social, typically living in groups, exchanging information through language, and interacting in other ways. In the modern world most humans are members of a [[Wikipedia:Nation-state|nation-state]] controlling a particular territory and having a unified [[Wikipedia:Government|government]].

==Humans and furriness==

===In furry worlds===



Human beings are fairly common in stories (art, literature, film, etc) depicting anthropomorphic characters ([[furry]] media). In many, perhaps particularly in children's movies, they cohabit with anthropomorphic characters and may or may not be aware of their presence or their intelligence. Indeed, recognition of this--and subsequent relationship between humans and furry elements--may be a plot point. In others, it is scarcely addressed.

Where the two are present concurrently and aware of the other, the relationship between them may be friendly or antagonistic. In some cases, there seems to be little inherent problem; the universe of Gene Roddenberry's "[[Star Trek]]" acting as a prime illustration. In others, for example [[Larry Niven]]'s ''Ringworld,'' conflicts exist but are not bred from anything in the 'difference' between man and 'the other.'

In others, however, the existence of this difference itself is a key motivation for antagonism. In some instances this is presented as an analogue of the Civil Rights movement, generally with the furry characters acting out the role of the oppressed minority. Personal relationships across species lines can be depicted as stigmatised, recalling beliefs about miscegenation.

In some instances, the very existence of anthropomorphic characters is credited to human beings, as in Clifford Simak's ''City'' or a number of less well-known pieces of literature. Here, this very fact may enter into the details of the dynamic between the two, recalling to some degree the fascination of [[science fiction]] with robotics and artificial intelligence.

Of course, a number of stories lack humans entirely. Occasionally an explanation is presented for this that acknowledges the once or current existence of human beings, though more frequently the rules of the universe simply replace them outright with furry counterparts. This, as well, is a comparatively common setup in anthropomorphic literature and artwork; perhaps the dominant archetype.

===In real life===



While all members of the furry fandom simultaneously belong to the species ''Homo sapiens'', this fact in and of itself seems to be occasionally a source of conflict: outside observers may notice a current of misanthropy running through some of the fandom, manifesting itself in ways subtle and otherwise. Additionally, a small but not necessarily insignificant percentage of furries appear to repudiate their ties to the human race entirely.

Furthermore, and somewhat intriguingly, the separation between furry and non-furry mentioned in the previous section--if not truly antagonistic--may not confine itself entirely to the world of art and the imagination. Online role-playing centre [[Second Life]] supports a furry community that, according to an article in the Austin ''360'', practises a degree of self-imposed segregation between itself and 'human' role-players. [http://www.austin360.com/recreation/content/recreation/video_games/features/secondlife/secondlife_1.html]

==References==

1. Stafford, Joe. "Exploring the World of 'Second Life'" Austin 360. 23 January 2005. Available [http://www.austin360.com/recreation/content/recreation/video_games/features/secondlife/secondlife_1.html online]

[[Category: Species]]

Lapism

2006-04-16T06:38:35Z

Kris Schnee: Lapism: Story list, history, theology

Lapism is a belief system created in the stories of [[Phil Geusz]]. It is described as a religion followed by a small but growing number of people on twenty-first century Earth. The most obvious feature of Lapists is that many of them have undergone a physical [[transformation]] through [[genetic engineering]] to resemble [[anthropomorphic]] rabbits.

==Origins==
Within the context of the stories, Lapism was founded in the twenty-first century by Dr. Thomas Aaron, a master "gengineer" (genetic engineer) who underwent radical alteration to become an anthropomorphic rabbit. He had multiple motives: to regenerate his ailing body, to use a masterpiece body design that would otherwise have been wasted, and to help himself become a better person through emulating rabbits' reputation for peace and kindness. He found that the transformation had a profound effect on him, and ultimately published a document known as the Book of Peace describing his moral insights.

Aaron changed his name to "Sweetgrass" and soon attracted several dozen "converts" to a rabbit form. The United States outlawed animal-based gengineering, but after a prolonged legal battle, the Supreme Court granted an exception for Lapists as a "legitimate religion" with a legally protected rite.

The movement continued to grow, becoming a small but prominent group through the end of the current stories' timeline.

==Beliefs and Practices==
Lapists study the Book of Peace as a scripture, and hold regular Discussion Times, typically on Sundays and Wednesdays. These events are nominally for Book study, but in reality believers use them to share social interaction and discuss personal and community issues.

Lapists typically change their names to plant-themed ones. The tradition began with Aaron's renaming as "Sweetgrass Bloomsniffer Rabbit," a name chosen spontaneously by a little girl. Later converts chose names reflecting personal or career traits such as "Factbringer" for a reporter. The last name "Rabbit" is shared by all converts.

Lapists are portrayed as being anthropomorphic rabbits, because of their main ritual: an elaborate physical transformation called the Change. Early Lapist characters joined the movement as adults, but as new generations were born, the children were changed at a young age. Far from merely cosmetic, the standard transformation process alters a person's DNA with rabbit-based genes. Because of the altered body -- large feet, mobile ears, and tail -- the brain itself must be changed somewhat to accommodate it. A very small percentage of the population is incapable of safely undergoing this procedure, or similar regenerative therapies, due to biochemical problems.

Lapists believe that the Change serves two overlapping purposes. One is that the changes in brain structure and chemistry alter behavior directly, making the person more peaceful and friendly. The subtler aspect is social reinforcement. As the believer commits to appearing in public with a rabbitty appearance as a religious practice, something possible even before any transformation, others react to them as a representative of the religion. The believer feels a duty to be on their best behavior and to live up to the group's positive stereotype. The fact that outsiders think "rabbit" reinforces that stereotype and peer pressure; eg. Lapists are vulnerable to spontaneous juvenile adhesion (hugging).

Not all Lapists have undergone the Change. A novice member wears imitation rabbit ears and tail in public as a means of preparing themselves. The relative importance of the physical rabbit-form and a person's actual beliefs and behavior is a major theme of the Lapist stories. Several protagonists question whether they "have a Rabbit in them," meaning whether they live up to the ideal regardless of their physical form. Aaron/Sweetgrass wrote much of the Book of Peace before his transformation, based on insights gained from other, traumatic experiences. The interplay is summed up by one character:

''We're no better inside than the next man, despite the fact that we do turn the natural aggression knob down a few clicks as part of the Change. But, in the end, I think that what is important is the fact that we are trying to be something more, trying to achieve higher goals. That, far more than the fur and funny teeth, is what sets us apart from everyone else.'' -"Full Immersion"

The Lapist Church is known to have at least one physical place of worship, a converted Christian church renamed the Oaktree Temple. The Church also possesses a gengineering clinic that performs the conversion procedure, which can also be done elsewhere. Its other assets are unknown, but it probably has considerable funds from Aaron/Sweetgrass' numerous patents.

==Comparisons==
Geusz has described Lapism as "an entirely new kind of religion," yet it has roots in, and similarities to, existing belief systems. Lapist teachings do not specifically mention any gods or appeal to revealed knowledge, making Lapism similar to some religions, such as Confucianism, that are sometimes called "philosophy" rather than "religion." The definition of religion is fuzzy enough that Lapism could be considered as either, and even Lapist characters disagree on the question. The Book of Peace is described as Lapism's "bible" and is the topic of extensive study as with Christianity's New Testament. Church members argue about whether its moral positions should be taken literally, or questioned and reinterpreted. As with Islam and the Quaker sect, there seem to be influential Church members but no official clergy. Lapists have no obvious idols, as with Protestant Christians, and seem to avoid formally worded prayers, as with Mormonism. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/mormon/worship/prayer.shtml] As with religion in general, Lapists maintain a community of believers and identify themselves by appearance and ritual.

Lapist ethics emphasize kindness and peace (as with the Quaker "Testimony of Peace" [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quaker#The_Peace_Testimony]) but do not reject violence when necessary, judging from the design decisions made for the original anthro-rabbit template. The lack of alleged divine revelation or a racial aspect sets it apart from most existing religions. The group's founder is revered as a leader, but unlike many religious prophets is not said to be divinely inspired. The fact that the Lapist body template involves improved senses and altered diet ties the movement in with Transhumanism [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transhumanism], the belief that technology can help people to surpass human limitations. One character suggests that Lapism harkens back to ancient totemic faiths as well as embracing Transhumanism.

The Book of Peace explicitly rejects prostelyzation, on the grounds that the decision to convert must come from the individual, but almost immediately after Aaron/Sweetgrass' death Church leaders questioned how strictly this doctrine should be kept. The eventual decision, to the extent that the issue was settled, was that the Church would welcome media attention but avoid outright advertising, letting members' presence in the community serve as a recruitment tool.

==In Context==
The overall setting of the Lapist stories is twenty-first century America. Its exact future history is not described in much detail, but includes the development of advanced gengineering technology and is not clearly utopian or dystopian. A noteworthy event that takes place early in the series is the schism of the Catholic Church into its Roman branch and a new American branch, which struggles to reconcile its faith with independence from the Vatican hierarchy.

==The Unknown==
Some aspects of Lapism remain yet unknown through the stories. The legal battle over gengineering and the initial gathering of converts are not thoroughly described, and of Book of Peace itself only a few snippets are quoted by characters. The exact content of the Book is left to the reader's imagination, as is the setting's future.

==Bibilography==
Each Lapism story focuses on different aspects of the lives of individual believers and the people around them. These are the existing stories in the order written, with a mostly spoiler-free synopsis of each:

-"Drama Class": Two brothers deal with depression, suicide and gang violence.

-"Untitled": Described by Geusz as involving "a half-changed movie critic who's lost his wife and his reasons for living, and who goes home to find his roots." Geusz added that "this tale was not in my opinion a success," implying that it is non-canonical.

-"Schism": The young movement faces crisis after its founder's death.

-"Full Immersion": A boy questions his faith while facing poverty, and danger at a family-owned cave.

-"In the Beginning": An expert gengineer creates the most heavily transformed human design yet, while battling despair and addiction.

The chronological sequence seems to be "In the Beginning" (Book of Peace unwritten) followed by "Schism" (Digger as toddler), "Drama Class," (Digger as teenager) and "Full Immersion" (Digger as young adult).

Geusz' "Freedom City" novel series involves transformed rabbit-folk but does not mention Lapism or seem to be part of the same continuity.

Rym

2006-03-18T02:55:21Z

Kris Schnee: Brief summary

"Rym" is a [[story world]] created by [[Ollie Canal]]. It exists as a set of fragments on multiple Web sites, containing many broken links. The author intended it as a world-building project suitable for use in an [[RPG]], but provided information on the setting in a variety of formats: statistics suitable for "Dungeons & Dragons" rules, stories, art, and even psychological diagrams.

'''Backstory'''

The world of Rym once contained a highly technological civilization known as the Creator Empire, which used both magic and machinery. The Creators' most ambitious project was the City Mind, an Artificial Intelligence meant to guide their civilization. Though the City Mind benefited society at first, it and the Creators' apparently autocratic government led to war with the gods themselves.

Rym's six gods (representing the traditional four elements, light, and darkness) attempted to humble the Creators with a series of natural disasters. The City Mind responded by launching a massive war effort against the gods and their base on one of the planet's moons. The war devastated the planet and killed all but the youngest of the gods, the sun goddess Kij. Kij gradually worked to revive the world, showing special attention for the otter-like Lutrai. The world reached a roughly medieval level of technology and established substantial nations of humans and other races.

Meanwhile, a race known as the Spiral invaded the region of space around Rym. The Spiral worshipped the Eater, a black hole, and were attracted by the level of death and destruction the world had experienced. To them life itself was a form of deadly radiation, so they began a terraforming project -- the extermination of all life. A series of wars between the Spiral, a Kij-following sect called the Solinar, and various other factions followed, ending in defeat for the Solinar.

In the present time of the setting, the Spiral are gradually expanding their domain and destroying the planet through deliberate pollution and magic; other races are mainly divided against each other and apathetic in the face of this threat.

'''Races'''

The most thoroughly described race in Rym is the Lutrai, a race of otter-people who believe their ancestors saved the life of the goddess Kij. They are idealized creatures with mild empathy, innate magic related to life energy, extremely kind and innocent personalities, and a Polynesian-based culture. Though said to be prolific and peaceful, they seem not to have an overpopulation problem, which may have to do with human efforts to enslave them.
Other races mentioned are humans, Skole (arctic wolves), Hoomiku (felines from another planet working to re-establish high technology), Koba (extremely primitive lizard-men), Lapix (rabbit-folk), Cepn (bat-folk whose reigning culture is obsessed with death), Gorg (ultra-capitalist hippo-morphs), Fey (tailed elves), Machines (survivors of the City Mind), and Spirals (undead humanoids in protective suits).

External links:

[http://www.fur.com/~ollie/ Rym (Intro animation)]

[http://www.fur.com/~ollie/rym3.html Rym (Main page)]

[http://www.furnation.com/Lutrai/rym.html Rym RPG Guide]

[http://www.furnation.com/Lutrai/lutrai2.html The Lutrai: Children of Kij]

[http://www.furnation.com/Lutrai/proto1.html Out Of Darkness, a Rym story fragment]

[http://www.furnation.com/Lutrai/characters.html Out of Darkness, Character Guide]