Fred Patten

Tales featuring anthropomorphic animals have been around as long as there have been storytellers to spin them, from Aesop's Fables to Reynard the Fox to Alice in Wonderland. The genre really took off following the explosion of furry fandom in the 21st century, with talking animals featuring in everything from science fiction to fantasy to LGBTQ coming-out stories. In his lifetime, Fred Patten (1940-2018)--one of the founders of furry fandom and a scholar of anthropomorphic animal literature--authored hundreds of book reviews that comprise a comprehensive critical survey of the genre. This selected compilation provides an overview from 1784 through the 2010s, covering such popular novels as Watership Down and Redwall, along with forgotten gems like The Stray Lamb and Where the Blue Begins, and science fiction works like Sundiver and Decision at Doona.

Lovable scoundrels and scoundrels we love to hate. From rascals causing harmless mischief to dark lords with evil in their hearts, scoundrels can be found in every world, mundane to fantastical. We fight them, laugh at them, and sometimes root for them. The twenty-seven stories in ROAR volume 6 explore scoundrels of every stripe, in every walk of life. Read stories from celebrated anthropomorphic authors, award-winning science-fiction and fantasy authors, and talented newcomers to the furry genre Contents: Squonk the Dragon by Pete Butler Brush and Sniff by mwalimu Faithful by Marshall L. Moseley Gerbil 07 by Huskyteer CSI: Transylvania by Kevin M. Glover Hard Scratching In Kittytown by Blake Hutchins Hold the Moon by Eric M. Witchey Ernest by Lyn McConchie Two Crows, Two Wires, and the Moon by Andrew S. Taylor Into the Wind by Rechan At What Cost by Jeeves the Roo A City With No Children by James Stegall Perch by Sarah Doebereiner The Cat Thief by Laura "Munchkin" Lewis Food, Feuds and Fake Flora by Ocean Tigrox Puppy Love by George S. Walker I Hold My Father's Paws by David D. Levine 0mega by Garrett Marco Skinned by Kyell Gold Relics, Rabbits, and Tuscan Reds by Slip Wolf Shadows of Horses by Phil Geusz Coyote's Voice by Altivo Overo Prof Fox by Mark Patrick Lynch Wolves and Foxes by Amy Fontaine Unexpected Bouquets by Ellen Saunders Clearance Papers by Fred Patten Edward Bear and the Very Long Walk by Ken Scholes

Bringing together twenty-one original short stories and two reprints, this 291-page collection is about anthropomorphic animals in funny situations. It's designed to appeal to both science-fiction and fantasy fans, as well as fans of humor in fantasy. Everything from a llama barbershop quartet to a lupine generation gap, a rabbit king battling a dinosaur (or is it a dragon?), a human with a spider fianc e, a dog-hating postal worker turned into a were-chihuahua, inept wolf Vikings, to a dog movie screenwriter - and much more All these stories are for your imagination and enjoyment. Plus you get each author's favorite animal joke, and a recommended-reading list.

Furry fandom--an adult social group interested in anthropomorphic animals in art, literature and culture--has grown since the 1980s to include an estimated 50,000 "furries." Their largest annual convention drew more than 6,000 attendees in 2015, including 1,000 dressed in "fur suits" or mascot-type animal costumes. Conventions typically include awards, organizations, art, literature and movies, encompassing a wide range of creative pursuits beyond animal costuming. This study of the furry subculture presents a history of the oft-misunderstood group and lists all conventions around the world from 1989 through 2015, including organizers, guests of honor and donations to charity.