Humanx Commonwealth
The Humanx Commonwealth is a fictional interstellar ethical/political entity featured in the science fiction novels of Alan Dean Foster.[1][2] The Commonwealth takes its name from its two major sapient species, who jointly inhabit Commonwealth planets and administer both the political and religious/ethical aspects. They are the mammalian Humans of the planet Earth and the insectoid Thranx which dwell upon Hivehom. The Commonwealth is described as a progressive, well-intentioned liberal democracy spanning many star systems, and is somewhat similar to the United Federation of Planets from Star Trek. The Humanx Commonwealth is notable for its portrayal of a human-alien relationship that is not just mutually beneficial but symbiotic, allowing an amalgamation of the two species.
Major species
Minidrags
Minidrags resemble flying snakes, measure about one meter long. They are empathic telepaths, or "empaths" who rarely bond to a sapient being they deem unworthy.
Thranx
The Thranx are an insectoid species about 1.5 meters long when on all six legs. They look roughly like very large praying mantises.
Ulru-Ujurrians
The Ulru-Ujurrians are ursine humanoids described as bear-like and two to three times as tall and broad as a human. They are a peaceful race, that communicate largely by telepathy.
Others
Otoids
The aboriginal race of the planet Alaspin. They are described as humanoid, roughly half the height of a human male, have ten fingers with three digits on each hand, covered in fur, green eyes and a non-prehensile hairless tail. Their manner is hostile to all other races and kill all whom they encounter. They take the eyeballs of those they slay for reasons unknown. Little is known about this race to Xenoanthropologists, who were not even sure how they breed. The only weapon they are known to attack with is the sikambi, a sort of blowgun with an elastic made from a tree sap used in place of air power. The ammo is an arrow with a brass arrowhead. The Otoids lacked in accuracy but made up for it in the sheer number fired in a volley.
- Quillp
- Tran
- Vssey
Adaptations
In 1987 Steve Jackson Games published the GURPS Humanx sourcebook for their GURPS roleplaying game.
Commonwealth Stories
- Nor Crystal Tears (1982)
- Voyage to the City of the Dead (1984)
- Midworld (1975)
- Drowning World (2003)
- The Howling Stones (1997)
- Sentenced to Prism (1985)
- Cachalot (1980)
- Quofum (2008)
Stories featuring Flinx (aka Philip Lynx)
- The Tar-Aiym Krang (1972)
- Bloodhype (1973)
- Orphan Star (1977)
- The End of the Matter (1977)
- Snake Eyes (Short Story) (1978)
- For Love of Mother-Not (1983)
- Mid-Flinx (1995)
- Flinx in Flux (1988)
- Reunion (2001)
- Side Show (Short Story) (2002)
- Flinx's Folly (2003)
- Sliding Scales (2004)
- Running from the Deity (2005)
- Trouble Magnet (2006)
- Growth (Short Story) (2008)
- Patrimony (2007)
- Flinx Transcendent (2008)
Icerigger trilogy
- Icerigger (1974)
- Mission to Moulokin (1979)
- The Deluge Drivers (1987)
Founding of the Commonwealth
- Phylogenesis (1999)
- Dirge (2000)
- Diuturnity's Dawn (2002)
Timeline
- Nor Crystal Tears (-89 AA) prequel
- Phylogenesis (-60 AA) Founding of the Commonwealth 1
- Dirge (-35 AA) Founding of the Commonwealth 2
- Diuturnity's Dawn (0 AA) Founding of the Commonwealth 3
- Voyage to the City of the Dead (106 AA)
- The Emoman (?? AA but before Icerigger) Short story
- Midworld (445 AA)
- Icerigger (548 AA) Icerigger 1
- For Love of Mother-Not (548 AA) Pip and Flinx 1
- The Tar-Aiym Krang (549 AA) Pip and Flinx 2
- Mission to Moulokin (549 AA) Icerigger 2
- Orphan Star (550 AA) Pip and Flinx 3
- The Deluge Drivers (550 AA) Icerigger 3
- Chilling (550 AA) Icerigger short story
- The End of the Matter (551 AA) Pip and Flinx 4
- Snake Eyes (551 AA) Pip and Flinx short story
- Flinx in Flux (551 AA) Pip and Flinx 5
- Mid-Flinx (552 AA) Pip and Flinx 6
- Reunion (553 AA) Pip and Flinx 7
- Sideshow (554 AA) Pip and Flinx short story
- Drowning World (554 AA)
- Quofum (555 AA)
- Flinx's Folly (557 AA) Pip and Flinx 8
- Sliding Scales (557 AA) Pip and Flinx 9
- Growth (558? AA) Pip and Flinx short story
- Running from the Deity (558 AA) Pip and Flinx 10
- Bloodhype (558 AA) Pip and Flinx 11
- Trouble Magnet (558 AA) Pip and Flinx 12
- The Howling Stones (558 AA)
- Patrimony (559 AA) Pip and Flinx 13
- Flinx Transcendent (? but after Patrimony) Pip and Flinx 14
- Sentenced to Prism (571 AA)
- Cachalot (572 AA)
Planets
See also
- List of Humanx Commonwealth characters
- List of Humanx Commonwealth planets
- List of Humanx Commonwealth races
References
- ↑ Commonwealth Map alandeanfoster.com
- ↑ Phylogenesis: Book One of The Founding of the Commonwealth Alan Dean Foster
External links
- Humanx Commonwealth series listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- Alan Dean Foster's official website