Nathan over at Fantasy Review Barn is the mastermind of Tough Traveling. What’s Tough Traveling? Pretty much, it’s a weekly feature on Thursdays where we dig around to come up with examples of common tropes in fantasy, using Diana Wynne Jones’ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland as our inspiration and guide. Nathan has invited one and all to join in the fun, so feel free to come up with your own lists and add the link on Nathan’s weekly post, which will also contain (unleash) the next weeks theme. So let the fun begin …
This weeks theme? Otherworldly Creatures (Tentacles preferred)
Just for Tiara, this topic explains itself. Creatures not of our world or even our plain of existence, perhaps living in another dimension. Preferably, though not required, with tentacles. Or really anything with tentacles can be considered weird enough to be otherworldly.
I kinda feel like I should be flogged, and probably eight times, for my inability to come up with a single creature with tentacles. Major fail on my part. I right away thought of Kraken, but I haven’t actually read it! 🙂 So, here is my un-preferred, tentacle-less list of Otherworldly creatures 🙂
Well, I take that back. I actually was able to think of a couple of tentacle creatures. 🙂 So, no flogging needed for me 🙂 Also, as a side note, I now know there is such a thing as tentacle erotica (this really should not surprise me). Thank you internet.
Crazy Baby Scissorhands (for lack of a better name) from Gleam by Tom Fletcher
I don’t know what else to call this thing as it didn’t have a name in the book. Pretty much it is a terrifying, blood thirsty creature with razor sharp claws that also cries and/or giggles like an infant. There are so many creatures in this book that could be included in the list, but I’m going to go with this one, because well, how often does the terrifying creature giggle? Or cry for that matter? This one? It does both! Just like a baby.
Bubble Creature thing from Interworld by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reeves
This thing may have had a name, but I honestly can’t remember. And the down side of an audiobook is I can’t easily flip through to figure it out. Oh well, the name is not important. What is important is that this is a very unique and otherworldly creature. It does not have tentacles, but it is a fun one. It is shaped much like a bubble, with the colors shifting on it as a way to sort of communicate and reflect how it is feeling. I really enjoyed it, but my kids LOVED it!
Vomit Zombies from Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey
So, what’s grosser than a zombie? How about a zombie that vomits? Like continually? Like to the point where I had to put the book down because I read one too many zobie style barfapalooza. The book was actually quite good, just a lot of vomit zombies.
Shape-shifting Tentacled Demon from Skull Throne by Peter V. Brett
So, a demon that shifts shapes while your fighting it, but tends to also have lots of tentacles? Yeah, that’s fun. Especially when it has Renna in its grasp! (Sorry, I’m bad, I know. In all fairness, she was a bit less annoying in this one)
Toothy Tentacley Thing from City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett
Once again, I don’t know what to call this thing. Maybe the theme should have been “nameless crazy creatures that happen to have tentacles”. Or if any of them actually have names, they are forgotten under the details of the creatures themselves. In this one the creature has lots of teeth and lots of tentacles, and a touch of the tentacles causes skin to burn, turning black and bubbling. Yeah, these are not your ordinary cephalopods.
And now I will leave you with a poster for something I’ve never seen and know absolutely nothing about, but LOOK! Tentacles!
The baby thing from Gleam was something else wasn’t it? I was suprised to see you be the fist with City of Stairs mentioned; usually if anything fits it the lists go nuts with more City of Stairs.
Nathan (@reviewbarn) recently posted…Tough Traveling with T. Frohock – Otherworldly Creatures
Well, yes, but you don’t know what it is until the very end of the books. And when I hear “creatures”, I just can’t help but think of Gleam. 🙂 Maybe it wasn’t the best fit, but it’s what I was able to come up with 🙂
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Tough Traveling – Otherworldly Creatures (Tentacles preferred)
So very disappointed in myself for missing City of Stairs – Sigrud’s epic battle was my favorite part!
Bob @ Beauty in Ruins recently posted…Tough Travels with . . . Otherworldly Creatures (Tentacles preferred)
Yes, I had forgotten about it as well. Was a very last minute addition to my list! 🙂 (that may have been the result of some searching on my kindle 😀 )
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Tough Traveling – Otherworldly Creatures (Tentacles preferred)
Zombie Vomits. LOL. The creature you described in Gleam makes me think of a creature I read about in a book I read recently, and I can’t remember which one where a pretty brutal monster could mimic the cries of a baby. It might’ve been The Cloud Roads. Good choices here. I have a couple of these on my TBR list, but I think I might have to add a few more.
Tiara recently posted…Tough Traveling: Otherworldly Creatures (Tentacles Preferred)
I’ve heard good things about Cloud Roads I think. And yes, vomitting zombies, the perfect way to make them more disgusting! 🙂
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Tough Traveling – Otherworldly Creatures (Tentacles preferred)
Tentacle erotica? That sounds really disturbing but compelling all at once. I mean… all those tentacles…
That toothy tentacle thing from City of Stairs (which I’ve been meaning to start for a while now!) sounds evil.
Kaja recently posted…Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling
Ha ha! Yes, I was going back and forth between being quite amused to kinda disturbed.
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Tough Traveling – Otherworldly Creatures (Tentacles preferred)
I agree that the term “vomit zombies” is quite over the top, but I can assure you that if you manage to get past that, you will keep enjoying the story 🙂
As for “City of Stairs”, that is in my reading queue, this is the second mention I’ve seen in as many posts: I guess the universe is sending me a message…
Interesting list!!!
Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…Review: VALOUR AND VANITY – Mary Robinette Kowal
City of Stairs is a great read 🙂 And for more than just the toothy tentacle-y thing. 🙂
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Tough Traveling – Otherworldly Creatures (Tentacles preferred)
City of Stairs is on my list to be read and so is Leviathan wakes, so good to know that both have their own dose of weird beasts. Vomit zombies in particular sound vile. Just vile. I mean…what could they possibly be puking up? Nothing good, that’s for sure!
Danya @ Fine Print recently posted…Tough Traveling: Otherworldly Creatures (Tentacles Preferred)
EXACTLY! There is absolutely nothing good that a zombie could be puking up. Half decayed brains?? *shudder*
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Tough Traveling – Otherworldly Creatures (Tentacles preferred)
Only tentacle creature I could come up with Kraken from China Mieville too. But there is also the twin serpents with Laocoon in the Aenied. Not tentacles, but still watery and slimy.
And that photo… TREMBLE SOUND? What? Album? Haha
DJ (@MyLifeMyBooksMyEscape) recently posted…Comic Book Review: Mythic #1 (Mythic #1) by Phil Hester and John McCrea
I thought of Kraken as soon as I saw the list, but I’ve not read it! 🙂
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Tough Traveling – Otherworldly Creatures (Tentacles preferred)
Haha – no need to flog you then! City of Stairs is a great choice!.
Lynn 😀
Lynn recently posted…“Our lives are all different and yet the same.” (Anne Frank)