# An oddly specific question--Evolution in a work of Fantasy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 17, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oddly-specific-question-evolution-in-a-work-of-fantasy/593048 "2011-08-17T16:57:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oddly-specific-question-evolution-in-a-work-of-fantasy/593048/21 "2011-08-19T21:45:25Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Has there ever been a work of Fantasy in which the characters knew themselves to have evolved from apes through natural selection? Or if not that, then it is known by the reader at least that this process is explicitly part of the history of the world of the book? The latter is definitely the case in Terry Pratchett’s _Discworld_ series – the third-person narrator often makes passing reference to evolution, such as saying that the magical spell that transformed the Unseen University librarian into an orangutan knocked him back down the evolutionary tree and then forward along another branch. I can’t remember if any of the human(oid) characters believe in evolution, but there’s a subplot dealing specifically with evolution in _Interesting Times_. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oddly-specific-question-evolution-in-a-work-of-fantasy/593048/22 "2011-08-20T08:23:03Z")
There’s also a God of Evolution in _the Last Continent_, but that’s neither here nor there. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oddly-specific-question-evolution-in-a-work-of-fantasy/593048/23 "2011-08-20T11:51:07Z")
It’s more sci-fi than fantasy, at least in terms of technology, but C J Cherryh’s Chanur series posits an intelligence space-going race descended from lions rather than apes. I don’t think it’s ever spelled out, it’s just clear in their attitudes, culture, looks, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oddly-specific-question-evolution-in-a-work-of-fantasy/593048/24 "2011-08-20T16:24:57Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > There’s also a God of Evolution in _the Last Continent_, but that’s neither here nor there. That’s actually the one I was thinking of, I mixed up “Rincewind goes to China” with “Rincewind goes to Australia”. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oddly-specific-question-evolution-in-a-work-of-fantasy/593048/25 "2011-08-21T12:23:48Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > I can’t remember if any of the human(oid) characters believe in evolution, but there’s a subplot dealing specifically with evolution in _Interesting Times_. Ponder Stibbins does in a number of places. Specifically in _Hogfather_, when Ridcully wonders if apes get visited by the Hogfather earlier than humans. Ponder mistakenly ascribes this to Ridcully accepting his theory of evolution, whereas Ridcully was thinking alphabetically. Si ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oddly-specific-question-evolution-in-a-work-of-fantasy/593048/26 "2011-08-21T13:23:23Z")
In the setting for the computer game, Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura. Elves are very disappointed to learn they share common ancestry with humans and orcs [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oddly-specific-question-evolution-in-a-work-of-fantasy/593048.md?page=1)