Bernard Malamud wrote a short story, “Talking Horse,” about a centaur named Abramowitz.
I read a magical realism novel The Centaur in the Garden by Moacyr Scliar years ago.
Gah! You beat me to it! It may not be literature, but anyone with an interest in centaurs should check out the Centuar Job Interview from SNL.
Hee! I just love Christopher Walken! (Extra credit assignment: Use the word “aubesian” in everyday conversation.)
Isn’t there a centaur in one of the Wrinkle in Time books by Madeleine L’engle?
There is a centaur (sort of ) in the Wild Cards novels, but I’m not sure which book he shows up in first. His name is Dr. Finn, and his centaur-ness is his reaction to the Wild Card Virus. (his ‘mutation’ in Marvel Comics lingo.) So he’s technically human.
Here’s another link that might help you out.
I knew there was one I was forgetting. Thank you.
Evil By Necessity by Eve Forward has a goody two…er…four-shoes centaur bard/spy as one of the main characters.
Suzene
There’s a comic book series by Donna Barr called Stinz about a family of military centaurs in 1890s Germany.
The Forgotten Realms comic books / graphic novels had Timoth the Centaur as a main character.
The Magicans by Lev Grossman, The main character ends up in a hospital run by them, right at the end.
Hopefully Sampiro has finished his paper by now.
Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams has a race of genetically engineered centaurs as part of the background (and as rather nice cover art IIRC).
(I know it’s a zombie thread.)
Soldier of Arete by Gene Wolfe.
The thread was bumped by a spammer, who has been dealt with, but since others have contributions, and it doesn’t seem impossible that there should be some new ones in the last decade, I’ll leave it open.
Zombiehood acknowledged, but Thomas Burnett Swann (1928-1976) hasn’t been mentioned yet, so let me correct that. I’ve only read one of his books, but the talent shone through clearly.
From Wikipedia:
[INDENT]The bulk of Swann’s fantasy fits into a rough chronology that begins in ancient Egypt around 2500 BC and chronicles the steady decline of magic and mythological races such as dryads, centaurs, satyrs, selkies and minotaurs. The coming of more “advanced” civilisations constantly threatens to destroy their pre-industrial world, and they must continually seek refuge wherever they can. They see the advent of Christianity as a major tragedy; the Christians regard magic and mythological beings as evil and seek to destroy the surviving creatures, although some manage to survive and preserve some of their old ways through medieval times down to the late 19th Century and perhaps the 20th.
An undercurrent of sexuality runs through all of these stories. Many of Swann’s characters are sexually adventurous and regard sexual repression as spiritually damaging. Casual and sometimes permanent nudity is common. Homosexual relationships between both male and female characters are often hinted at, although seldom made explicit.[/INDENT]
From a fan site:
[INDENT]Thomas Burnett Swann was best known as the author of numerous fantasies published in the 1960s and ’70s. Many of his bucolic tales were set in the Ancient World and populated by mythic creatures. His best-known works include the novel DAY OF THE MINOTAUR and the shorter works “Where Is the Bird of Fire?” and “The Manor of Roses,” all nominated for Hugo Awards. Swann was also a poet, professor, and literary critic.
*
“A remarkable writer…
He writes blissfully and beautifully separated from trend and fashion;
he writes his own golden thing his own way*
— Theodore Sturgeon, The New York Times[/INDENT]