# Looking for examples of sentient spiders in fantasy literature **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 26, 2007, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-examples-of-sentient-spiders-in-fantasy-literature/424162 "2007-10-26T21:01:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-examples-of-sentient-spiders-in-fantasy-literature/424162/1 "2007-10-26T21:01:18Z")
Of course, “fantasy” is probably redundant, given that we’re talking about sentiient spiders. I want to contrast menacing and beneficient figures. I’ve already thought of Shelob, Ungoliant, and Charlotte; can anybody else name any? (Along with the titles of the books and names of the authors, of course.) Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-examples-of-sentient-spiders-in-fantasy-literature/424162/2 "2007-10-26T21:22:13Z")
Piers Anthony Xanth novel “Crewel Lye” contained a sentient spider accidentally bespelled into a tapestry with our hero. There’s a humporous scene where the spider interprets a hostile act as being a sign of friendship and an overture of friendship as an act of hostility. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-examples-of-sentient-spiders-in-fantasy-literature/424162/3 "2007-10-26T21:28:08Z")
There’s **Aragog** in the Harry Potter series ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-examples-of-sentient-spiders-in-fantasy-literature/424162/4 "2007-10-26T21:30:30Z")
Vernor Vinge’s sci-fi novel, _A Deepness in the Sky_, is about a race of sentient, spider-like creatures that hybernate for about half of their solar year, and a ship full of humans who land on their planet during their sleep cycle. The novel cuts back and forth between the humans, who are in the midst of a deadly political crisis, with betrayals and murders and acts of hideous inhumanity, and a family of spider-creatures (from just before the humans show up) having, essentially, a big Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys adventure. It’s sort of funny, reading the adventures of these plucky teenagers uncovering a groovy mystery, and then remembering that the teens in question have eight limbs, compound eyes, and a tendency to drip ichor. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-examples-of-sentient-spiders-in-fantasy-literature/424162/5 "2007-10-26T21:34:36Z")
There was the _Doctor Who_ story, “Planet of the Spiders” (last one of Jon Pertwee’s tenure as the Doctor.) Hey, they novelized it, so it’s literature. Right? ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-examples-of-sentient-spiders-in-fantasy-literature/424162/6 "2007-10-26T21:38:30Z")
The Weaver from China Mieville’s “Perdido Street Station” fits the bill. ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-examples-of-sentient-spiders-in-fantasy-literature/424162/7 "2007-10-26T21:41:51Z")
In Stephen King’s book _It_, It took the form of a giant spider near the end (or so I’m told, since I’ve erased that part from my memory and I’m more than content to be super-freaked out by the clown). For a benevolent balance, there’s Miss Spider from Roald Dahl’s _James and the Giant Peach_. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-examples-of-sentient-spiders-in-fantasy-literature/424162/8 "2007-10-26T21:58:29Z")
Krek, from Vardeman’s Cenotaph Road series is the sidekick of the protagonist. > **[Robert E. Vardeman Science Fiction & Fantasy Website](http://www.cenotaphroad.com/)** > > Robert E Vardeman is a fiction writer and author, specializing in science fiction, sword and sorcery fantasy, fantastic fiction The bugs in Heinlein’s Starship Troops are semi-spiders. The bugs in Stakely’s Armor (or Armour?) are also semi-spiders as I recall. Was the crystal spider in Krull intelligent? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-examples-of-sentient-spiders-in-fantasy-literature/424162/9 "2007-10-26T21:58:55Z")
[QUOTE=ouryL] Piers Anthony Xanth novel “Crewel Lye” contained a sentient spider accidentally bespelled into a tapestry with our hero. There’s a humporous scene where the spider interprets a hostile act as being a sign of friendship and an overture of friendship as an act of hostility. 😃 [/QUOTE] You misspelled “Castle Roogna”. 😛 _Tarnsman of Gor_ introduces a small colony of intelligent spiders near the city of Ar, but they’re never seen again. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-examples-of-sentient-spiders-in-fantasy-literature/424162/10 "2007-10-26T22:01:11Z")
Do roleplaying games count? The [aranea](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aranea_%28Dungeons_%26_Dragons%29) in the old D&D (just D&D. No A, no d20, no 3rd edition) game were intelligent spiders. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-examples-of-sentient-spiders-in-fantasy-literature/424162/11 "2007-10-26T22:02:16Z")
Geez, many years ago I read a couple few books which were part of a series about a future dominated by sentient spiders. I can’t remember the name, but a quick google search turns up the _Spider World_ series by Colin Wilson. I can’t guarantee those are the books I read. I popped off an email to my friend who I think may have originally loaned me the books to see if she remembers. ---
**Author:** ![Pazu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pazu/32/15522_2.png) [@Pazu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pazu)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-examples-of-sentient-spiders-in-fantasy-literature/424162/12 "2007-10-26T22:12:57Z")
There’s also the [goblin spider](http://www.ndl.go.jp/en/publication/ndl_newsletter/135/3573.html) _(bakegumo)_ from Japanese folklore. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-examples-of-sentient-spiders-in-fantasy-literature/424162/13 "2007-10-26T22:51:43Z")
Spider-man doesn’t count, does he? Or [Anansi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anansi)? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-examples-of-sentient-spiders-in-fantasy-literature/424162/14 "2007-10-26T23:38:38Z")
James Tiptree, Jr.'s short story “Love is the Plan, the Plan is Death.” ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-examples-of-sentient-spiders-in-fantasy-literature/424162/15 "2007-10-26T23:42:13Z")
James and the Giant Peach (Roald Dahl) has one - I think she’s just called ‘Miss Spider’. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-examples-of-sentient-spiders-in-fantasy-literature/424162/16 "2007-10-26T23:49:32Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] James Tiptree, Jr.'s short story “Love is the Plan, the Plan is Death.” [/QUOTE] Is that from the point of view of a black widow or some kind of mantid? I thought it was unspecified what species exactly it was. I only came in to mention Jumper in _Castle Roogna_, but it’s covered. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-examples-of-sentient-spiders-in-fantasy-literature/424162/17 "2007-10-26T23:52:07Z")
[QUOTE=ouryL] Piers Anthony Xanth novel “Crewel Lye” contained a… **humporous** scene… [/QUOTE] So this was some kind of bizarre interspecies porn novel? ---
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2007, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-examples-of-sentient-spiders-in-fantasy-literature/424162/18 "2007-10-27T00:14:34Z")
What, no mention of the Hobbit spiders? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2007, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-examples-of-sentient-spiders-in-fantasy-literature/424162/19 "2007-10-27T00:15:23Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] So this was some kind of bizarre interspecies porn novel? [/QUOTE] I take it you’ve never read any Piers Anthony? ---
**Author:** ![I\_m\_No\_Saint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/977dab/32.png) [@I\_m\_No\_Saint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_m_No_Saint)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2007, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-examples-of-sentient-spiders-in-fantasy-literature/424162/20 "2007-10-27T01:33:59Z")
I’m rusty on my D&D lore, but wasn’t there a spider-god named Lolth? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-examples-of-sentient-spiders-in-fantasy-literature/424162.md?page=2)