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

AAnn

Main article: List_of_Humanx_Commonwealth_races#AAnn

The AAnn are a lizard-like with flexibility and speed superior to that of most men, though generally shorter and stronger.

Minidrags

Main article: List_of_Humanx_Commonwealth_races#Minidrag

Minidrags resemble flying snakes, measure about one meter long. They are empathic telepaths, or "empaths" who often bond strongly to a sapient being they deem worthy.

Pitar

Main article: List_of_Humanx_Commonwealth_races#Pitar

A highly scientific alien race which seemed almost identical to humankind in appearance and biology.

Thranx

Main article: List_of_Humanx_Commonwealth_races#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

Main article: List_of_Humanx_Commonwealth_races#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 a Humanx sourcebook for their GURPS roleplaying game.

Commonwealth novels

• 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)

Novels featuring Flinx (aka Philip Lynx)

• For Love of Mother-Not (1983)
• The Tar-Aiym Krang (1972)
• Orphan Star (1977)
• The End of the Matter (1977)
• Flinx in Flux (1988)
• Mid-Flinx (1995)
• Reunion (2001)
• Flinx's Folly (2003)
• Sliding Scales (2004)
• Running from the Deity (2005)
• Bloodhype (1973)
• Trouble Magnet (2006)
• 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)
• 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
• The End of the Matter (551 AA) Pip and Flinx 4
• Flinx in Flux (551 AA) Pip and Flinx 5
• Mid-Flinx (552 AA) Pip and Flinx 6
• Reunion (553 AA) Pip and Flinx 7
• Drowning World (554 AA)
• Quofum (555 AA)
• Flinx's Folly (557 AA) Pip and Flinx 8
• Sliding Scales (557 AA) Pip and Flinx 9
• 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

Main article: List of Humanx Commonwealth planets

See also

Novels portal

• List of Humanx Commonwealth characters
• List of Humanx Commonwealth planets
• List of Humanx Commonwealth races

References

1. ^ Commonwealth Map alandeanfoster.com
2. ^ 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