Summer and Fur Coats

I really do love Summer and Winter most of all seasons. Aside from being the radical extremes of our weather (at least here in the Midwest), they’re also perfect for both reading and writing.

I’ve heard many times of ‘Summer Reading Lists’ or even ‘Beach Reading Lists’, and also of ‘Holiday Reading Lists’. Of course, there are such things for times like Spring and Fall break in the schools, but that just doesn’t seem as iconic to me. It’s entirely possible that could all just be a regional thing, though.

So what’s the point of musing on this? Nothing more than to encourage you all to enjoy your reading over the slower times of the year!

But it also made me think of something else that I just don’t see very often in stories with a primarily anthropomorphic cast: The issue of climate.

It’s extremely rare to see stories with animal characters that address what their clothing is like and why it’s different from how we dress due to their being covered in fur or scales. Authors don’t often point out the lethargy in certain species of characters that might be present during a Winter, unless they’re particularly poking fun at hibernation. What do these kinds of characters do to fight against these elements?

As humans, we’ve made coats and socks and scarves, but would especially furry animals need those? During the blazing months of the summer, we don lighter clothing like tank tops and shorts so that we can sweat easier and the air can reach our skin. What does a race of fully furred canines, who don’t have the ability to sweat like we do, wear during those months? Do they go shirtless? Do they shave?

For a world full of these beings, I’m certain such a thing would be painfully mundane and too common to even make note of. After all, you don’t see characters getting bi-weekly haircuts in most novels unless there’s a specific point to be made during those scenes, but we can assume that people in the novel’s world perform proper grooming. With a world full of different races, though? I think such an exploration would do a lot of good for immersion. If nothing else, it would at least be interesting and possibly even humorous.

One of my favorite depictions of this problem was in an online comic strip known as “Ozy and Millie”, by Dana C. Simpson. It was a joke several times that Ozy, an arctic fox, would occasionally sprout his Winter coat during the cold season and go around looking like a furry pumpkin for a short while. There was a similar joke made during a Summer strip that showed both vulpine title characters sitting down in the heat and trying to talk while they’re panting in an effort to stay cool. It was a great way of poking fun at what is typically not thought of in the genre.

So what do others think? How might you depict or talk about mundane climate problems in a world of anthropomorphic characters?

Happy Reading, everybody!

-Chammy

Just hangin' around to keep cool!

Currently Reading:

Silverwing by Kenneth Oppel