Furry
What’s Furry?
“There’s this weird thing that humans do: We take animals, and we put our words into their mouths to talk back to us, usually about us. It’s a very strange thing, but we’ve done it for centuries.
We learn to read from anthropomorphic animals, we learn right from wrong from anthropomorphic animals, but most people don’t notice it.
Furry fans are the people who notice that we do this, and think that there’s something really special about that.”
Furry means different things to different people, but I can try to answer from my own perspective:
Furry is about art. Furries are some of the most creative people I know, many of them making their own art, or commissioning other artists in the community to make custom art for them—visual art, music, stories, fursuits, even virtual reality avatars.
Furry is about identity. We’re not just asking, what if there was a human-wolf character? We’re asking, what if I was a human-wolf character? How would I live? What would I wear? What would my culture look like? This is what drives much of the creativity in the community, and sometimes the answers tell us something about ourselves too.
Furry is about diversity. When almost 90% of your community is on the LGBTQ+ spectrum and its core idea revolves around imagining fantasy creatures and their cultures, it’s difficult (but sadly not impossible) to be racist, sexist, homophobe, or transphobe. Be whatever you want. Diversity is beautiful.
Furry is independent. While furries enjoy movies like Zootopia or The Bad Guys, the community is not centered around any one franchise. We make our own characters and stories, and there is no central organization or hierarchy.
Furry is about respecting animals and nature. How could I like anthro-animal characters if I didn’t appreciate their original species and their environments?
Furries are connected. Our friends are often scattered all over the globe, and furries are usually the first exploring new ways to stay connected online, from IRC and MUDs in the early days to virtual reality today.
Furry & Me
My first contact with the furry community was in 1998, when I found a website about The Lion King and signed up for a mailing list (the equivalent of a web forum today) with other fans of the movie. One of the first people I met there eventually became my partner, and we’ve been living together for almost as long as I’ve been a furry now.
My fursona is a black jaguar and sometimes as charr warrior—you can usually see them in my profile icons.
Furry is more than just a hobby for me. Most of my friends are furries, and since 2019 I’ve been working almost exclusively as a freelance artist, supported by this wonderful community. It means everything to me.
It took me a while, but in September 2023 I also attended my first furry convention: Eurofurence 27 in Hamburg, and it was an unforgettable experience. You can read more about it in my con report.
Learning More
If you want to learn more, I recommend watching The Fandom: A Furry Documentary, which covers the history of the furry community from the early beginnings to what it is today. And if you want to dive deeper, check out the various media I’ve linked below!
My Furry Favorites
Below you’ll find links to some of my favorite1 creative works from the furry community. I hope they’ll give you a better idea of what furry is all about—and that you’ll enjoy them as much as I did!
Books
Original stories written by furry authors—if you’re looking for more, I would also recommend the Voice of Dog podcast.
Child of Etherclaw
A wild adventure through a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world. I loved the deep world-building: most of it realistic, but there are some intriguing magic-like elements and a mysterious past, and we meet some rather badass characters along the way. But my absolute favorite were the solfs: giant, genetically engineered killer wolves. There were not enough solfs in this book. That is my only complaint.
Far Flung
A furry sci-fi novel about fennecs and hyenas living on a remote desert planet - I enjoyed this one a lot! Well-paced, with a fascinating world and history to explore, a cool psionics system, and a trio of super sweet main characters.
Huntress
A beautiful story about finding your own path, set in a fantasy world inspired by Africa and its cultures. It’s a quiet, thoughtful book. I loved the setting—The Lion King was my original gateway to the furry fandom many years ago—but also, that feeling of not quite fitting into the path society has intended for us was… familiar.
Neighbors
Usually I prefer high fantasy with anthro characters, but this story plays in our universe and adds just a little bit of fantasy: What if you (and only you) could talk with animals? If you like the idea of a protagonist in a wheelchair, a hyperactive squirrel, a poetic Doberman, a gang of crows, and a therapy cat with the personality of… well, a cat—you might enjoy this.
Qoheleth
Furries love to explore questions about identity, and this story takes it one step further and asks some intriguing questions: How would we evolve if we’re no longer limited by physical reality? While you should definitely buy the book if you can, I would also highly recommend the free podcast narrated by the author—I’ve found it very pleasant to listen to.
Rafts
A beautiful love story between a human and a gnoll, stranded on a remote island. The preface says: For all those who yearn for a simpler life, and who sometimes seek an island to escape to. And the book keeps that promise.
Scars of the Golden Dancer
A desert adventure featuring a jackal prostitute and a hyena sellsword trying to escape their past and find a better life. Written from both viewpoints, this has wonderful characters in an atmospheric desert setting—probably my favorite furry book so far.
Skeleton Crew
A fast-paced sci-fi story, quite enjoyable and one of those “just one more chapter” reading experiences. I didn’t know much about the geroo species before I read this, except I’ve seen a fursuit of one (and he’s got an amazing singing voice) so learning more about the geroo with that in mind was a fun experience!
Comics
Fursuits
Is it a sex thing? An episode from “Oh Joy Sex Toy” that explains some of the motivations for wearing fursuits.
Shadowed Fates
A D&D themed webcomic about the adventures of Shadow, a tabaxi, and his friend Kaiden.
Fursuit Dancing
Fursuits are probably the most famous aspect of the furry community, but they’re even more awesome when furries dance in them! Here are some of my favorite performances—most of them are from fursuit dance competitions held at big conventions.
Atsu & Aero
Midwest FurFest 2019
BetaMonkey
Biggest Little Fur Con 2020 Online
Birch
Further Confusion 2018
Das B Team
Furry Weekend Atlanta 2019
Dew Shep
Anthrocon 2018
Duke the Doggo
ConFuzzled 2022
Faye Fennec
Further Confusion 2018
Fierce Felines
Furry Weekend Atlanta 2019
Fluke
Golden Leaves Con 2022
Flurry Flecky
Golden Leaves Con 2022
Fritz
Midwest FurFest 2022
Furternity
Anthrocon 2014
Fusano
Biggest Little Fur Con 2022
Hallow
Furnal Equinox 2023
Highbeam
ConFuzzled 2022
Hogwash
Rainfurrest 2015
Kibou
Anthrocon 2018
Kire
Anthrocon 2023
Kiyochii
Anthrocon 2021 Online
Kōdō
Vancoufur 2023
Marsh
Scotiacon 2024
Monk-A & Red
Biggest Little Fur Con 2022
Paws!
Music video
Raze
Anthrocon 2019
Silver
Biggest Little Fur Con 2020 Online
Sir Loin
Anthrocon 2018
Sparky the Wolf
Furnal Equinox 2023
Tempo
Anthrocon 2021 Online
The B Team
Anthrocon 2017
Zero & Shayde
Furry Weekend Atlanta 2023
Films
There are plenty of films that are popular with furries, like Zootopia or The Bad Guys, but here are some short films, animations, and documentaries made by furries:
Bitter Lake - Trust is a Fickle Thing
The first community-made live action film with fursuits, made in 2011.
Emaho!
If a human is judged poorly at their time of death, they’ll be sent to a world of demons. One such person, reincarnated in the body of a small dog, seeks to slay other demons to earn Karma for his freedom - but he needs a rebirth of character instead.
Ferris
A fox named Ferris is invited to an exciting holiday party, but things start to not go as he planned.
From Hacker to Furry
A talk about the curious overlap between the IT and furry communities.
furr
A short and sweet documentary about the furry fandom.
Horns
An antelope remembers why he became a trucker.
Last Waff Tonite: Coyotes
Learn about coyotes in the first episode of Last Waff Tonite, a show about animal & environmental activism.
Ottermelon
A watermelon washes up on a beach, and it changes the lives of two otters forever.
The Fandom: A Furry Documentary
A feature-length documentary about the history and culture of the furry fandom.
Music
Furries make their own music too! Here are some of my favorites, everything from classical to electronic to soundtracks:
Podcasts
Furry content for your daily commute, or just to sit down and relax:
Fur What It's Worth
One of the longest-running furry podcasts, with each episode diving deep into one aspect of the furry fandom. Cozy atmosphere and thoughtful discussions!
Furry, Explained
Not just for those new to the fandom, this show has in-depth episodes about almost every aspect of furry culture you can imagine—and probably some aspects you hadn’t imagined!
The Adventures of the Fox in the Fedora
Indiana Jones meets Doctor Who. Except with a fox.
The Voice of Dog
A cozy podcast featuring furry stories, sometimes narrated by the authors themselves—a great way to discover new furry writers.
Visual Novels
Furry visual novels are usually in the fantasy, sci-fi, or romance genres, and you’ll often find adult content here, but I wouldn’t dismiss them as “smut”—they have sincere and worthwhile stories to tell.
Many of these projects are free-to-play community-supported works in progress: They’re not released in one finished piece, but instead chapter-by-chapter, and I think that’s part of their appeal. They’re living stories that develop over time, and as a supporter you can be a part of that!
Adastra
Probably the most well-known furry VN, and for good reason. A heart-wrenching story with so many memorable characters!
Angels With Scaly Wings
The very first VN I played. I got introduced to this as a “dragon dating simulator” and… that’s not wrong. Sweet story and characters!
Arches
A sequel to Echo, equally disturbing but with gorgeous artwork.
Echo
A huge horror VN with six separate paths. Great atmosphere and characters, but very dark and disturbing at times—don’t play this if you’re looking for a feel-good story.
Eden's Reach
A story set in an intriguing sci-fi world with sweet characters and beautiful artwork.
Far Beyond the World
A sweet story about a human lost in a foreign world among wolves, that gets a lot more serious as it progresses.
Glory Hounds
A story set in a futuristic world with a unique superhero comic style.
Lyre
You’re a human ambassador trying to survive in a foreign city, and there is deception everywhere. I love the expressive character art!
Minotaur Hotel
You inherit a magical realm where the legendary minotaur was sentenced to eternal punishment. Sounds dark, but instead it’s a beautiful story about redemption and doing good, that blends today’s world with ancient history.
Remember the Flowers
A sci-fi story about a human in a post-apocalyptic world, trying to regain his memories. Not a fast-paced story, but the characters, world-building, and artwork are worth it!
Repeat
A heartfelt romance story with supernatural elements and multiple character paths.
Soulcreek
A human wakes up in a post-apocalyptic world of anthro creatures, and learns that he might be the only survivor of his own species. To find out more about his past, he must uncover the secrets of the Blackzones with his friend and mentor Loken. A unique blend between fantasy and sci-fi, with awesome sound design and both sweet and extremely dark moments!
Temptation's Ballad
A light-hearted but still epic fantasy story with a D&D feel, charming characters, and beautiful artwork.
This is not a sponsored list, nor is it intended to be complete or authoritative for any purpose. These are just a few (and certainly not all) of the works I found over the years, personally enjoyed, and wanted to share. ↩︎