History OurDragonsAreDifferent / Literature

** ''Literature/TheToughGuideToFantasyland'': Dragons are parodied alongside other staples of formulaic fantasy novels. They are large winged reptiles, usually red, green or black, that live on offshore islands or in hidden valleys; they usually avoid other people, hoard treasure, and wield a unique form of magic. They apparently fled to Fantasyland from our world to avoid being hunted into extinction due to being thought to be evil monsters. In reality they're aligned with Good, even though they eat people. They live underground, and people sometimes [[DragonRider ride them]].

* ''Literature/TheQueenOfIeflaria'': Like all monsters, dragons are the children of Talcia, goddess of magic. They once were intelligent and could speak, but Talcia took those gifts from them as they succumbed to greed. [[spoiler:Actually, while Talcia ''is'' upset with them, they are still intelligent and fully capable of speech. Their Emperor merely ordered them not to]].

** ''Literature/TheToughGuideToFantasyland'': Dragons are parodied alongside other staples of formulaic fantasy novels. They apparently fled to Fantasyland from our world to avoid being hunted into extinction due to being thought to be evil monsters. In reality they're aligned with Good, even though they eat people. They live underground, and people sometimes [[DragonRider ride them]].

** WordOfGod also says that Dragons (or at least Ferrovax) are incredibly powerful, Ferrovax being one of the few things he claimed could kill Mab (who is arguably a PhysicalGod herself)

* ''Literature/PitDragonChronicles'': Dragons are of the western four-legs-two-wings type, with burning blood. While elephant-sized, their bones are too light to ride; they're bred for food and [[BeastlyBloodsport fighting]]. They're telepathic and gradually shown to be intelligent, but humans only receive "sendings" as patterns of color unless they've undergone a certain process.

* ''Literature/ToShapeADragonsBreath'': Dragons have multiple variations by their location of origin--Native North Markesland dragons like Kasaqua are different from those with origins in Norse locations such as Frau Kuiper's, and Anequs compares Frau Kuiper's to a bear the first time she sees it (as opposed to the otter-like Kasqua). They are born small enough to [[ShoulderSizedDragon sit on shoulders]] and grow large enough to [[DragonRider be mounted and ridden]] by those they've bonded to. Most notable is that dragons don't merely breath fire or any other [[BreathWeapon element]] alone, but reshape the world's skilta (elements) into different forms with it--and must be taught and guided how, rather than knowing how innately.

* ''LightNovel/UnlimitedFafnir'': Dragons are NighInvulnerable monsters that are essentially living natural disasters, and all of them are different. [[GravityMaster Leviathan]] resembles a giant whale, [[FromASingleCell Hekatonkheir]] a humanoid giant, [[DisintegratorRay Basilisk]] a giant lizard with diamond scales, [[SoulPower Hraesvelgr]] a giant bird, [[ShockAndAwe Yggdrasil]] a giant tree, [[ImaginationBasedSuperpower Vritra]] a black Western dragon (being the only one that actually has the traditional appearance), [[{{Antimatter}} Kraken]] a giant cephalopod made of metal, and [[spoiler:[[TheHero Yuu]] and [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Charlotte]]]] are indistinguishable from humans. It's eventually revealed that [[spoiler:they are actually "counterdragons", created by the world itself as a defense against "true dragons". True dragons are defined as any disaster which threatens the world, and they're even stranger than the counterdragons. For example, two of the true dragons are Atlantean civilisation and modern human civilisation.]]

*** Hssiss, or dark side dragons, are giant wingless reptiles resembling huge carnivorous iguanas. They're attracted to concentrations of Dark Side power, are often used by the Sith as guard monsters, and can make themselves nearly invisible.

* ''Literature/AMemoryOfFlames'': In Stephen Deas' universe, dragons are at least fifty feet tall -- being either the smaller but agile Hunting Dragon or the far more powerful War Dragon which are twice that size. They were apparently created by magic, don't need to breathe, are capable of mind-raping humans, have immortal souls that [[ResurrectiveImmortality simply recycle bodies]] (which burst into flame when they die), are highly anti-magical and think of humans as nothing more than amusing food. Did we mention they used to rule the world? Did we mention that humans have been keeping them as pets? And it turns out, [[spoiler: the dragons are actually half-gods who were victims of a Baleful Polymorph.]]

* ''Literature/TheCosmere'': Creator/BrandonSanderson is very fond of dragons - they are the only "classic" fantasy species which exists within his SharedUniverse, though he still puts a somewhat unique spin on them. Within the Cosmere, dragons are an ancient, sentient species originating from the same world as humanity and the Cosmere's CreatorDeity, Adonalsium, a now desolate world named Yolen. They are ageless creatures that come in a variety of shapes and sizes, not least due to being potent shapeshifters and sorcerers. Their true form is a fairly standard Occidental design - reptillian body, large leathery wings and horns - though they can grow manes and beards akin to those of Oriental longs. Most notably, their bodies are always covered in [[FantasyMetal dragonsteel]], a mysterious, silvery metal of currently unknown properties and immense value to collectors of the arcane. The dragons introducedin the various books tend towards isolationism and neutrality, content to leave mankindand other races to their own devices in pursuit of their own, often nebulous goals - however, whenever they do take an interest in current affairs, they invariably become highly important players in their own right.

** Sand dragons, depicted in ''Literature/TheCrystalStar'', are huge, heavyset reptiles with thick legs and tails ending in bony knobs. The story's villain uses one as a guardian beast.

*** Hssiss, or dark side dragons, are giant wingless reptiles attracted to concentrations of Dark Side power, are often used by the Sith as guard monsters, and can make themselves nearly invisible.

* In ''Literature/TheGreatZooOfChina'', by Creator/MatthewReilly, the titular park's main attraction is dragons: they're supposedly a kind of dinosaur with extreme hibernation abilities, and the myths and legends about dragons came from individual dragons who left to scout out conditions for reawakening the rest of the nest. They're described as a cross between crocodiles and pterodactyls, they come in three sizes (car-sized "princes", bus-sized "kings" and jumbo jet-sized "emperors") and they're ''crazy'' smart.

* ''Literature/AgeOfFire'': The dragons are of the Western type and come in a variety of colors and metals. They have an organ that allows them to breathe fire but they must be well fed (fat provides part of the fuel) to use it. Their life stages are Hatchlings who can neither breathe fire nor fly, Drakes, who can breathe fire but not fly and Dragon who can do both. They collect hordes of metals in order to eat them and strengthen their armor. A variant are greys who have no armor but who can blend in, chameleon-like with their surroundings. The lack of armor, while it makes them more vulnerable, also enables them to swim and to fly better because of the lack of weight.

* Creator/ChretienDeTroyes was a French poet in the 12th century who wrote Arthurian Romances, which were popular at the time. One of his works, ''Yvain, the Knight of the Lion'' opens with the eponymous Yvain rescuing a lion from a large, fire-breathing serpent. No wings or legs or intelligence, just good old-fashioned Satanic imagery.

* ''Literature/ADealWithADemon:'' Dragons in this series are a species of demon and are humanoid. They are nine feet tall and scaled, with a reptilian head and males have three penises.

* Creator/BettyAdams: Dragons are a fairly standard mix of Eastern and Western mythology, favoring the standard six limbed, one headed variety and tending to be strongly LawfulGood, focusing on honor and truth. They recognize humans as useful and essential but are not overly sentimental about relationships with them.