History Main / WainscotSociety

* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', the adventures of [[AdventurerArchaeologist Daring Do]] are sufficiently removed from Equestrian society that she can sell books about her adventures as works of fiction under a PenName.

!!!Examples of Wainscot Societies:

* ''Series/BeautyAndTheBeast'' concerns the denizens of a society living in the sewers of New York City, occasionally interacting with normal humans such as the heroine.

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* There is something of this in Zilpha Keatley Snyder's ''GreenSkyTrilogy''. For many centuries, the tree-dwelling Kindar have lived in peace, completely unaware of their nearest neighbors, the Erdlings -- actually other Kindar who were banished down there in the early days. The Erdlings have subtly interacted with Kindar society all along. They hang out under the orchards to catch falling fruit. They rescue and adopt babies who fall out of the trees. And Kindar who ask too many questions still end up imprisoned down there. When all of this is discovered, the Erdlings become de-wainscoted and the two societies prepare to integrate.

* ''The Borribles'' (created by Michael de Larrabeiti) are runaway children who have undergone an unknown process that gives them pointed ears and immortality. They live on the underside of human society: stealing what they need to survive, living in abandoned houses, and trying not to be captured by the authorities.

* The "wizarding world" in the Literature/HarryPotter franchise is a particularly powerful Wainscot Society, operating with TheMasquerade sub-trope. Although it is largely self-contained and self-reliant, and hence is almost too detached from the mainstream world to qualify as a wainscot, contact between the two worlds does continue.

* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', AllMythsAreTrue and form multiple interacting Wainscot Societies. TheFairFolk live both in our world and the LandOfFaerie, multiple types of [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]] prey on humans from the shadows in different ways, and wizards and others of varying magical ability try to protect the {{Muggles}} from it all. An ExtraStrengthMasquerade and WeirdnessCensor are required to keep those muggles from noticing anything. Interactions between these societies are governed by the Unseelie Accords, which set out rules regarding SacredHospitality, handling conflicts, and other such matters.

* The ''Film/MenInBlack'' movies have alien immigrants forming a rather chaotic Wainscot Society, policed by the (mostly) human Men in Black to enforce a rather shaky {{Masquerade}}.

* The wesen in ''Series{{Grimm}}''.

* ''WesternAnimation/MenInBlack'' features the same Wainscot Society as the live-action film, above, [[spoiler: though TheMasquerade is pretty much in tatters by the end.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/MenInBlackTheSeries'' features the same Wainscot Society as the live-action film, above, [[spoiler: though TheMasquerade is pretty much in tatters by the end.]]

* This is the entire point of ''TabletopGame/DontRestYourHead''. Those who lose the ability to sleep are able to find doors into a metaphorical CrapsackWorld -- and once they return the Crapsack World is quite capable of following them back.

* ''WesternAnimation/MenInBlackTheSeries'' features the same Wainscot Society as the live-action film, above, though TheMasquerade is pretty much in tatters by the end.

* The nine essence families of consciousness. You may not remember them now, but you will.

* ''Film{{Nightbreed}}'' has a dark sort of wainscot in the form of the Nightbreed and Midian.

* ''Literature/FafhrdAndTheGrayMouser'': The rats of the great city of Lankhmar are intelligent (in at least some cases), have their own society which is in occasional contact with humanity, and sometimes meddle in the human world.

[[redirect:{{Masquerade}}]]