History OurWerebeastsAreDifferent / Literature

* The [[Uncommon Animals]] series features humans that turn into full wolves by the commands of a human with special magic called 'The Voice.'

* In ''Literature/{{Sunshine}}'' by RobinMcKinley, there are all kinds of were-animals, and wolves are said to be comparatively rare.

* In Amalie Howard's ''The Aquarathi'' series, the title aliens natural form is [[SeaMonster a giant spined seaserpent with clawed fins]] who can change into both human and humanoid (basically human but with multi-colored skin, AnimeEyes and sometimes fangs and claws depending on the individual) forms. [[spoiler: There are also genetically mutated hybrids that, again dpending on the individual can sometimes shift into full Aquarathi form bot others can only make a partial shift.]]

* The Fayth Hunter series ''JaneYellowrock'' features a SkinWalker named Jane who is technically a classic shifter who can assume any form but prefers (or is forced to) take cat form mostly.

* The ''ShiftersSeries'' by Rachel Vincent features werecats who change at will and live in lion-like prides.

* Creator/ChristopherPaolini's ''Literature/InheritanceCycle'' series includes several characters who are werecats. The novel describes werecats not as shapeshifting humans, but as a separate magical species.

* Wers in Tanya Huffs ''Wizard of the Grove'' duology come in both [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent wolf]] and mountain lion form. They were created by Wizards. They turn into very large versions of their respective species and their change isn't linked to the moon but to their emmotional state. Which makes pregnancy and especially delivery very dangerous for both mother and child. [[spoiler: This is fixed by the Wizard Crystal who gives the women control over their change. She however is not able to do the same for the men.]]

* The ''ShiftersSeries'' by Rachel Vincent features werecats who change at will and live in lion-like prides.
* ''The Turning'' by Helen Ellis has werecats. It's genetic, starts sometime during puberty, then lasts for two weeks every year for five years before stopping permanently. The 'turning' is brought on by contact with a cat (real or 'turned'). [[spoiler:There is a cure, but it only works before the second time you 'turn'.]]
* ''Warwolf: The Centurion Warrior Book 1: The Warriors'' has mentions of werecats and even a were''cobra'', in addition to the more typical werewolves. It's hinted there are other types of werebeasts, but thus far only the wolves, cats, and cobra have been shown in this setting.
* Creator/ChristopherPaolini's ''Literature/InheritanceCycle'' series includes several characters who are werecats. The novel describes werecats not as shapeshifting humans, but as a separate magical species.
* The children's novel, ''Prince of Pirates'', features an enchantress named Leonora, who can turn herself into a panther at will.

* In the book ''On the Edge'', by Ilona Andrews, the heroine's brother is a werecat. He can turn into a lynx at will.
* In Ilona Andrews' ''Literature/KateDaniels books'', the leader of the Pack is a werecat. He can change into a lion. Additional werebeasts include werebears, werebuffalos, wererats, werehyenas, werebadgers, etc.
* The short story "Lusus Naturae" by Creator/MargaretAtwood centers on a young woman whose parents fake her death to hide the fact that she is a werecat.
* The book series ''Literature/SwordOfTruth'' by TerryGoodkind includes a werecat.
* The ''Jill Kismet'' series by Lilith Saintcrow contains a number of "were" characters, most prominently werecats (or cat-weres). There's also mention of other species, including werewolves, werebirds, were''spiders'', to name a few.
* In Literature/TheOtherworldSeries by Yasmine Galenorn, one of the main characters is a werecat named Delilah D'Artigo.
* In the first novel of the ''Literature/MerryGentry'' series, ''A Kiss of Shadows'', Merry's lover is a selkie named Roan Finn who has temporarily lost his ability to change shape.

* A.E. van Vogt's SF novel ''The Silkie'' features genetically modified people who can transform into aquatic, seal-like creatures or into living spaceships.

* The fantasy novel ''The Shattered World'' takes a more true-to-folklore approach: its various werebeasts are humans who acquire their shapechanging powers through a spell, so they can take the shapes of animals. One of the protagonists is a werebear, and must periodically "release" the bear within, fearing it that will force its shape upon him if denied its freedom for too long. Werebeasts in this Verse are vulnerable to normal weapons, suffer TransformationTrauma, and [[spoiler:can never be cured if they've been shapechangers for longer than a few weeks.]]

* ''The Jaguar Princess'' by Clare Bell also features a were-jaguar woman in Aztec Mexico.
* ''Year of the Unicorn'' by Andre Norton features the wereriders: a group of all-male humans altered by an adept that can become a specific animal more or less at will (wereriders include a bear, boar, eagle, snow leopard, wolf and horse). They can take other, more monstrous forms as well, but these forms seem to be mostly illusion while the animal shape seems to be real.
* ''The Jargoon Pard'' by Andre Norton features Kethan who can become a pard with the aid of a magic belt. He initially thinks the belt is somehow cused. [[spoiler: It's not: he's the child of a wererider featured in 'Year of the Unicorn' but was switched at birth and placed under spells so his innate shapeshifting would be repressed; the belt acts as a key to unlock his powers.]]
* Mordred in ''Franchise/TheDarkTower'' is a werespider.
* SpiderRobinson's "[[Literature/CallahansCrosstimeSaloon Lady Sally]]" stories have a were-beagle.
* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', while Harry Dresden is researching werewolves, Bob also mentions that there have also been such things as werebuffaloes and weregoats.
* In ''Literature/{{Sunshine}}'' by RobinMcKinley, there are all kinds of were-animals, and wolves are said to be comparatively rare.

* The Fayth Hunter series ''JaneYellowrock'' features a SkinWalker named Jane who is technically a classic shifter who can assume any form but prefers (or is forced to) take cat form mostly.
* Mary Janice Davidson's ''Literature/JenniferScales'' series has were''[[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragons]]'' as well as werearachnids (some into giant spiders, others into giant scorpions).

* In ''Literature/TheSookieStackhouseMysteries'', there are a wide variety of "were's" able to turn into an assortment of animals. At least once a buffalo and an owl are seen. There are also "shifters", who are true therianthropes and can change into any animal form, but have a preferred default form they must change into on the full moon. Sookie's brother Jason is abducted and bitten by a were-panther, so he turns into a sort of panther-man at the full moon.

* ''Literature/GoldenDragonFantasyGamebooks'' has a werecat and a weretiger.
* ''Literature/InTheBlood'' features werecats.

* Creator/PoulAnderson's ''Literature/OperationChaos'' has a weretiger. Because Anderson's [[MagicAIsMagicA laws of magic]] insist that [[ShapeshifterBaggage mass remains constant]], he is a very large, fat man in human form.
* Fred Saberhagen's novel ''Dancing Bears'' features, guess what, ursanthropes.

* In Creator/RobertEHoward's "Literature/QueenOfTheBlackCoast" [[ConanTheBarbarian Conan]] fights werehyenas who are the minions of the story's BigBad.
* ''Literature/TheLostYearsOfMerlin'' features deer-people, who, as their names suggest, can transform between humanoid and deer form. The most notable example is Hallia, Merlin's friend [[spoiler:and LoveInterest]].
* Creator/TadWilliams ''Literature/BobbyDollar'' Series has Fatback who by night is a pig with a human mind and the reverse by day.

* Railrunner in Miranda Leek's ''{{Literature/Twisted}}'' is a were-roller coaster.
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* Mary Janice Davidson's ''Literature/JenniferScales'' series has were''[[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragons]]''.

* In Patricia Brigg's ''Literature/MercyThompson'' series features Mercy who is a were-coyote.

* Laurell K. Hamilton's ''[[Literature/AnitaBlake Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter]]'', in addition to werewolves, has wereleopards, werelions, weretigers ([[spoiler:including blue, red and black tigers in the last book]]), at least 3 weredogs (their abilities are inherited not infection), weresnakes (at least 2 species cobra and anaconda), wereswans (some are cursed others inherit their abilities like the weredogs), wererats, werebears, and werehyenas.

* Laurell K. Hamilton's ''[[Literature/AnitaBlake Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter]]'', in addition to werewolves, has wereleopards, werelions, weretigers ([[spoiler:including blue, red and black tigers in the last book]]), at least 3 weredogs (their abilities are inherited not infection), weresnakes (at lest 2 species cobra and anaconda), swanmen (some are cursed others inherit their abilities like the weredogs), wererats, werebears, and werehyenas.

* In ''Warwolf: The Centurion Warrior Book 1: The Warriors'' has mentions of werecats and even a were''cobra'', in addition to the more typical werewolves.

* The short story "Lusus Naturae" by MargaretAtwood centers on a young woman whose parents fake her death to hide the fact that she is a werecat.

* Mordred in ''TheDarkTower'' is a werespider.

* ''GoldenDragonFantasyGamebooks'' has a werecat and a weretiger.

* Laurell K. Hamilton's ''[[AnitaBlake Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter]]'', in addition to werewolves, has wereleopards, werelions, weretigers ([[spoiler:including blue, red and black tigers in the last book]]), at least 3 weredogs (their abilities are inherited not infection), weresnakes (at lest 2 species cobra and anaconda), swanmen (some are cursed others inherit their abilities like the weredogs), wererats, werebears, and werehyenas.

* In Ilona Andrews' ''KateDaniels books'', the leader of the Pack is a werecat. He can change into a lion. Additional werebeasts include werebears, werebuffalos, wererats, werehyenas, werebadgers, etc.

* The book series ''SwordOfTruth'' by TerryGoodkind includes a werecat.

* ''Literature/TheHobbit'' features Beorn, a "skin-changer" who can shapeshift into a bear at will and uses this ability to kill orcs. The Silmarillion also features some magical shapeshifting, which requires the skin of the monster to be imitated.

* The ''KittyNorville'' novels has a number of different types of werebeast, including a were-jaguar and a were-seal. The rule is that the were-creature is always a predator, as Kitty explains to a caller on her radio show who suspects he is a were-alpaca.

* SpiderRobinson's "Lady Sally" stories have a were-beagle.
* In ''TheDresdenFiles'', while Harry Dresden is researching werewolves, Bob also mentions that there have also been such things as werebuffaloes and weregoats.

* In ''TheSookieStackhouseMysteries'', there are a wide variety of "were's" able to turn into an assortment of animals. At least once a buffalo and an owl are seen. There are also "shifters", who are true therianthropes and can change into any animal form, but have a preferred default form they must change into on the full moon. Sookie's brother Jason is abducted and bitten by a were-panther, so he turns into a sort of panther-man at the full moon.

* Curtis Jobling's series of fantasy novels ''{{Wereworld}}'' has all sorts of werecreatures, not limited to mammals.

* In Patricia Brigg's ''MercyThompson'' series features Mercy who is a were-coyote.

* The ''RiverOfDancingGods'' series has, in addition to werewolves and other common types of werecreatures, a variation simply called a "were", which transforms into whatever animal is nearest when the full moon takes effect.

* In the first novel of the ''MerryGentry'' series, ''A Kiss of Shadows'', Merry's lover is a selkie named Roan Finn who has temporarily lost his ability to change shape.

* ''TheLostYearsOfMerlin'' features deer-people, who, as their names suggest, can transform between humanoid and deer form. The most notable example is Hallia, Merlin's friend [[spoiler:and LoveInterest]].

* ''The Turning'' by Helen Ellis has werecats. It's genetic, starts sometime during puberty, then lasts for two weeks every year for five years before stopping permanently. The 'turning' is brought on by contact with a cat (real or 'turned'). [[spoiler:there is a cure, but it only works before the second time you 'turn'.]]

* ''The Turning'' by Helen Ellis has an werecats. It's genetic, starts sometime during puberty, then lasts for two weeks every year for five years before stopping permanently. The 'turning' is brought on by contact with a cat (real or 'turned'). [[spoiler:there is a cure, but it only works before the second time you 'turn'.]]

* Creator/ChristopherPaolini's ''InheritanceCycle'' series includes several characters who are werecats. The novel describes werecats not as shapeshifting humans, but as a separate magical species.

* PoulAnderson's ''OperationChaos'' has a weretiger. Because Anderson's [[MagicAIsMagicA laws of magic]] insist that [[ShapeshifterBaggage mass remains constant]], he is a very large, fat man in human form.

* ''TheHobbit'' features Beorn, a "skin-changer" who can shapeshift into a bear at will and uses this ability to kill orcs. The Silmarillion also features some magical shapeshifting, which requires the skin of the monster to be imitated.