Welcome to my final new, monthly feature here at Pages of Starlight. In this one, I'll be talking about various creatures, and possibly peoples, from books. I cannot quite explain how this will work, so I'll just show you, starting with a couple of my favorites - and very common creatures in steampunk works and even some fantasy.
Golems and Constructs
Golem
In Jewish folklore, a golem is an animated anthropomorphic being, magically created entirely from inanimate matter. Often they are made from clay and shaped for whatever job is required, but they can also be made of dirt and rocks - usually if they are used for fighting. They are often the choice in more magical settings.
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| Construct |
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| Golem |
Construct
Constructs are either animated objects, or any artificially constructed creature. Constructs have much in common with Golems, though there is usually more variation to a construct, and can also include those creatures that are not created magically.
These human created creatures can be as big as a whale - or as small as an insect.
While it's easy to say that these creatures have below human intelligence, it's often used as something of a plot point in fantasy books for them to develop their own personality - especially the more human looking ones. They are usually driven for inside or magically controlled, with Automatons being the creatures that have pre-programmed functions.
There are many books out there that deal with both types of creatures. For Golems, you might try The Golem and the Jinni as I have heard wonderful things about it. Personally, for Constructs, I think Leviathan was a nice take.
