The Gnoll Credo

by Josh Stanton

"We are born and we die.
No one cares, no one remembers,
and it doesn't matter.
This is why we laugh." There are no such things as gnolls, they never kill and eat people, and they can't read or write -- much less write something so stark, so raw, so beautifully bleak. Right? Because if there were, someone might have risked a violent and painful death to find them, study them, and bring back this book. Then you might read it. And then you might have a joyous and bloody and terribly strange adventure, and you might find yourself laughing with the gnolls. And then what? From a world in which Avatar is Fight Club instead of Disney's Pocahontas , James Tiptree, Jr. wrote The Dice Man , and magic doesn't work any better than it does here...
...we bring you The Gnoll Credo. Sell that 'enchanted' sword and come join the hyena-people. Don't wear your good clothes.

Genres: Fiction

184 pages, Paperback

First published July 22, 2010

Reviews

[Arnstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short book which is at different times: (a) an anthropological study of hyainamorph anthropoids,¹ (b) a story of the unlikely friendship between a man and a gnoll, and (c) a predatory philosophical manifesto.

The Gnoll Credo resembles a work of anthropology biased towards the idea of the noble savage.² This is a good thing, of course, since we get to experience the gnoll through the eyes of a protagonist-narrator, Aidan O'Rourke, who accepts their views and attempts to his best extent to understand them, he even goes as far as to explore them through participation. The alternative would be a distant and potentially dismissive report, which would be nowhere near as informative nor fascinating when considering this as a story and as a fantasy ecology.³ And an 'ecology' is what this is, at least partially, and it is as an ecology that this book begins – but then it evolves into a novelette depicting the story of how Aidan wrote this ecology and his interaction with the literate gnoll named Gryka, who is also his primary source for all the information in his ecology/anthropological study. Before the end the book changes a third time, turning into a philosophical manifesto that campaigns a pro-predatory stance on humanity; it claims that the solution to humanity's problems lies in abandoning our two-faced relationship with the world where we simultaneously act as hunter and the hunted, and replace it with an all-in predatory lifestyle. Such a complicated work of fiction is going to take quite some dissecting before it is given justice, and the most vivid (and thus most facilitating) way to present it would be to start with the narrative.

Aidan is a professor in ethnography at the Ten Bridges University in a city called Sostis. Once he heard reliable rumours that gnolls, who are usually known to be quite violent and more likely to eat humans than communicate with them, have started to trade rare furs with villagers residing in an outskirt of the dukedom,⁴ he realized that this could be a great academic opportunity. So, with the duke's blessing (and some of his money), Aiden set out with this goal in mind. What he discovered is that the gnolls of the area have educated one of their own females, Gryka, with the ability to speak and write human language, and so functions as a kind of ambassador between the two peoples. Between their many conversations, across years, a mutual fascination emerges, eventually leading to a close friendship. Through this friendship we readers get to experience the most intimate ways of the gnolls – how they relate to family, the pack, other packs, potential mates; how grins and other facial gestures represent their emotions and intentions, including how to joke as a gnoll; what are their relations to taboos and politeness; what are their world-views and philosophies – never before has the reader come closer to them.

While the narrative has merits on its own, its primary function is to vivify the notions of the ecology and the manifesto. This ecology builds upon many older works, all of whom belong to the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) franchise. The description of gnolls as hyena-men dates back to the time of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) where it appeared in its Monster Manual (Gygax, 1977). But the gnoll (sometimes also called the gnole) had made its appearance in other guises before this; most famously in the first D&D box set (G. Gygax & D. Arneson, Dungeons & Dragons, 1974) there characterized as a creature resembling a mix of troll, gnome, and hobgoblin; and in Lord Dunsany's short story 'How Nuth Would Have Practised His Art Upon the Gnoles' (The Book of Wonder, 1912), though there is little description of the gnoles in it. However, it was in their new moulding from AD&D that the gnolls rose to the role they now have in postmodern fantasy,⁵ being perhaps the second-most famous amongst the villainous bipeds that are not grounded in folk mythology (e.g. goblins, trolls, and kobolds), with the top being claimed by Tolkien's orcs. Yet, surprisingly, they have seen very little participation in the genre despite their fame. Orcs and goblins feature in at least half of high fantasy novels, but I have found less than ten featuring gnolls. Which means that The Gnoll Credo is a welcome addition to the world of fantasy as it is wholly dedicated to the study of hyainamorph anthropoids and their ways. The pages containing the credo (a document that Aidan was given by Gryka early on) is particularly interesting and it manages to summarize gnoll society fairly well in just twenty-two pages – this would be an excellent handout to someone who wishes to play a gnoll character.

There are, however, several major differences between the gnolls of the D&D franchise and those of The Gnoll Credo. In D&D gnolls came about when the evil deity Yeenoghu fed his loyal demons to hyenas, meaning that they are almost always evil by nature because that is how they were created. This also narrows down the potential of the species when it comes to making them into characters, be it for role-playing purposes or as protagonists in stories: “When adding gnolls to a setting, consider the things that make them unique: the aspects of the hyena and the ancient demon blood” (K. Baker, 'Playing Gnolls', in Dragon #367, p. 51), which is a very limited set of traits upon which to build a character. The quoted 'Playing Gnolls' article is one of two expansive D&D resources on gnolls. The other is Slayer's Guide to Gnolls (A. Fennell (ed.), 2001) which was made by a third-party company; it is blessed with less focus on the demonic, but is still quite limited since it is primarily occupied with gnoll as enemies for player characters. It is a good resource when creating lairs, quests, and enemy encounters, but the way it deals with their personalities and ways is brief and uninspiring – i.e. dismissive – at best. The Gnoll Credo even seems to take a slight jab at the way D&D treats gnolls: ”Idiots […] draw eye on rock, rock cannot see. Even children know that” (p. 115). The reference might be to gnoll worship in D&D, where they draw eyes on rocks so that Yeenoghu can watch them slaughter. By removing the notion of their deity and their intelligent, purpose-driven creation, The Gnoll Credo also removed a shackle that has prevented gnolls from shining on their own, replacing it with a freedom of individuality which they had thus far lacked. Just like orcs gained a greater role in fantasy by shedding Sauron's rule, are gnolls now given a similar opportunity.

The book ends with the aforementioned manifesto, set as a dialogue between Aiden and Gryka but placed in our world and time. Herein the human being is described as being of two different minds that cannot be reconciled: The first mind is that of the chimp, which primarily feeds on fruits, but which knows the taste of flesh from the occasional killing and consuming of smaller monkeys, and which yearns to have more of that flesh. The second mind is that of the hominid that left the trees to hunt the antelopes and the zebra in order to sate this hunger for meat, this is the mindset of the gnoll. That we are of both mindsets at once is used to explain much of humanity's seemingly incongruous behaviour: ”We want meat, but we want to go back to the trees, too, so we go back and forth and back and forth, never content, never stopping. Writing beautiful symphonies, torturing heretics, building schools and universities, building atomic bombs, […] save the planet, kick the dog” (p. 160). So solving this incongruity would mean to either embrace the chimp in us or the new predator we've at least partially become. The text argues that those who chose the road of the gnoll, the predator, will eventually eat those who chose to return to being tree dwelling prey – in short, the road of the predator is the right one. The manifesto is linked to the dietary principles of the paleo diet, which the author adheres to, and it seems that he wants the gnoll to be a kind of poster child or ideal in that regard. This reviewer is utterly unversed in the concepts surrounding the diet and so will not attempt at any comparison.

It is difficult to evaluate The Gnoll Credo as a whole. Its value will depend on what one wants from it. As a fantasy ecology it ranges amongst the very best I've ever come across (and this is what I would advertise this as); as a story it is decent, though with not enough of a plot to shine on its own; as a work of philosophy it could be counted as an interesting thought experiment, but the arguments are too easy to tear apart and the premises are too unclear to be convincing. Finally, there is one more reason as to why one might want to read The Gnoll Credo: It is after all one of the most unique and unusual works of fantasy ever made and those who seek it out on that merit alone will not be disappointed.



1. Just like 'lagomorph' means 'hare-shaped' so would 'hyainamorph' mean 'hyaena-shaped,' and a 'hyainamorph anthropoid' would thus be a hyena-shaped being that resembles humans – which would, in other words, make 'hyainamorph anthropoid' the best two-word summary of the fantastical creature that is now known as 'the gnoll.'

2. 'The noble savage' is a concept which entered philosophy and literature somewhere in the 17th or 18th century, depending on how one interprets it. The term refers to the claim that to be close to nature is to be close to our better selves, and so the primitive person is a better person because of this closeness. In The Gnoll Credo one recognizes this concept in how the simple, down-to-earth lives of gnolls hold at least some kind of superiority compared to the civilized lives of humans. Of course, the theme is moderated by the novel's acceptance that the advanced organisation of bigger communities has its merits, but since the protagonist-narrator of the novel view the gnoll as noble savages and embraces that idea, so does the novel itself lean in that direction.

3. Members of the D&D community will likely be familiar with these articles already. Most of them were printed in a D&D periodical called Dragon, but a few other sources exist as well, and each of them ventured to make an in-depth study of a monster of some sort, thus functioning as a resource for game leaders (e.g. dungeon masters, in the case of D&D) when building worlds for the players to explore.

4. Little else is known about the world in which this is set. There is a neighbouring kingdom called Odene, the Ghamor Desert lies somewhere within the dukedom of Sostis, and somewhere unspecified resides the Goidelic people(s). The northern areas have winters, the southern does not, and we get a few hints regarding distances between certain locations. And that is just about everything we will know about this world, but I actually applaud that when considering the potential of using The Gnoll Credo as an ecology. Usually the ones that lead the games wants to insert the gnolls into their own campaigns and their own worlds, which is a much easier task if the gnolls aren't already anchored to an existing setting. Here the lack of information promotes a proportionally greater versatility.

5. The exception is Pratchett's Discworld-series which seem to rely more on the description of the gnoll from the D&D box set.

[Deslni01 · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Gnoll Credo tells the tale of Gryka and Aidan, two tremendously different individuals - one being human and the other being a Gnoll. The two share tales and learn about each others' cultures through conversation, and we learn what it means to be a Gnoll in a world that initially seems distant but is littered with references from our world. This lack of a different fantasy setting may be enough to deter some readers, but the real deterrence may be in the actual writing. Though it is a book that can quickly and easily be read, there is not much to grasp from it. This is the typical story of a white man who goes above and beyond to join a native culture because modern society is bad. He learns what it means to be strong, fast and efficient.[return][return]As countless reviewers have suggested, reading this is like reading a book version of Avatar, Dances with Wolves, The Lost Samurai, Pocahontas or many other modern movies - except the characters are weaker and the author's agenda is to make the reader feel as if he is living a wasted, weak life. For pure entertainment purposes it isn't a terrible book, but expect to be preached to for not living your life differently.

[Eli · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have very, very mixed feelings about this book, and I am going to try to express them as best I can.returnreturnOverall, I found the book itself, purely as a piece of writing, to be not difficult to read. Other than the awful Epilogue, the book is tightly-paced and does not drag. Aside from that, however, I found it hard to enjoy the book for several reasons.returnreturnFirstly, the world in which the book is set confuses me. At first, I figured that it would be a subtle fantasy world, something with which I have no problems. However, as the book moved on, references to people and religions in our world show up -- even an "in Soviet Russia"-style joke, which really jarred me. It really confused me that the book's world would be so different from ours and yet contain contemporary references. Secondly, the story is rather stereotypical: white man (and yes, you can tell he is white, despite the fact that his world is not ours) goes out into the African wilderness and falls in necessarily unfulfillable love with a strong-willed native woman (or hyena-woman, whatever). Thirdly, the book, like any book or movie about a white man who goes out into the wilderness to spend time with a native woman, has him idealizing the heck out of the native culture without having to deal with its harsh realities first-hand. The fact that it's a hyena-woman/gnoll doesn't erase the fact that the gnoll culture is a thinly-veiled reference to the way that native cultures are seen by idealistic white people in the real world, and a rather condescending and slightly offensive view at that. Fourthly, the hyper-masculine and mildly misogynistic world proposed for human life by the narrator is depicted by the narrator as ideal without ever really exploring any of the repercussions of such a world for non-white and/or non-male people. Last, but not least, any enjoyment I might have had of the book was utterly erased by the epilogue. The ideas hinted at and joked about in the book are taken and fashioned into a club with which the author then beats you to ensure that you understand that he wants you to stop being a squishy, lazy, sheep-le farmer and become a fast, efficient predator (even though the model for civilization that he proposes is utterly unrealistic, especially for human women).returnreturnThe story of White Man Goes Native (and Usually Gets a Female in the Bargain) is one that has been done over and over again (see: Avatar, Dances with Wolves, The Last Samurai, Lawrence Of Arabia, even Ace Ventura). As a non-white non-male, I am kind of tired of seeing and reading the same story, but I suppose it's so compelling for certain people that we'll keep seeing it coming up. I guess I just can't get behind the ideas of anyone who see cultures that lack the basics of civilization as somehow superior to civilizations where we can actually cure diseases and such.

[Mercedes McLean-Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes a really unique perspective, using fantasy tropes to portray the author's philosophical views while still telling a very engaging story. The relationship that the author develops between Gryka, a hyena-human hybrid, and Aiden, a scholar who decides to study Gryka's vicious society, is beautiful even as it revels in bloodiness and a return to more instinctual ways of life. While I disagree heartily with the philosophy that the author prescribes for humanity at large, I think that the ideas are worthwhile on a more personal basis. Certainly worth a read for anyone who is interested in a more conceptually rich view of a predatory fantasy race or philosophers interested in how principles of natural selection should guide human action.

[G.M. Loggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly impressive non-human characterization. The Gnolls are consistently and definitely not human, and their culture has a solid rationale. The friendship between the two main characters (one human, one Gnoll) is believable. Excellent read. Highly recommended.

[Baja Thylacine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh dear, this book could of been great but unfortunately it was bogged down by constant beating you over the head with the author's views on society, the paleodiet, civilization, and other aspects of our modern life. What I expected was an interesting World of Warcraft or Dungeons and Dragons type story that looked into the strange and savage society of some fictional giant hyena monsters while at the same time telling a larger story. What I instead got was a series of short brief writings about the narrator and his gnoll guide sitting around at a town-square and talking about how modern society stinks. Usually the conversations went along the lines of this:

I sat in front of the coffee shop drinking my coffee when Gryka the gnoll turned to me and said "Human society is weak, you are not strong like gnolls. You should all work out more, quit your jobs, abandon all your possessions and wealth, denounce all your silly religions, and eat lots of meat" at this I laughed and cried at the same time because of the sheer brutal honesty and beauty of those words. I agreed wholly to this and knew that gnolls were fifty times cooler and awesome then us weakly humans who can't even survive in the wild without all our tools.

I kid you not, that is how most of the book was! What makes it even crazier is we don't really ever get to see first hand this fictional society, all we get are second-hand accounts of the main gnoll character telling us about gnoll society along with the occasional "oh yeah, I remember seeing that once" from the narrator. I would have given it a one-star but the prologue and second to last chapter at least approach the interesting mechanics of an actual story-line. Would I recommend this book? No, however there is enough interesting plot threads dangling off in the foreground to give a reader some inspiration for writing their own better take on the distant story, perhaps as some DND campaign idea or something of that sort.

[Greg · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book confuses me (and pisses me off). One moment the setting is in the middle ages, the next it is talking about him being a college professor as if there was such a thing back in that era and having a smart phone! These inconsistencies combined with the author's constant use of the f-word and baser language when referring to genitalia and excretion, really got on my nerves. I am no prude when it comes to foul language in books, but it served the story in no way except to fill in gaps where the author ran out of creativity, which was often.

This, combined with the obvious agenda for wanting things to return to the way things were before agriculture -- it was a bit much. Saying that eating according to paleo guidelines is one thing. This book seems to romanticize this brutal lifestyle through the character of the main gnoll character, Gryka where every time someone slows down the herd or is a little weak, they are left behind or killed. Saying that we need to live in the same brutal manner as our ancestors is ridiculous and to disregard technological advances is a complete denial of the real progress we have made as a species.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. But in the end this book felt like 350 pages instead of 178. It could have used an editor to point out all these "little" problems and where the book just didn't work, but since this is self-published from what I can tell, I am sure the author didn't anyone's opinion. I haven't dropped a book without completing it in over a year, and I wasn't going to start now, but I couldn't wait for this experience to be over. I feel stupider for having read this book and I wish I could have this part of my life back! I would give it 0 stars if I could.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just could get into it... flipped through and read some pieces, but not my favorite.

[Carol Brannigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting social commentary on humans and the way in which we "began" and how often we end up like. It poses many internal questions that will keep you pondering (provided that you enjoy pondering) about your basic values and the why of your behavior and society's behavior as a whole. The concept of gnolls was fascinating along the way and drove out points that we might make upon groups that we may call "uncivilized"

Recommended for those who enjoy examining and debating human behavior.

Not recommended for those who aren't interested or have any inkling to discover the road of evolution.

[Mlandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I too thoroughly enjoyed this book, but found the book confusing at times. I understand the allegory of gnolls as people living up to their full potential, but didn't really understand the usefullness of the last chapter, especially as it applies to the theme of the overall book. There were several anachronisms in the book, which confused the hell out of me as to their significance, and the author's disparaging remarks to religion might drive some people away from the point he's trying to make. All this aside, it is an engaging story, and would be a good complement to the works of Daniel Quinn. Although I think Quinn's books are better organized and coherent.

[Lion · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this when I wasn't in the mood for it, which detracted from my experience. It would have been much more of a rush in that initial phase after discovering his website, which changed my life like possibly no other single message. The book was hard to get, so it went on the to-be-read-later list, and by the time I did get it several years later, it didn't hit the right spot. It was a fine book though. Not sure why I rated it 3 stars back then, I must have just not enjoyed the story that much. It's a first work and a little clunky. But what he attempts to do in terms of a message is definitely in the right place.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this one... it presents the culture of another species, but through the lens of a human culture that is also not our own. I liked the challenge of comprehending their world without explicit explanations. Plus the hyena-like gnolls are really cool. The only minus was the tacked-on cultural lecture at the end (especially since it is not now possible for humans to go back to hunter-gatherer culture on this planet, attractive though that sounds) -- if the author had left off the epilogue, this review would be 5 stars.

[Henry Barry]

A short novel about a scholar that writes a report on gnolls, a tribal, bipedal mix between a hyena and person. The gnolls practice a very pragmatic culture and don't waste anything. Stanton uses the book to create a brilliant contrast to the human consumerism and unhappiness we are surrounded by. The novel has been compared to fight club in the level of mind-blowingness, and I agree with that. Definitely worth reading.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting enough to finish and though-provoking enough to make me pause at moments. a bit out there for me at moments, but still worth a read. it's quick!

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a really engaging book. I want to reread it but I borrowed it to someone and it hasn't made it's way home yet.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need a friend like Gryka. Through Gryka J. Stanton shares a glimpse of a some harsh realities and maybe even a reason to hope.

[Tom Giorgio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite enjoyable

[Ryan Hebert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a kick in the pants. It will motivate and inspire you. Read it.

[Troy Mccullough]

Outstanding!

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good premise and a few good lines. Poor writing makes it hard to rate higher.
It felt like there were gaps in the story towards the end. Almost as if the author just wanted to be finished.

[Neghar Fonooni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written and thought provoking. A short read without a word wasted.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good plot but the author jumps around in the second half and becomes more vulgar when he ran out of thought provoking content.

[Tom Parrish · Rating 2 out of 5]

It just wasn't for me.