Spaszczone

Spaszczone is a fictional term used to describe a humanoid species within a science fiction universe created by Polish author Marta Zielińska. The concept first appeared in the novella Spaszczone (2012) and has since been developed across novels, graphic novels, and fan media as part of the Spaszczone Cycle. In the fiction, spaszczone inhabit the ocean world Nereida, where their biology and culture emphasize ecological balance and cooperative living.

Physically, spaszczone are described as 1.6 to 2.0 meters tall with semi-translucent skin that bears bioluminescent markings. They possess semi-aquatic lungs and gill-like slits, enabling versatile respiration in air and water. Their lifespan is depicted as long, around a century, and they exhibit a heightened sense of empathy, which in some contexts is portrayed as enabling a form of communal perception among close kin groups.

Society and culture are presented as organized into guild-like city-states that govern by consensus and mutual responsibility. Social life centers on collective decision-making, ecological stewardship, and artistic expression through luminous textiles and sculpture. The spoken language of the spaszczone is complemented by a non-verbal telepathic signaling system that becomes more pronounced within families and trusted communities. Technology in the stories favors sustainable energy, water purification, and oceanic habitat preservation.

In-universe history features include first contact with human explorers, the Great Weave peace pact, and the ongoing management of underwater ecosystems. The spaszczone narrative explores themes of cooperation, memory, and interspecies ethics. Reception in fan and academic circles tends to praise their depiction of non-human cognition and social cooperation, while some critics view the portrayal as anthropomorphic.

See also: interspecies diplomacy, fictional alien biology, speculative fiction.