mannisk

Mannisk is a term used in speculative fiction and world-building to denote a humanoid species closely related to humans. In many narratives, the mannisk emerge as an alternate lineage or as a historically parallel branch of Homo sapiens that diverged after the late Pleistocene. The name is often treated as an in-world ethnonym or taxonomic label rather than a single, uniform species, leading to considerable variation across settings.

Descriptions of mannisk vary by author, but common traits include a bipedal, erect posture and a brain size within the human range. Some portray a wider range of skin tones, hair patterns, or physiological differences such as enhanced vision in low light, greater cardiorespiratory capacity, or variations in dentition or skeletal structure. There is no canonical phenotype, allowing writers to explore diversity within humankind or humanoid life.

Social organization ranges from nomadic bands to complex city-states. Language families, technology levels, and cultural practices are diverse; some works depict mannisk as cooperative and egalitarian, others as hierarchical or stratified. In many narratives, they are presented as kin to humans, rivals, or neighbors in shared ecosystems, enabling exploration of cross-cultural interaction and coexistence.

Because mannisk is primarily a fictional construct, it is used mainly to discuss themes of identity, adaptation, and the boundaries of humanity within imagined worlds.