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The Hokas are the creation of science fiction writers Poul Anderson and Gordon R. Dickson. The Hokas are perhaps the genres funniest alien species and have given their creators many opportunities to lampoon human foibles and institutions. The Hoka stories were originally published in magazines and then collected in books, the first two of which were "Earthman’s Burden" (1957) and "Hoka" (1983). The Hokas are a quasi-mammalian ursinoid species averaging about 1.4 meters in height and of stocky build. Their fur ranges in color from golden blonde to nearly black. Because of their physical resemblance to a popular human toy, their essential good nature, and their abundant energy, the Hokas have been nicknamed the "demon teddy bears". The Hoka are quite intelligent and are perhaps the most imaginative species in the galaxy. They became entranced by Earth history and fiction and proceeded to recreate those periods and episodes that most interested them, including Napoleonic France.