Anansi is the African trickster spider god. He is very much like Coyote, the American Indian trickster, and the Afro-American trickster Br'er Rabbit.

This spider has a lot of stories told about him. In fact, he owns all stories, and how he got to own them is a great story in itself.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anansi

You might read the award-winning children's book Anansi the Spider. The pictures themselves will inspire you:

For a great novel from Neil Gaiman, try Anansi Boys. This amusing story features a very human version of Anansi, who lives in America. It is told from the point of view of one of his two current sons, the one who inherited none of Anansi's trickster characteristics.

If an African trickster spider god doesn't tickle your scientific fancy, how about Spider-Man?