Tuesday, November 2, 2010

I can't believe I missed this earlier

Dogs in science fiction. Two of my favorite things, better together.

Well, OK, it rarely is good together. Animals in general, and dogs in particular, tend to get short shrift in fiction. Especially movies. They're usually used as cheap plot/character development (where human character develops by the dog's death), and/or nothing but symbols for something that doesn't involve them being real animals. I wish they would make more Dean Koontz books into movies. He reliably has the dog not only play an important role in the plot, but live at the end.

On a side note, when we went to see I Am Legend in the theater, I started crying at least ten minutes before the dog actually died. I could see it coming a mile away. And nothing chokes me up faster than a Brave Dog story, true or not.

2 comments:

Jess said...

Do you read Sheri Tepper? I read the Companions earlier this year, which features genetically enhanced dogs of a sort.

Misongyistic as it is, I loved "A Boy and His Dog."

admin said...

Tepper is one of those authors who's always on my to-read list but I always forget when I go to the library or book store.

I've only read Sing from the Sea, and really liked it.