Sirius (novel)
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| Sirius | |
 First edition cover |
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| Author | Olaf Stapledon |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | Secker & Warburg |
| Publication date | 1944 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
| Pages | 200pp |
| ISBN | NA |
Sirius is a 1944 science fiction novel by the British author Olaf Stapledon.
The premise of the novel is not unusual: scientist Thomas Trelone creates a super-intelligent dog, named Sirius. Yet a sense of existential questioning suffuses the book, as the author delves into every aspect of Sirius's psyche. Both the author and his characters go to great lengths to prevent Sirius from becoming a circus-type wonderdog, and instead seek to develop Sirius's character much like an author and a family would create and foster that of a human child.
The novel describes the dilemmas and problems faced by Sirius, an intelligent dog created by the English scientist Trelone and raised in North Wales, near Trawsfynydd. Sirius is born at the same time as Trelone's human daughter Plaxy, and the two of them are raised together as brother and sister. The intelligence of the dog is comparable to normal human beings and he is able to communicate with words, although it takes some time to understand his pronunciation. Mostly, Sirius is working as a sophisticated sheep-dog and teacher of other dogs, while he is also interested in religious and philosophical topics. The crucial and final part of the story is that Plaxy starts a sexual relationship with Sirius. Only her future husband, who is the narrator of the story, seems to be tolerant enough to accept Plaxy as she is. To some extent she is becoming jealous, when Sirius is breeding with female dogs of the same intelligent dog race, and some time later she is making love to her human friend. Finally, the most intolerant farmers of the rural community in Wales kill Sirius, whom they consider as a woman-seducing devil. But they cannot kill the memory, love, and respect of the surviving couple.
[edit] Outline
- First Meeting
- The Making of Sirius
- Infancy
- Youth
- Sheep-Dog Apprentice
- Birth Pangs of a Personality
- Wolf Sirius
- Sirius at Cambridge
- Sirius and Religion
- Experiences in London
- Man as Tyrant
- Farmer Sirius
- Effects of War
- Tan-y-Voel
- Strange Triangle
- Plaxy Conscripted
- Outlaw
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