Sirius (novel)

Sirius is a 1944 science fiction novel by the British philosopher and author Olaf Stapledon.

Scientist Thomas Trelone creates a super-intelligent dog, named Sirius. He is the only dog to have attained a humanlike intelligence. Other dogs of the same breed Trelone created, have an intermediate intelligence (they are above the dog's average intelligence, but they cannot learn, speak or think as Sirius progressively does). A sense of existential questioning suffuses the book, as the author delves into every aspect of Sirius's psyche. The novel deals with a lot of human issues through Sirius and his experiences, his unusual nature, his ideas and his relationships with humans, showing a very gloomy, intelligent, obscure, sad, and complex tale, whose significance and depth cannot be fully understood, and is often misinterpreted.

Sirius is raised in North Wales, near Trawsfynydd. He is born at the same time as his creator's human daughter Plaxy, and the two of them are raised together as brother and sister. The characters go to great lengths to prevent Sirius from becoming a circus-type wonderdog, and instead, they seek to develop Sirius's character much like a family would create and foster that of a human child. The intelligence of the dog is comparable to normal human beings and he is able to communicate with English words, although it takes some time to understand his "doggish" pronunciation. He travels around Britain before and during the war, meets scientists, discusses several political, sociological and religious issues along the way. He develops a mystical idea of the perfect hunting, which is associated with the sophisticated canine smell skills. The scent he pursues, the prey he's looking for is God. When Sirius returns home, he mostly works as a sophisticated sheep-dog. But after seeing the destruction, death and misery of war, and mankind's stupidity (and also owing to his uncommon nature, which makes him isolated and unique during the whole book, neither human nor canine), he has a spiritual breakdown, and begins to indulge more and more his animal nature (destructive and irrational). The final part of the story deals with his hatred towards humans and towards himself, and his violent acts. It also deals with the rumours of the rural community about Plaxy having a sexual relationship with Sirius--which the novel's narrator (Plaxy's human lover) indirectly confirms that they tried to have, but gave up due to the basic physical incompatibility between their species. They have, during the whole tale, their political and personal issues, but also a very special bond, which leads to the idea of a mystical or metaphysical relationship, based on love and understanding. Sirius starts killing other farmers' sheep and dogs, and even humans, which makes him an outlaw, chased by the community.

Outline

1. First Meeting
2. The Making of Sirius
3. Infancy
4. Youth
5. Sheep-Dog Apprentice
6. Birth Pangs of a Personality
7. Wolf Sirius
8. Sirius at Cambridge
9. Sirius and Religion
10. Experiences in London
11. Man as Tyrant
12. Farmer Sirius
13. Effects of War
14. Tan-y-Voel
15. Strange Triangle
16. Plaxy Conscripted
17. Outlaw