★★★★★ Exciting, with a Great Dog Protagonist
(SF Thriller) Sera does a great job at search and rescue, but she has conflicts with her handler, who has trouble coping with an enhanced intelligence dog. (18,790 words; Time: 1h:02m)
Recommended By: 👍STomaino+1 (Q&A)
"The Work of Wolves," by Tegan Moore [bio] (edited by Sheila Williams), appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction issue 07-08|19, published on June 15, 2019 by Penny Publications.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2019.367 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: Sera herself is obviously the star of the show. The view of the world through her eyes is endlessly entertaining. As the story progresses, we realize just how sophisticated she really is.
The plot has at least two threads: first, of course, is the effort to catch the rat thing, but second is Sera’s effort to win Carol’s trust. The irony, of course, is that Carol has every reason to distrust Sera, as the shocking conclusion amply shows.
The setting is worth a mention to, in that it seems to be set in a very plausible future where the causes of global warming have been tamed but the consequences are still playing out.
Con: I can quibble that magnets don’t affect titanium, and that it’s hard to imagine that the North American grid is so poorly integrated that the loss of this one facility can cause such a catastrophe.
A more serious complaint is that it’s hard to believe a dog’s brain could be enhanced this much, and impossible to believe a rat’s could be.
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Tegan Moore Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: Sera herself is obviously the star of the show. The view of the world through her eyes is endlessly entertaining. As the story progresses, we realize just how sophisticated she really is.
The plot has at least two threads: first, of course, is the effort to catch the rat thing, but second is Sera’s effort to win Carol’s trust. The irony, of course, is that Carol has every reason to distrust Sera, as the shocking conclusion amply shows.
The setting is worth a mention to, in that it seems to be set in a very plausible future where the causes of global warming have been tamed but the consequences are still playing out.
Con: I can quibble that magnets don’t affect titanium, and that it’s hard to imagine that the North American grid is so poorly integrated that the loss of this one facility can cause such a catastrophe.
A more serious complaint is that it’s hard to believe a dog’s brain could be enhanced this much, and impossible to believe a rat’s could be.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Tegan Moore Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
This is worth reading.
ReplyDeleteThe author's ability to describe what an enhanced dog's thoughts might be like was quite astounding to me. It felt very very realistic, and was extremely engaging. Kudos!
ReplyDelete