Dogs in Space

[muninnhuginn]

I'm beginning to think that my list of books read in 2005 would be more interesting, and a lot longer, were I to include the 20 minutes plus of daily bedtime reading to Looby Loo. At the moment, following a spell of, mainly minor, works by Roald Dahl, we're onto The Starlight Barking, the sequel to 101 Dalmatians. We're using the old, and very tatty, copy that I had as a child. This must have been bought for me, since I've always disliked dogs so wouldn't have bought it myself. I neither possessed nor read the first book and didn't watch the movie-with-the-annoying-name-changes until very recently.

I'm not enjoying it, apart from the odd touch of humour that has LL doubled up with laughter. Its datedness doesn't charm and evidently, whilst I'm still willing to contemplate fantasy about rabbits (I still enjoy Watership Down) or even cats (I've a certain affection, mixed with a little disbelief at the extent to which he gets cats to co-operate with one another, for Tad William's Tailchaser's Song), I just don't do dogs.

Still, it's interesting what you find you haven't remembered. I did recall that a cat (actually two) and a boy were awake along with the dogs. I didn't retain any memory of Tommy's character. He provides an interesting perspective on the "metaphysical" happenings of the book: all the world asleep except for dogs; lack of canine hunger and thirst; canine telepathy; "swooshing". When the voice of Sirius has first spoken to the characters through the TV at 10 Downing Street, we get this:

Young Tommy, wildly excited, began talking his extraordinary language [a mixture of English and dog] very fast. The General [an Old English Sheepdog, Tommy's interpreter] listened carefully and then said, 'This may be important. Tommy thinks that whatever it was that talked to you must have come from Outer Space.'
Pongo remembered the books of Science Fiction he had seen in Tommy's room. The little boy might well be right. Pongo decided to ask him some questions. But that very instant the television turned itself on again, with a loud click.
This time there was no star. There was just the Voice, saying loudly, 'Pongo, don't pry. Tommy, keep your silly ideas to yourself.'
[...]
Tommy was looking hurt. The Sheepdog licked him affectionately and they had a few words together. Then the Sheepdog explained. 'Tommy says it's all right. The Voice isn't as cross as it sounds. Tommy says his father has no patience with Science Fiction and is often very snubbing about it. But he's really the kindest of men.'

What a forgiving little lad. The Voice however isn't playing entirely fair, since it belongs to Sirius, Lord of the Dog Star, which does rather puts its home in outer space.

When Sirius' plan, to gather all dogs to eternal bliss in its bosom (yes, it's the canine rapture), is announced we get Cadpig's reaction (Cadpig is one of the 101 dalmatians and now the Prime Minister's dog) to the news that they can go to the Dog Star:

Cadpig said, 'How could we? How could we ever get there? We should need millions of rockets.'
Sirius laughed.'Rockets, Cadpig? Rockets are cumbersome, expensive and highly dangerous -- though no doubt they are the best method of travelling into Space that men can think of. But the mind of a star can do better than the minds of men. Remember we stars live in space. Once you decide to come with me, I shall arrange it quite simply. [...] You will be there in a twinkling of a star -- once you decide'.

Sirius doesn't have great regard for human ingenuity, but then whatever "metaphysical" powers stars have are better--even the tractor has to be helped along by multiple swooshers. It's a shame: the image of millions of Laikas all voyaging to the stars rather appeals--and think of all the clean footpaths!

They don't go, unfortunately for Tommy, maybe, who wants to explore space. But it's not a book about space. It's a book about dogginess, about wanting to have a relationship with an owner (the strays don't want to go because they don't want to all be "owned" by Sirius, they each want their own owner) about wanting a doggy life. But it's also definitely anti-technology: Cruella de Vil's new venture the "clothes that clank" strikes me as a none too subtle comment on technological development and there's a quite disturbing passage (I'm reading this to a six-year old and was probably not much older than that when I read it) about the prospect of self-inflicted annihilation of humanity. Sirius, magician dog and star being, is magical or miraculous rather than an alien superpower.