A review by triscuit807
Sirius by Olaf Stapledon

4.0

4 stars. Is this a happy book? No. It is a very thought-provoking book that should be read in combination with Shelley's "Frankenstein" and Wells's "The Island of Dr. Moreau"; all three confront the idea of humanity's intelligence/soul being endowed (in a scientific fashion) into subhuman/nonhuman being and the consequences of doing so. Sirius, a super human hormone enhanced dog, is raised in a family and along the scientist's family. He is both dog and human and there is only one of him; as a result he's alone in a way loneliness doesn't quite describe. Much of the book is Sirius's existential exploration of what being Sirius-alone means. The super dog is raised as a scientist, but he has a fascination for religion and spirit. There is also a lot focused on Sirius's relationship with the youngest daughter, Plaxy. This where the subtitle "A Fantasy of Love and Discord" comes into play. The love is familial, emotional, and to a degree physical (but sexual only in rumor). The discord is often familial and can result in the emergence of Sirius's wolf spirit, i.e. he runs wild and this is a problem in sheep country. The narrative gives me an old-fashioned vibe; it's 1st P narration, but the POV isn't Sirius directly, but that of Plaxy's boyfriend and future husband. I read this for my 2020 Reading Challenge (Swords/Stars "classic sf/f") and the 2020 Hugo nominations (Retro Best Novel).