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A Boy and His Dog | Introduction

Published in Harlan Ellison’s 1969 short-story collection, The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World, ‘‘A Boy and His Dog’’ is one of the author’s favorite works. Critics also appreciated the story, and it won the 1969 Nebula Award (awarded by Science Fiction Writers of America) for Best Novella. Six years later, it was adapted as a Hugo Award-winning film, with Don Johnson starring as Vic. ‘‘A Boy and His Dog’’ is considered one of Ellison’s most compelling stories, and the author expanded it into a novel in 1989.

The story takes place in post-apocalyptic America, where Vic and Blood (his telepathic dog) must fight to survive. The story’s violence, explicit sexuality, and coarse language shock many readers, although these elements support Ellison’s harsh presentation of the future world. Set in a bleak environment and carrying dark themes, it is often read as a cautionary tale about what the future may hold.

A Boy and His Dog Summary

‘‘A Boy and His Dog’’ is narrated by Vic, a teenaged boy who has a telepathic dog named Blood. The story is set in 2024 post-apocalypse America. Rubble, craters, and molten metal mark the landscape. There are two civilizations of survivors—those above ground and those below. Those who live below are called ‘‘downunders,’’ and their cities resemble those of pre-World War I America. Vic lives in the wreckage above ground and is a ‘‘solo,’’ which is someone who is not a member of one of the gangs (called ‘‘roverpaks’’) that wander the streets.

As the story opens, Vic tells Blood to find him a woman, but Blood is unsuccessful because most women are downunders. Blood, like most dogs who stay with solos, was bred for intellect, telepathy, and an acute sense of smell. He relies on Vic for food because he lacks the ability to hunt, and Vic relies on Blood to help him find women and to warn him of danger.

Vic and Blood go to the movies, where Blood senses a woman. When she leaves, they follow her into a shelled YMCA building, where Vic prepares to rape her. A roverpak arrives, and they all hide. After Vic and Blood kill several of the rovers, Vic sets the building on fire. He, Blood, and the girl, Quilla... » Complete A Boy and His Dog Summary

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1. A Boy and His Dog: Introduction
2. A Boy and His Dog: Summary
3. A Boy and His Dog: Harlan Ellison Biography
4. A Boy and His Dog: Characters
5. A Boy and His Dog: Themes
6. A Boy and His Dog: Style
7. A Boy and His Dog: Historical Context
8. A Boy and His Dog: Critical Overview
9. A Boy and His Dog: Essays and Criticism
   1. Role Reversals
   2. Ellison's Story is misogynistic and Adolescent
   3. Mythic Patterns in Ellison’s A Boy and His Dog
10. A Boy and His Dog: Compare and Contrast
11. A Boy and His Dog: Topics for Further Study
12. A Boy and His Dog: Media Adaptations
13. A Boy and His Dog: What Do I Read Next?
14. A Boy and His Dog: Bibliography and Further Reading
15. A Boy and His Dog: Pictures
16. Copyright

Related Topics

1. Harlan Ellison

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