| CITY was first published in 1952.
In a distant future, Earth is ruled by dogs. They are able to speak and they like to study the old legends describing a world ruled by Humans. These legends, that cover thousands of years, are about the Webster family who produced an impressive number of scientists and politicians during the course of time. They are also about Jenkins, a robot who served all the Websters who lived in the family home. After having found a way to produce food for the entire population and master the atomic energy, Humans had started to leave the cities and to live without central governments. Later, when the first pioneers found out that life on Jupiter, after the necessary and adequate physical conditioning, was way better than on Earth, the whole population left the Earth, leaving it to mutants and homeless robots. Anticipating the inevitable decline of the human race, the scientist Jon Webster modified then the vocal cords of the dogs, trained them and asked Jenkins the robot to look after them in the future in order that the dogs avoid making the errors the human civilization did. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of book - depressing/sad FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story Tech./$$$/Info hunt Yes Stealing/recovering/destroying Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Descript. of chases or violence - 0 % planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 50 % Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 30 % Animal Story Yes Kind of animal - dog Main Character Identity: - Robot Profession/status: If magical mental powers: - can read emotions Main Adversary Identity: - an entire race Has magical powers? Yes Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - can read emotions How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters Setting Terrain Which planet? - Jupiter Earth setting: - distant future Takes place on Earth? Yes Not Earth, in Solar System? Yes Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment scientific jargon? (SF only) - some scientific explanation How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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