A Boy And His Dog

♦ TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION ♦

1.     What expectations does a reader bring

to a story?

2.     What could the title A Boy and his Dog lead a reader to expect? Did the author probably intend this? What is the result?

3.    In what ways is Vic like any boy of his age?

4.     In what ways has he been shaped by his environment?

5.    When does the reader realize that Blood is a dog, not a human?

6.    Is Blood a "person"? Does he behave like a reasoning being?

7.    Why is Blood making an effort to educate Vic? What good can the learning he imparts do for Vic? Or is it for his own benefit as well?

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8.    Was Vic wrong with his assumption that Quilla June was searching for danger and excitement?

9.    What was Quilla June hoping to accomplish by luring Vic to her community?

10.  Was choosing to save Blood rather than Quilla June an easy decision for Vic?

♦ IDEAS FOR REPORTS AND PAPERS ♦

1.    So many people in this story ruin and waste whatever comes to hand, including other people. What is Ellison saying about human nature, even after disaster? Is there any chance for redemption, for individuals or humanity?

2.    If Vic had been born the year that you were born, in your neighborhood, how would his life be different from the story? Is Vic entirely a product of his upbringing? What sort of childhood would be necessary for Vic to be a different person? Is he capable of being better or worse than he is?

3.    There is a common saying that "Everyone is entitled to an opinion." One of the statements Ellison has made several times in his speeches and essays, including his nonfiction book The Glass Teat is: "Everyone is entitled to an 'informed' opinion." What significance does this modification of the cliche have for you? How do the opinions of the character Vic in this story change as he becomes more informed about the world around him? How does Vic's opinion of Quilla June change as he learns her motivations?

4.    Define the terms " Utopia" and "dystopia." Are there any Utopian elements to any community in this story? When, in general, does a Utopia become a dystopia? When does Vic realize that he has not yet found a Utopia?

5.    What similarities and differences can you find between this novelette and Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift? Does it matter that Vic has a faithful companion, while Gulliver travels alone? What do each of these travelers learn about the communities they visit?

6.    Imagine what Vic would own and carry on his person or in a pack. What clothing would he have that would suit post-apocalyptic Arizona? What tools and weapons would be most useful? Draw a sketch of Vic as you imagine him, and itemize a list of his possessions. What do you think would be sensible additions to his equipment, which Vic does not possess?

7.    What talents has Vic managed to accrue, with and without the help of Blood? What necessary skills is he lacking, in your opinion? What will be his eventual fate, sooner or later, without these skills?

8.    At the time the story was written, how possible did it seem that the world would suffer from nuclear war and environmental disaster that Ellison postulates? Why are fewer "after the nuclear war" stories and novels being published? What is the currently popular crisis for science fiction writers? How and why do these fashions in literature change as time passes?

♦ RELATED TITLES/ADAPTATIONS ♦

A Boy and His Dog was adapted for a feature film, released in 1975. The director worked uncommonly closely with the author, and Harlan Ellison has never been so satisfied before or since with the conversion of his writing to a visual medium. The film stars a young Don Johnson as Vic and an excellent dog actor as Blood, who earned a Patsy Award for his work. The film is avail-

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able on video in libraries and video stores. Rated R, the film is completely unsuited for young viewers and is upsetting for many adults. It is comparable in many respects to Stanley Kubrick's film version of A Clockwork Orange.

Ellison has written a version of the story for the comic book scripts Vic and Blood 1 (Mad Dog) 1987, Vic and Blood 2 (Mad Dog) 1988, and Vic and Blood (NBM) 1988 (collected volume in color).

Two further stories have been written by Harlan Ellison to extend this novelette to a full-length novel called Blood's a Rover. In the center piece, Blood is unable to save Vic, who falls into despair because of his murder of Quilla June and no longer sustains the constant effort necessary to survive. In the final portion of the novel, Blood finds a new human partner, a girl rover. The novel does not survive the viewpoint shift as well as a reader could hope, such as in Ellison's story "Pretty Maggie Money-Eyes" in which viewpoint shifts are handled brilliantly.

♦ FOR FURTHER REFERENCE ♦

Bleiler, Richard, editor. Science Fiction Writers, 2nd edition. New York: Scribner's, 1999. Includes an excellent biographical essay on Harlan Ellison and his multi-genre writing.

Ellison, Harlan. The Essential Ellison. Omaha: Nemo Press, 1987. A collection of eight-six selected works, including fiction, essays, and reviews.

Ellison, Harlan. The Glass Teat. New York: Ace, 1970. A collection of essays commenting on the impact of television.

♦ RELATED WEBSITES ♦

Harlan Ellison Web Site http://www. harlanellison.com. October 19,2001. The official Web site of Harlan Ellison, giving information about the author's life and works. It also provides a list of themes for his stories.

Paula Johanson

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Copyright © 2002 by The Gale Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.