Siriusly Concerned: Animal Non-Belongingness in a Dichotomized Environment

This article approaches Sirius (1944), by Olaf Stapledon, from a perspective that brings together literary animal studies and ecocriticism. The eponymous main character of this science fiction novel is genetically-modified dog who struggles between the human realms, being unable to belong either urban or natural spaces. I argue work carries out an exercise blurring boundaries, thus proposing alternatives for harmful binaries such as human-animal, city-nature, divine-mundane. Each these explored in three trips many experiences throughout novel. allows reflect on his peculiar, unique species singularity he is. claims it only empathy can help task; both nonhuman animals are then able rejoice biological, cultural, spiritual differences. Sirius’s analyzed order look closely at (1) dog’s reflections humankind while London, (2) becoming wolf, dog, same time woods, (3) music ideal tool articulate one’s spirituality based reconnection with almost lost biodiversity.