Pups

by David Perlmutter

This is the story of the Pups, a popular canine comedy team who lead a double life as super-powered enforcers of justice, thanks to a common intersecting piece of their past which they discover in the course of meeting each other for the first time. They, and most of the dogs of North America in this future time, are sentient, intelligent beings through "experimentation" of the U.S. government which did not go the way it was planned. Dogs now exist as a persecuted minority in the U.S., though they take measures to protect themselves socially and economically from exploitation by the humans. A road accident outside of Rolling Fork, Mississippi, and the sudden appearance of a meteor from outer space, was the source of their mysterious powers. Complications come in the form of the Genius, a super-villain intent on both conquering the world and destroying the Pups. Can the sextet of heroes possibly overcome the villain and save themselves from destruction? Stay tuned... Published by Twisted Library Press

110 pages, Paperback

First published September 6, 2011

About the author

David Perlmutter is a freelance writer based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is the author of America Toons In: A History of Television Animation (McFarland and Co.), The Singular Adventures Of Jefferson Ball (Chupa Cabra House), The Pups (Booklocker.com), Certain Private Conversations and Other Stories (Aurora Publishing), Honey and Salt (Scarlet Leaf Publishing), The Encyclopedia of American Animated Cartoon Series (Rowman and Littlefield, forthcoming) and Orthicon; or, the History of a Bad Idea (Linkville Press, forthcoming) He can be reached on Facebook at David Perlmutter-Writer, Twitter at @DKPLJW1, and Tumblr at The Musings of David Perlmutter (yesdavidperlmutterfan).

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm, how to review this book. First off, I have to say this is one of the most unique books I have come across in a very long time. There is really no comparison to it, and I can't think of any book I have read that is even similar to it. Even the cover is unique.

But with it's uniqueness also came some issues for me. First, the book is written in a alternating first person narrative style, with six humanized, super-hero dogs taking turns telling their story. I am not a fan of first person narratives, so this was a bit off-putting to me. And this novella also has footnotes, many repeated editorial footnotes, throughout the whole story. For me these footnotes broke up the flow of the story, and I would have much preferred they not been included.

Since this book is so unusual, I looked up the author's biography here on Goodreads. It states: "His passions are American television animation... literature (especially science fiction and fantasy) and music (rhythm& blues, soul, funk and jazz.) This explains why much of his writing is as nonconventional and defiant as it is. He is challenged with Asperger’s Syndrome, but considers it an asset more than a disability."

Well, his biography definitely nailed this book. Nonconventional and defiant is an excellent way to describe this story. As his asset of Asperger's helps explain to me why he took some of the unique twists and turns that he took with this story.

In the end though, this novella didn't work for me as a novella. In my opinion, the story seems more suited as an animated television show, which may be what the author originally intended, since it is listed as one of his passions. I could picture this novella as the start of a cartoon series, along the lines of Scooby Doo and company, or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This seems to be the medium that it is better suited for.

But for others, who enjoy this type of story in novella form, this might be right up your alley.

[Felicia A Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book I edited, now a published book. No zombies....this one is for the fantasy/superhero lovers. Check out the Amazon description - I don't know how to add it to GR.

http://www.amazon.com/Pups-Deedee-Dav...