In my opinion, Nancy Kress is one of the best science fiction authors of today. During the mid-1990s, I read Beggars in Spain and was immediately hooked. Kress has the magical ability of weaving amazing plot, believable science, and intriguing characters into a coherent whole.
The winner of three Nebula Awards, a Hugo, two John W. Campbell Memorial Awards, and a Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, Kress has had a stellar career since starting to write in 1976. She's written at least 16 novels (including Dogs) and had many short stories published along the way. In additon, she's written three writing books for Writer's Digest books. With a M.S. in Education and a M.A. in English, she's used her writing skills and a love for science well during her career.
Dogs is another in that line of novels, pairing two of my favorite genres - Science Fiction and Thrillers. Think Lassie meets The Andromeda Strain and you'll get the idea.
Tyler, Maryland, is a quiet town within commuting distance of Washington, D.C. Tessa Sanderson, an ex-FBI agent, just retired to Tyler after the sudden tragedy of her husband Sallah's death. Mere weeks after moving to Tyler and beginning to get adjusted to her new life, Tessa is drawn into a bizarre series of incidents where tame domestic family dogs go insane and attack their owners.
Jess Langstrom, an animal control officer in Tyler, and his friend Billy are in the center of the storm as they are called upon to round up infected and uninfected animals alike, which raises the ire of many of the town's citizens.
Once the CDC becomes involved and the dogs are found to be suffering from a mysterious virus, Tyler becomes ground zero for a political and scientific problem that's the focus of intense debate across the United States. Political agendas and passionate pet owners collide to a spectacular conclusion.
Tessa has her own mission to clear her name and that of her husband when they're linked to a possible terrorist action. She ties it to what's going on in Tyler and goes on an international quest for details.
Meanwhile, Jess is caught up in the battle between the government's aims and that of Tyler's citizens, doing what he can to help Dr. Latkin get the samples he needs to find a cure or at the very least slow the spread of the virus...
Though I enjoyed this book, I have to say it's not my favorite of her works. She did a great job of tying the story back to Tyler, but I was left wondering about the criminal(s) behind the scenes. There were hints at a much larger terrorist agenda that were never followed up on. I was interested in the international aspect as she explored the childhood friendships of her dead husband, and many questions were left unanswered.
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1 - Brian Fitzpatrick
The rest of the interview with Nancy Kress can be found at my personal blog - the Lair of the Green Knight. Check it out to see what else Nancy Kress had to say!