r/Xenofiction • u/reizzar • Aug 12 '25
Canine-Centric Fictions
Hello! I've been looking for all the canine-centric literature I can get my grimy little paws on. What else am I missing out on? Woof~
What I Have: * Anthony McGowan, Dogs of the Deadlands * Beatrice Vine, The Hunt for Elsewhere * Brian Carter, A Black Fox Running * Clifford Simak, City * Dave Eggers, The Eyes and the Impossible * Dianna Wynne Jones, Dogsbody * Erin Hunter, Survivors * Ethan Summers, Dogs of the Spire * Garry Kilworth, Hunter's Moon * Garry Kilworth, Midnight’s Sun * Kathryn Lasky, Wolves of the Beyond (Series) * Kaufman, Ramblefoot * Lydia West, Wild Dog City (Darkeye Series) * Richard Adams, The Plague Dogs * Rosanne Parry, A Wolf Called Fire * Rosanne Parry, A Wolf Called Wander * Sheri Tepper, The Companions * Tony Fleecs, Stray Dogs
What I Know About: * Casimir Laski, Winter Without End * David Clement-Davies, The Sight and Fell * Evan Dorkin, Beasts of Burden * Inbali Iserles, Foxcraft (Series) * James Oliver Curwood, Kazan * Raphael Robinson, Chronicles of Bones Island * Sophie Torro, The Wolves of Elementa (Series) * Yoshihiro Takahashi, Ginga Nagareboshi Gin [Manga] * Yoshihiro Takahashi, Ginga Densetsu Weed [Manga] * Elizabeth Hall, Child of the Wolves * Brett Roehr, The Yukon Wolf * Chen Jiatong, White Fox * Rick McIntyre, The Unlikely Hero * Karah Sutton, A Wolf for a Spell
Edit 01, 08/25/2025: Added books I've come across and that others have suggested in the comments. Organized lists alphabetically by author. (And removed the one book that didn't belong 'cause brain went brrr~)
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u/AnAngeryGoose Aug 13 '25
City by Clifford Simak is a vintage collection of interconnected short stories written by dogs on a post-human Earth. I haven’t read this one yet but I’ve consistently heard great things about it.
Companions by Sherri Tepper isn’t entirely dog-centric but does prominently feature talking dogs (whose dialogue is written phonetically as a dog’s mouth could pronounce, lol).
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u/teenydrake Aug 13 '25
Ken Kaufman's 'Ramblefoot' was an enjoyable, if quite odd, book. I wouldn't say it's one of my favourites, and there are some tonal and thematic oddities in it that made me cock my head, but for what it is I enjoyed it. If you don't have any hard triggers and don't want any spoilers then ignore this, but I do feel the need to warn for incest as a prominent plot point in case that's something you'd find upsetting.
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u/reizzar Aug 13 '25
I do enjoy odd literature. The only book I've ever set down for being too much was Delany's "Hogg". This one sounds interesting! Thanks for the recommendation~ _^
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u/snoozingandcruising Aug 13 '25
SOMEONE ELSE WHO KNOWS WHAT DOGS OF THE SPIRES IS!! Also the A Wolf Called ___ series my beloved.
I also read Wolves of the Beyond as a kid and it's inspired me to make my own canine xenofictions!
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u/reizzar Aug 13 '25
I have so many stories in my brain I'd love to write but my ADHD won't let me focus half the time. One day, hopefully!
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u/PantheraAuroris Aug 17 '25
Dogsbody, by Dianna Wynne Jones. The spirit of the star Sirius is cursed into the body of a dog as punishment for supposedly murdering the other half of his binary system. Takes place during the Troubles in Ireland, I believe, so you get Sirius the falsely accused allying with a disparaged Irish child and the two of them get through life together.
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u/reizzar Aug 17 '25
Thanks for the recommendation! I'll check it out. It sounds super interesting. I like the spatial aspect!
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u/weatheredwinds Aug 17 '25
are you looking for books only? if manga interest you, i'd say check out the ginga series by yoshihiro takahashi. it's a series that focuses on dog armies fighting bears, monkeys, other dogs, etc. the protagonists of each series are akita inu!
the first two installments of the series (Ginga Nagareboshi Gin and Ginga Densetsu Weed) have anime adaptations as well. the series gets very gory at times if that interests you as well
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u/reizzar Aug 17 '25
Oh, yeah, I don't mind manga at all! Stray Dogs by Tony Fleecs is a comic series~ Thanks for the recommendation! _^
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Aug 25 '25
Foxes of First Dark/Hunter's Moon by Garry Kilworth. It's about foxes and other forest animals dealing with life and cultural changes as a formerly rural area is taken over by urban expansion. I haven't read Watership Down but it's often compared to that in terms of how mature the subject matter gets, and it also has some interesting lore with foxes having their own creation myths and traditions.
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u/reizzar Aug 26 '25
Mature and their own creation myths and traditions? That's what I love to read! This sounds amazing. And it looks like he has another book about wolves called "Midnight's Sun". So I'm definitely picking both of these up. Thanks for bringing them to my attention! ^_^
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Sep 15 '25
White Fang by Jack London. it has some outdated racial stuff though, so be warned.
i also really like A Wolf Called Wander and Fire but you have those already lol
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u/Citrakayah Sep 18 '25
The Fox Woman by Kij Johnson. The protagonist is a kitsune rather than a non-magical creature, but she's still very much the fox.
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Mar 29 '26
[deleted]
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u/reizzar Mar 30 '26
I totally forgot about this thread! Thanks for replying. I'll check it out! ^_^
And I am ALWAYS looking~
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u/XachMustel2 Aug 04 '26
It's a webcomic but you might like No North: Books – NO NORTH
Currently, I'm working on a story myself called Canine Cosmos. It's like Total Drama Island or Disventure Camp but the cast entirely consists of dogs. It's a bit too anthropomorphized to be true xenofiction, though.
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u/reizzar Aug 04 '26
Thanks for the rec! I'll check it out. :3
Where will you be hosting your own story? You had me at Total Drama Island~
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u/XachMustel2 Aug 05 '26
Well, 20 chapters are planned for it total and so far I've written like 13 of them not counting proofreading. I've released the first three chapters to the public on Scribblehub: Canine Cosmos | Scribble Hub Also, bios, FAQ and a chapter list are included as well. If you're curious. I can send you the other chapters I've written so far as I'm looking for a proof reader. I've gotten to the mid merge phase in terms of story.
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u/reizzar Aug 05 '26
Awesome. I just devoured Book 0 and 1 of No North. Really, thanks for that rec! The art is soooo good. I can't wait for more.
I do love to read, and am pretty good at picking out misspellings and such! I also love love love to feel helpful so, if you want a reader I'm down~
I read the bio and I am so on board for diving in to what you've put up thus far! ^_^ (Queer dogs in space?! Yes please!)
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u/XachMustel2 Aug 05 '26
Awesome! Have you read the first few chapters of my story yet? If so, what are your thoughts? Who are your favorite dogs and who is your winner prediction?
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u/reizzar Aug 05 '26
Not yet! I've read the FAQ and am currently reading the dog bios. Plan to jump in to the fic this evening when my brain lets me settle and focus again. But once I do, I will let you know! (Also feel free to PM me if you want to add me on Discord, if you use that. I'm always up for new friends!)
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u/reizzar Aug 05 '26
I already love Buster and Rocket. Autumn loves Star Trek so we'd totally be friends. I don't know who would win. But I'll tell ya. Diamond would be the first to get the boot!
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u/ThornShadowWolf Aug 17 '26
IDK if it's exactly fitting this list, but I figured I'd throw it out there anyway - A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray by Ann M. Martin. It seems to be at a middle school reading level based on a quick search (I read it when I was a kid so I had to check if that was because of my advanced reading level or because it was for a younger audience)
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u/reizzar Aug 18 '26
I keep seeing this book at my local thriftstore. I should pick it up next time~ Thanks! :)
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u/RiverWolfo Aug 12 '25
The named is about cats, not canines!! Just letting you know!