Eighteenth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

As animal studies’ popularity continues to grow, so does the number of philosophers and academics who point at science fiction (SF) as the most suitable genre to study the limits of animal representation. This paper examines SF works by Olaf Stapledon and Clifford D. Simak whose main characters are uplift dogs. I argue that this literary figure deserves attention since it may hold many keys to contemporary debates in the chosen methodology. In order to achieve a comprehensive definition of the uplift animal, it is necessary to identify which precise characteristics distinguish such animal representations from previous classical animal representations. In this work, I compare both authors’ science fiction writings, paying special attention to the innovative way animals are represented in contrast to anthropocentric human-centered narratives.