Dogs of War – Adrian Tchaikovsky

With his novel Dogs of War, prolific SFF author Adrian Tchaikovsky explores questions of ethics, free will and what it means to be human, wrapped up in an enthralling story about genetically engineered animal soldiers. Seven feet tall and capable of astonishing feats of violence, Rex is a Bioform – a biotechnical hybrid of dog and man – engineered solely for war. He leads his pack (including Honey the bear, Dragon and Bees) into combat following the orders of his Master, his obedience rewarded by his feedback chip, and all he wants is to be a Good Dog. When faced with the freedom to follow his own path and make his own decisions, however, Rex learns that being a Good Dog isn’t always easy.

Take high-concept technology (biomechanical control mechanisms and distributed intelligences), the animal kingdom (mostly dogs, but not exclusively), complex ethical questions (amongst others: dilemmas of choice; technological responsibilities; what qualifies as humanity?) and a relatable world, add a compelling protagonist with a unique voice, and in Tchaikovsky’s hands you get a sci-fi tale that’s powerfully human. Rex’s voice and point of view take a bit of getting used to, and there’s a fair bit of world-building to absorb early on, but once you settle into the flow of the story – helped by a couple of slightly less unusual POV characters – it quickly becomes clear that Rex’s canine perspective actually offers an incredible insight into a very human character’s growth.

As the story develops and Rex is forced to grow beyond his initial viewpoint, as he becomes increasingly self-aware and able to think for himself, his world broadens out and becomes richer…but at the same time becomes more complicated and more painful for him. There’s more to this than just one character’s development though, and as visceral combat is gradually exchanged for legal wrangling and political maneuvering the personal stakes are joined by a wider sense of global impact. Rex and his fellow Bioforms offer a threat to the status quo, and alongside his personal development he inspires an exploration of how humanity treats things that it considers ‘lesser’, and the impact that technology has on this never-ending debate.

Relatively short novels like this (and, similarly, novellas) can have an appeal all of their own, and this is a fantastic example of how much can be achieved without needing vast page counts. Tchaikovsky takes an apparently simple concept – what happens when a soldier engineered to want to be loyal has to start thinking for himself – and runs with it, demonstrating that beneath the simplicity is a powerful, thought-provoking story. The animal analogue is something of a Tchaikovsky trademark, but it’s incredibly effective here; the human (or at least non-Bioform) characters are well-drawn and engaging, but it’s Rex, Honey and Bees with all their strange biotechnical idiosyncrasies that prove the most relatable of the cast, and for all its sci-fi stylings this is quite simply a powerful, impactful story that’s bound to linger long in the mind.

Click on the links below to order* Dogs of War:

*If you buy anything using one of these links, I will receive a small affiliate commission – see here for more details.

If you enjoyed this review and would like to support Track of Words, you can leave a tip on my Ko-fi page.