I have to say, despite initial reservations that this book would be too childish, I actually ended up enjoying it a lot. That’s because they are good dogs, and good dogs always complete their mission. Alone with just their wits, he and his fellow Barkonauts must work together to survive and find out what happened to the human crew. Still, Lopside is unwilling to accept defeat. Any way you look at it, the situation seems hopeless, and indeed, command back home has already given up on them, declaring the mission a total loss. Food, water, and supplies are also low, yet they are still a long way off from reaching Stepping Stone. The Laika is severely damaged, the ship empty save for the four of them.

But when the dogs wake up, they find that everything has gone wrong. Lopside is nervous about going into cryosleep, but is comforted by Roro who tells him all will be well. The book begins with the crew preparing to go into hibernation for the long journey.

Their destination is Stepping Stone, a planet far outside of our solar system where the Laika hopes to establish a colony by first seeding it with agricultural crops and livestock. The four of them are especially close to Roro, their human handler who recruited and trained them for their mission in space. His team also consists of Daisy, the Great Dane puppy who is already as strong as an ox Bug, the Corgi genius who helps in Engineering and Champion, the captain’s loyal Golden Retriever who also serves as leader of the Barkonauts. Our protagonist is a terrier mix named Lopside, who fought hard against the odds to make it into the Barkonauts program despite his small size. As a result, dogs can also be taught to do so much more.

Thanks to technological advancements, the vocalizations and behaviors of dogs can be translated into human language, allowing communication between the two species. This book was just too darn cute!īilled as The Incredible Journey set in space, the story follows a team of four scrappy and adorable canine Barkonauts as they travel aboard the colonization ship Laika as companions and specially trained helpers to the human crew. Middle Grade fiction isn’t an age category I typically go for, but I’m a big fan of Greg Van Eekhout and when I saw the premise of Voyage of the Dogs I just couldn’t resist.

Voyage of the Dogs by Greg Van Eekhout