Author Von Gunden published a number of sci-fi novels with Ace during the 1990s. He also authored two nonfiction books, 'Twenty All-Time Great Science Fiction Films' (1982), and 'Flights of Fancy: The Great Fantasy Films' (1989).
The K-9 Corps are nine dogs that have been genetically engineered to have high intelligence, and the ability to speak (albeit broken) English. They are scout dogs, trained to follow the commands of their master, a young man named Ray Larkin. Larkin and his Corps earn their livelihood by contracting to provide security and protection to colonization efforts on distant planets.
As the novel opens, Larkin and the Corps have a contract on the newly discovered world of Chiron, a hospitable planet considered extremely important to the aims of the Triumvirate that governs Earth. For reasons that are not disclosed to Larkin and his colleagues, Chiron is vital to the Triumvirate's goal of expanding to other regions of the galaxy.
Along with his 'throuple' partners Mary and Taylor (don't get excited anyone, this is presented in a very chaste manner), Larkin is responsible for the welfare of the gigantic, genetically modified earthworms, known as cholos, that chew up the Chiron grasslands in preparation for seeding said lands with Earth flora.
The terraforming is proceeding well when trouble arises. The indigenous 'centaurs,' a cross between reptiles and the centaurs of ancient Greek mythology, are displeased at the thought of their lands being dispossessed by two-legged aliens. When Ray discovers that the centaurs are sentient, the conflict takes an unexpected turn, one that will cause Larkin to question his allegiance to his mission..........
I was confident with assigning 'K-9 Corps' a Two-Star Rating. While the initial chapters hold interest as framing devices, the middle section of the novel badly loses momentum, as Von Gunden decides to turn the narrative into a 'first contact' storyline.
There is invented anthropology, with the centaurs representing counterparts to the Sioux Indians of the great plains. The reader must gird for stilted Injun-speak, vision quest ceremonies, burial ceremonies, medicine men, Great Spirit allusions, buffalo hunts, bad blank verse poetry intended to mimic Native American fireside songs, etc. The K-9 dogs essentially are sent backstage, and there is some melodrama between Taylor and Mary that doesn't contribute all that much to the novel.
In the final chapters author Von Gunden tries to reseat the plot, and there are some action sequences, but these couldn't prevent me from finishing 'K-9 Corps' with the feeling that other authors could have brought more imagination, and excitement, to the concept.
[I was queasy to learn that the K-9 series is endorsed by the so-called 'Furry' or 'anthro' communities, but it turns out that this is true of many sci-fi and fantasy books involving talking animals.............]
So, unless you're a Furry, or you've a keen interest in the mingling of talking dogs with standard-issue sci-fi tropes, you're probably not going to find this novel to be very engrossing.
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