Published - August 15, 2016
1876 - 1916
Jack London wrote several novels and stories. He is also featured in a Star Trek episode. Not sure if that episode really portrays him as he was.
He is best known for White Fang and The Call of the Wild. In memory of his affection for the wild west, there is a Jack London State Historical Park in California that includes the remains of the mysterious Wolf House that burned to the ground shortly before he and his wife could move in.
His writings feature animals, especially dogs, in ways most writers had not even attempted before. They were equals. Characters. Each with a personality. As real to the writer and the reader as any modern animation film character.
Thanks to Jack London, I remember to include animals in my novels. I try to make them as real as possible, with variant personalities. Fortune (a horse) will happily kick the men in the corral who abused her. After she is given to Amber, their bond becomes inseparable.
In one culture I write of, young women are given a female puppy upon reaching adulthood. As a symbol of their attaining the status, and the hopefully fertility that is needed to keep the community alive. In another novel, a young wolf pup saves the lives of the characters, and may become a guiding dog of another, if the human so desires.
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