"The Evolution of Trickster Stories Among the Dogs of North Park After the Change" is a 2007 science fiction/fantasy short story by American writer Kij Johnson.
It was originally published in The Coyote Road: Trickster Tales, from Viking Press,Firebird, at Penguin Books (via archive.org); retrieved December 19, 2010 and subsequently republished in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: 21st Annual Collection.
Synopsis The story depicts a world in the aftermath of "the Change", a mysterious event whereby all domesticated mammals spontaneously gain near-human intelligence and the ability to speak. Terrified pet owners evict their dogs, and the bewildered animals cluster together in packs.
Linna, a student, interacts with the abandoned dogs as they become feral, and notices that they tell each other stories about "One Dog", a trickster figure.
Reception It was shortlisted for the 2007 Nebula Award for Best Novelette.Nebula nominees list at Locus, retrieved December 19, 2010 and the 2008 World Fantasy Award—Short Fiction.News archive: 9 August 2008: World Fantasy Awards Nominations at SF Site, by Steven H Silver, retrieved December 19, 2010
Steven H Silver, writing at Black Gate, called it "excellent", describing it as a "fable" — a term he also applies to the stories the dogs tell each other.Birthday Reviews: Kij Johnson’s “The Evolution of Trickster Stories Among the Dogs of North Park After the Change”, by Steven H Silver, at Black Gate; published January 20, 2018; retrieved December 7, 2025
References
External links Text of the story on Kij Johnson's official site