Petting Zoo

Publication(s)

Wolfe's comments from the Introduction to Starwater Strains

"Petting Zoo is a favorite story of David Hartwell's, the master editor who edited this book and most of my others. Do you like dinosaurs? I loved them when I was a kid, and I've noticed that Hobbes' buddy Calvin loves them at least as much. Perhaps David feels the same way."

Summary

An man visits a talking purple dinosaur at the zoo, one he created as a boy. The man has been "reeducated" and the dinosaur tamed to give children rides around the zoo.

Analysis

  • The final exchange: "Your kind used to rule the Earth." ... "Yeah," he mumbled, "You too." This indicates humans no longer rule the Earth either; robots do.
  • The purple dinosaur is a reference to Barney.
  • Some of the incidents with Roderick and Rex seem to refer to Danny and the Dinosaur, a popular children's book.
  • Roderick is from Old German and means "famous power." Rex is from Latin and means "king."

Unresolved Questions


< Mute | Starwater Strains | Castaway >

function:RenderStopWatch