Dog 137
About
Coming Soon!
Someone needs to stop the experiments on the dogs. They are being deliberately poisoned to support the Army’s World War I chemical warfare program. The job falls to a homeless orphan, known as Einleff. Will he find the humanity within himself to save the dogs, or will he become complicit in the experiments and allow them to continue?
Dog 137 incorporates elements of historical fiction, magical realism and psychological horror. Einleff hears voices coming from mechanical equipment, photographs, ancient skulls and, especially, the dogs. His physical features suggest he is from a race thought long extinct. Is he, in fact, human?
Dog 137 traces Einleff's story from his childhood in a religious orphanage, to a terrifying experience as a foster child, to his homelessness, to his accidental arrival at a crumbling medical school where the experiments are taking place. Initially ambivalent about the fate of the dogs, Einleff becomes a convenient pawn, assisting with the experiments. He must find a way to claim his humanity on his own terms or risk becoming a victim himself. When the experimental edifice finally collapses, nothing is left standing but Einleff himself … and the dogs.
The novel will be published by Main Street Rag in spring 2026.
Praise for this book
Dog 137 is a deeply moving story that is hard to put down. The vividly descriptive detail and historical accuracy drenches the reader in the ambience of WWI poverty-stricken America. The struggles of a homeless young teenager trying to survive on his own while confronting the brutal and questionable mores of the time make for a damn good read.