# Have you read the sequel to "101 Dalmatians"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [June 4, 2021, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-sequel-to-101-dalmatians/943650 "2021-06-04T23:27:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2021, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-sequel-to-101-dalmatians/943650/1 "2021-06-04T23:27:20Z")
There have been numerous sequels and remakes of the animated “101 Dalmatians”, but _none_ of them are based on the actual sequel to the book. “The Starlight Barking” was published in 1967, and nobody I know (besides myself) have even heard of it, let alone read it. I happened across it when I was 11 years old-In fact, I read it before I read the original. The synopsis is in this link…but it would be more fun to read it without peeking at the link just for the doubletake. [The Starlight Barking - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Starlight_Barking) Has anyone else heard of and/or read this book? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2021, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-sequel-to-101-dalmatians/943650/2 "2021-06-05T03:13:43Z")
I guess I’m the only one. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2021, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-sequel-to-101-dalmatians/943650/3 "2021-06-05T03:18:13Z")
I loved the animated movie when I was a kid, and read the first book, but I don’t think I’d ever heard of the sequel. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2021, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-sequel-to-101-dalmatians/943650/4 "2021-06-05T03:57:35Z")
I’ve read the original. I have heard of the sequel but haven’t read it. It was mentioned in an online article (maybe on Cracked?) of well-known works that had bizarre sequels. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2021, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-sequel-to-101-dalmatians/943650/5 "2021-06-05T04:41:39Z")
Oddly enough I was thinking of the original a few days ago when I heard dogs barking in the mountains and wondered if they were communicating, as in the “Twilight Barking”. For me, that was one of the most memorable parts of the book. However looking at the plot summary of _Starlight Barking_, it sounds like the sequel takes a very different turn? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2021, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-sequel-to-101-dalmatians/943650/6 "2021-06-05T07:10:36Z")
> [@gkster](#): > > it sounds like the sequel takes a very different turn? Space travel and murder plots…and that is not even the weird parts. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2021, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-sequel-to-101-dalmatians/943650/7 "2021-06-05T07:30:07Z")
I’ve talked about it before on here. It is quite bizarre. Unfortunately, the things that make it so bizarre are also a massive spoiler. I think that, if I knew too much about it going in, it wouldn’t have been as fun to read. I guess I can point out that it takes a jump into the supernatural and/or science fantasy and lacks a traditional narrative or big bad. To me, the weirdness is what makes it compelling to read. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2021, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-sequel-to-101-dalmatians/943650/8 "2021-06-05T11:22:18Z")
Yes, I read it as a child. It takes a big jump into a different genre compared to the first book, and I’m not surprised the animated sequels ignored it. I really can’t remember what I thought of it at the time though. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2021, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-sequel-to-101-dalmatians/943650/9 "2021-06-05T13:38:57Z")
That was a damn strange sequel. I thought the dogs should (whoops, didn’t mean to spoil it) ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2021, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-sequel-to-101-dalmatians/943650/10 "2021-06-05T13:44:31Z")
I know @Dendarii_Dame has read it. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2021, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-sequel-to-101-dalmatians/943650/11 "2021-06-05T15:39:41Z")
I have indeed read it, and used to own a copy. I didn’t like the plot much, except for the method the dogs were given to move extremely rapidly, which was called “swooshing”–essentially, very low-altitude flight. (The author needed to move the dogs around quickly so that the story could take place in a short amount of time.) I wished I could “swoosh”. The first time I saw people using Rollerblades, I thought of swooshing. I never worked up the nerve to try it, though. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lantern2/32/3010_2.png) [@Lantern2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern2)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2021, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-sequel-to-101-dalmatians/943650/12 "2021-06-05T17:44:53Z")
I read the original as a kid but no I had never heard of the sequel. I read the first few paras of the synopsis and I have to say it sounds like a most intriguing and original premise. Does the novel execute it well? I might give it a shot some time. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2021, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-sequel-to-101-dalmatians/943650/13 "2021-06-05T18:13:22Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I guess I’m the only one. I read it a long time ago. Not as a kid because I didn’t know about it then – I was already in my teens by the time it was published. But I remember it as being rather bizarre. ETA: Dodie Smith wrote a multivolume autobiography ( 5 or 6 vols), and it was mostly interesting. She had a eventful life. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2021, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-sequel-to-101-dalmatians/943650/14 "2021-06-05T18:33:31Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I guess I’m the only one. I think it’s the result of being a subset of a tiny population to begin with. Until now the only person in the world I’d heard of who’d read Dodie’s book – as opposed to the Disney treatments – was **DesertRoomie**. I just asked her and she was unaware of the sequel. Think I’ll get it for her Kindle. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2021, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-sequel-to-101-dalmatians/943650/15 "2021-06-05T18:53:55Z")
Shouldn’t the sequel have been about bankruptcy? > **[One Hundred and One Dalmatians: The Aftermath](https://inkopious.com/blogs/articles/one-hundred-and-one-dalmatians-the-aftermath)** > > One Hundred and One Dalmatians is an undeniable classic! It’s a sweet, fun-to-watch Disney animation perfect for any dog lover or quite frankly, anyone looking for a delightful family-friendly movie! It’s full of adventure, hilarious characters,... ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2021, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-sequel-to-101-dalmatians/943650/16 "2021-06-05T19:39:50Z")
> [@Lantern2](#): > > I read the original as a kid but no I had never heard of the sequel. I read the first few paras of the synopsis and I have to say it sounds like a most intriguing and original premise. Does the novel execute it well? I might give it a shot some time. Depends on what you mean by “well.” It worked for me, but it’s very schmaltzy, and lacks a traditional narrative. The ending is more “Aren’t dogs awesome?” Thing is, it’s also rather short, so I was able to read it fast enough for it not to wear out its welcome. I honestly recommend reading it for the experience. But I wouldn’t necessarily call it a great book or anything. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2021, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-sequel-to-101-dalmatians/943650/17 "2021-06-06T08:34:51Z")
I found it in a library, and remember nothing beyond the title and that it was a worthless waste of time. I might have appreciated it more when I was younger, but actually, I started on adult books at a young age, and although I loved the artwork of Disney’s 101 Dalmatians, I didn’t like the text of 101 or of its sequel, and still don’t. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2021, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-sequel-to-101-dalmatians/943650/18 "2021-06-06T12:29:54Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Shouldn’t the sequel have been about bankruptcy? - > > [One Hundred and One Dalmatians: The Aftermath – Inkopious](https://inkopious.com/blogs/articles/one-hundred-and-one-dalmatians-the-aftermath) Not to mention the quantity of dog poop. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2021, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-sequel-to-101-dalmatians/943650/19 "2021-06-06T13:08:38Z")
Allow me to add one more thing: while the genre and narrative structure are quite different, Dodie Smith does keep the same way of speaking to the reader. It’s hard for me to describe, but it’s like she’s telling a story, rather than writing it, and letting the reader in on a secret, switching between matter-of-fact statements and wonderment. In the first book, this is all stuff that all dogs actually do that we never learn about. In the second, this event actually happened, and we just didn’t know about it. I wish I could describe it better, as I think that’s a large part of why the book worked for me. It reminded me of C.S Lewis and Narnia, with the second book being written in the style of the last chapter of _The Last Battle_. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2021, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-sequel-to-101-dalmatians/943650/20 "2021-06-06T18:26:57Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > > > Shouldn’t the sequel have been about bankruptcy? - > > > > [One Hundred and One Dalmatians: The Aftermath – Inkopious](https://inkopious.com/blogs/articles/one-hundred-and-one-dalmatians-the-aftermath) > > Not to mention the quantity of dog poop. The Radcliffes’ plan was to found a _Dalmation Plantation_. Once they’ve trained the dogs to work the cotton fields, the place ought to be self-sustaining. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-sequel-to-101-dalmatians/943650.md?page=2)