Animal/Human connections- To what extent is this science “fiction”?

[Brenda Creech]

There can certainly be a close relationship between an animal and a human, but I think the book took it a little too far! At first Grant and Shadow's conversation was somewhat believable, but the animal-human conversations got to be too unbelievable from my perspective.

[Laura Britos]

I do really think that it is possible that animals and humans can develop a bond between them. It is something that we sometimes see with pets, when they can communicate with us through body language and sort of express what they are feeling.

[victoriasimons]

I believe that animals and humans can have a form of connection and understanding. Emotions can be detected as well as wants or fears. However, to suggest that there is a shared language seems far-fetched, rendering 'conversations' mere fantasy.

[Teele]

I would say that is pure fiction. Its just a figment of imagination.

[Arun_Bohra]

This type of relation between an animal and a human can exist. In my opinion this is apossible by establishing a soul relation with another living being.

[Unique Ego]

Animals and humans can communicate but not like humans with humans. Animal/human communication has more to do with body movements and signs than actual speech.

[Mbrooks2518]

I think having more in-depth, realistic conversations with an animal definitely falls into the realm of fantasy.

[Sammijo93]

Yes this seems a bit unorthodox in comparison to how real life humans and animals interact. Take a dog for instance. We can usually understand through both verbal and nonverbal signals what the dog is wanting at a given time. That is different from being able to clearly understand the animal in their own language.

[Samantha Gayle]

There are obviously strong connections between man and beast and Grant tuned into that. It did become very fantastical, which I think for some became a distraction/turn off. I think that stems from some of the book really not feeling like a true sci-fi fantasy novel. We begin in a very, mystery, who done it thriller type way, and we slowly move towards Zona which is fantastical and otherworldly. So I did feel a slight, “c’mon really” feel at some points.

[Beatus]

The quantum level of communication can break all barriers. It's practically possible but I think not scientifically verified.

[TrudiNZ]

I thought that Grant communicating with the wolves was the only bit of the novel that would possibly classify as sci-fi, as it was communication on a level that wouldn't normally occur in nature.

[Dreamer80]

Honestly, i believe over time the touch of reality just washed away. It couldve been believable but then the author went slightly overboard

[evraealtana]

I believe that it is possible to have deep communication, but not the way it was portrayed in the book. Domesticated animals are bred to be more adept at reading - and mimicking - human facial expressions and vocal tones. This is why dogs look "guilty" when you frown at them; they are reading your face, inferring that you are upset, and adopt an expression that they hope will get them out of whatever trouble you think they should be in. The same is true, to a lesser extent, in cats and horses, which were also bred to be able to coexist with humans. Some dogs can even understand the meanings of short sentences: "Jojo, go get the mail, and then we'll go for a walk."

It is a very different with wild animals, which have not been selected for communication in this way. Consider chimpanzees, which are very similar in behavior, emotional range, and social structure to humans: for them, a smile is aggressive and provokes defensive behavior. A human trying to appease a chimpanzee by smiling at it, which would soothe a dog, may prompt the chimp to attack.

The same is true with other species, including wolves. Not to say that wolves can't be domesticated. But a wild wolf is not going to form that kind of a bond with a human, and certainly won't be able to communicate even as the author portrays it in the beginning, let alone toward the end.

[evraealtana]

Honestly, i believe over time the touch of reality just washed away.

This actually is an awesome point. It may be that Grant was "having conversations" by himself, not actually being as in touch with reality as he believed he was.

[FaithMO19]

I think the author overdid the connection because he was trying to go with the genre of the book... It is after all science fiction, most of what happened in the book are products of his imagination.