"Top Dog takes place on an Earth-like world full of strange sinister creatures. The narrator and main character is a large dog. The dog used to be W.B. "Bogie" Ingersol, corporate raider, hostile takeover specialist, Wall Street hot shot, and jerk. Accidentally, Bogie is transported from Earth to a parallel universe by an evil wizard, Zalzathar. It is believed Bogie holds the key to victory for the "dark side" in the battle for final victory.
He briefly teams up with a fox named Quick, as they meet a dying human whose pouch they take. He converses with rats, cats, snakes, stag, badgers, bears, horses, other dogs but not with humans as he must find out why he is now a huge canine in this medieval world. He encounters evil, horrific creatures like the Uulebeet, trolls, Pig Faces, Gutters, the Mogwert, a odd centaur-like creature half good and half evil named Boog-Weir, a sadistic wizard named Brofelio, and the "Dark One".
He is befriended by Helmish, a quirky but kindly inventor. He is a "two Legs" or human who names Ingersol, "Big" in difference to his enormous size. They journey to the city of Gowyith to alert the authorities that trouble is brewing and a war may be upon them. The good guys include Helither, a good wizard; fairies; and the Woodsmen, a dwarf-like race that eventually evolve into trees. Big is forced to choose a side in the upcoming battle. He has always been morally ambivalent and remains so now. His only guarantee of being returned to his life on Earth is to work for the bad guys. He crosses into both camps with difficulty and is sent to Balwar as a test of loyalty. He barely escapes and falls into the hands of another bad wizard before returning to Gowyith for the final show down.
Throughout the novel Bogey Ingersol has flashbacks to his life of wealth and privilege in NY. He realizes that he is truly unhappy and shares many of his outspoken, politically incorrect opinions on women, minorities, the poor, modern art, etc. Can he live long enough to get back to his uncaring wife Felicity and the potential prison term he faces from a recent trial or does he even wish to return? "
David Fletcher, Resident Scholar
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