In the far future, the cities of the world are deserted and automation has invaded every aspect of life. The robots make spaceships, the ants create huge buildings on the remains of old towns and the dogs take over the earth. The canines discuss how they owe their ascendance to an extinct and perhaps mythical species of benevolent, if misguided, humans. A bleak, melancholy portrayal of humanity's prospects for survival, "City" is unusual not only for its dystopian vision but also for its often pastoral storytelling. -- D. at Amazon. com.