The Dog Stars (Vintage Contemporaries)
SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the author of The River: In this "end-of-the-world novel more like a rapturous beginning" (San Francisco Chronicle), Hig somehow survived the flu pandemic that killed everyone he knows. His gripping story is "an ode to friendship between two men...the strong bond between a human and a dog, and a reminder of what is worth living for" (Minneapolis Star-Tribune).
Hig's wife is gone, his friends are dead, and he lives in the hangar of a small abandoned airport with his dog, Jasper, and a mercurial, gun-toting misanthrope named Bangley.
But when a random transmission beams through the radio of his 1956 Cessna, the voice ignites a hope deep inside him that a better life exists outside their tightly controlled perimeter. Risking everything, he flies past his point of no return and follows its static-broken trail, only to find something that is both better and worse than anything he could ever hope for.
Hig's wife is gone, his friends are dead, and he lives in the hangar of a small abandoned airport with his dog, Jasper, and a mercurial, gun-toting misanthrope named Bangley.
But when a random transmission beams through the radio of his 1956 Cessna, the voice ignites a hope deep inside him that a better life exists outside their tightly controlled perimeter. Risking everything, he flies past his point of no return and follows its static-broken trail, only to find something that is both better and worse than anything he could ever hope for.
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Community Reviews
Hig is a survivor of an epidemic, living with his dog and a nearby neighbor on constant alert for danger by traveling scavengers. A pilot who still takes periodic scouting flights, he is plagued by the memory of a voice on his radio, calling to him from the Denver airport.
I loved this story! Part post-apocalyptic, part adventure story, this book goes beyond the average post-apocalyptic. Where usually a story of this genre would simply branch off into a good ol' horror yarn, this story explores human nature and is a more "real" look at life after the apocalypse rather than a fantastical look, albeit with a somewhat desperate and negative bent, assuming the worst of human nature. Not only a book about survival, but a story about the love between a man and his dog.
Hig comes off as a pretty honorable man-- a man with a conscience and uncomfortable with some of the things he must do. His ornery neighbor is not so conflicted. He has absolutely no problem with living in the world they now struggle to survive in. In fact, you get the impression that he may be more comfortable in this post-apocalyptic world than the cushy world of the past.
My final word: If you like the post-apocalyptic genre, and appreciate good writing, give this one a try. It is a fast read, well-written, with emotional moments. There is some brutality, but nothing explicit or excessive. Bound to be one of my favorites of the year. Very nice!
In many ways, this is a typical dystopian/post-apocalyptic story of survival. Sparse, grim. However, it brings into focus some great themes, answers to questions like: What is it that makes life so special? and, When is a person's true "prime" of life?
It took me a while to develop an attachment to the characters, which is usually the most important aspect of bonding with a book for me. And I didn't necessarily "agree" with every aspect of the author's portrayal of a world a decade or two after disease has wiped out most of humanity. But those problems turned into non-problems as the narrator drew me closer into the story of his psychological and emotional survival.
If I say too much more about what I liked, I'll be wandering into the spoiler zone, because my heart got into it more and more towards the end. However, I will say that this was an enriching, satisfying read. Won't take a ton of your time, but might change your heart a little.
It took me a while to develop an attachment to the characters, which is usually the most important aspect of bonding with a book for me. And I didn't necessarily "agree" with every aspect of the author's portrayal of a world a decade or two after disease has wiped out most of humanity. But those problems turned into non-problems as the narrator drew me closer into the story of his psychological and emotional survival.
If I say too much more about what I liked, I'll be wandering into the spoiler zone, because my heart got into it more and more towards the end. However, I will say that this was an enriching, satisfying read. Won't take a ton of your time, but might change your heart a little.
The pacing and story were incredible. Peter is a great novelist, can't wait to read more of his work.
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