The Dog Stars by Peter Heller

One of the best books of the month of August on Amazon I was the first to check out this book from our local library. It seems that right now is a good time to write apocolyptic novels and The Dog Stars will certainly be one of the best of the lot.

Centering more on the the topics of isolation and loss than the end of the world aspect because of that the book can be examined by many people, even those not especially into the apocalyptic vision.

The hero of our story is Hig. As 99 percent of the people in the world have died from some sort of pandemic Hig has lost his wife but his happy companion is his dog Jasper. Staying at a small airport which can easily be defended he is joined by Bangley. Bangley is a gun nut, annoying at best, and is often chastising Hig for not understanding that the world has moved on and only the strong survive.

Hig's relationship with his dog tugged at my heart. The conversations he had with him. the emotional energy he recieves from the dog keeps him alive. As a disabled person myself, one who spends a great part of each day alone, I can surely attest to how much value I place on my dog and the companionship he provides.

As time passes Hig has a need to know what else is beyond the limits of his small Cessna plane. Occasionally travelers venture into thier campsite but they never have good intentions.

One day he travels beyond his return point, not knowing exactly how he will get back. As he progresses he enters into a hidden canyon and there sees a young woman and an older man tending a garden. He wonders what this means, who they are, his thoughts are soon shaken out of their reverie by a gunshot through his window from the older gentleman's gun. Life is about to change for Hig in ways he had not anticipated.

This book is poetic with some deep seeded feelings. It is a powerful book. It is beautifully written. It is a book that should become an instant classic.