The Dog Stars

By: Peter Heller

Narrated by: Mark Deakins

Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

A riveting, powerful novel about a pilot living in a world filled with loss - and what he is willing to risk to rediscover, against all odds, connection, love, and grace.

Hig survived the flu that killed everyone he knows. His wife is gone, his friends are dead, he lives in the hangar of a small abandoned airport with his dog, his only neighbor a gun-toting misanthrope. In his 1956 Cessna, Hig flies the perimeter of the airfield or sneaks off to the mountains to fish and to pretend that things are the way they used to be. But when a random transmission somehow beams through his radio, the voice ignites a hope deep inside him that a better life - something like his old life - exists beyond the airport.

Risking everything, he flies past his point of no return - not enough fuel to get him home - following the trail of the static-broken voice on the radio. But what he encounters and what he must face - in the people he meets, and in himself - is both better and worse than anything he could have hoped for.

Narrated by a man who is part warrior and part dreamer, a hunter with a great shot and a heart that refuses to harden, The Dog Stars is both savagely funny and achingly sad, a breathtaking story about what it means to be human.

©2012 Peter Heller (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Richly evocative yet streamlined journal entries propel the high-stakes plot while simultaneously illuminating Hig's nuanced states of mind as isolation and constant vigilance exact their toll, along with his sorrow for the dying world.... Heller's surprising and irresistible blend of suspense, romance, social insight, and humor creates a cunning form of cognitive dissonance neatly pegged by Hig as an apocalyptic parody of Norman Rockwell...a novel, that is, of spiky pleasure and signal resonance." ( Booklist)

"In the tradition of postapocalyptic literary fiction such as Cormac McCarthy's The Road and Jim Crace's The Pesthouse, this hypervisceral first novel by adventure writer Heller ( Kook) takes place nine years after a superflu has killed off much of mankind.... With its evocative descriptions of hunting, fishing, and flying, this novel, perhaps the world's most poetic survival guide, reads as if Billy Collins had novelized one of George Romero's zombie flicks. From start to finish, Heller carries the reader aloft on graceful prose, intense action, and deeply felt emotion." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Leave it to Peter Heller to imagine a post-apocalyptic world that contains as much loveliness as it does devastation. His likable hero, Hig, flies around what was once Colorado in his 1956 Cessna, chasing all the same things we chase in these pre-annihilation days: love, friendship, the solace of the natural world, the chance to perform some small kindness, and a good dog for a co-pilot. The Dog Stars is a wholly compelling and deeply engaging debut." (Pam Houston, author of Contents May Have Shifted)

Narration

Narration very calm and not forced sounding. Scenes dragged on in some chapters. Explanation of what caused the pandemic weak

Great Story

Wonderfully colorful characters. Different perspective on facing difficult times. Narrator made the story come to life.

A very profound book

But oh so depressing!! Written well, and poignant, yet another apocalyptic story, this one beats everything I have ever read in this genre in terms of morbidity!
I had to take breaks. But loved it anyway.

Yes there is pure evil in the world.

Where does The Dog Stars rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Upper third of my 200 plus. Could be higher. See below.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Better development of those that would set traps for peaceful passersby. Would have been better if there was no one left in Grand Junction.

Any additional comments?

This is one that I really need a half star for. Then I could have given 3.5 for story.

Incredible

It has been along time since a book has consumed my attention.

It was like drinking great vintage red. Savoring each sip.

One of my favorite audible books of all time.

Very good

This was a compelling story. I liked it. Sometimes a little clumsy and heavy-handed with the imagery, but poignant and beautiful all the same. The performance was excellent.

Outstanding!!

This is an amazing, creative piece of literature. A poetic and intimate invitation into the mind of the sturdy yet vulnerable protagonist. The beginning is a bit of an adjustment, but don't give up. There is an adjustment period and wading through it will allow you to take an amazing journey. Mark Deakins was the perfect voice for this story.

Engrossing! Didn’t want book to end!

Stumbled upon this book and it was engrossing from start to finish. I wish he would come out with a part 2. Narration is great!

Unique and Interesting - with Great Heart

I'm not sure I've ever read a book quite like this one. The story, while certainly grounded in a realistic view of what could happen in a post-apocalyptic world, took flight in a way that few others of this genre can boast. A great device, and many great personal relationships highlight a wonderful story of hope, fear and loneliness.

Interesting-Different take on "end of the world."

Most of the reviews of the written version of "The Dog Stars" on Amazon, many readers disliked this book, primarily because it's without dialog-very little give and take..Instead, it's kind of a train of thought and reminded me of the journaling part in "Dances With Wolves" , though the plot is more "The Stand". It's very much one persons reflections on his life.

The story takes place about a decade after the pandemic that kills most of the life on earth. People band together in small groups-this novel relates the story of a couple of these groups. The primary protagonists are Hig and Bangley-two very different men tho have joined together in mutual support. One is a farmer and a pilot, the other is a survivalist hunter type. They support each other, though they aren't really friends. Other characters come to play in Higs relating of his days events, some important, some not so much.

Mark Denkins's narration made everything that could be made of the story line-without his excellent voice, the book could become tedious, however I had a difficult time really getting into the book-it won't be for everyone...It's not an action/thriller story, not a romance or mystery. It simply related Hig's daily life and various characters interactions with him. Slightly dull-I had a difficult time giving the book a rating.

If you like introspective stories, you might enjoy this-not so much if you are looking for action-there isn't much of that here. It's just different.