"The Dog Stars" by Peter Heller
Peter Heller has always been known for his ability to create strangely unique, bizarre and attractive universes where opposites seem to meet and blend seamlessly together.
Take for example The Dog Stars, where we follow the story of Hig who makes his way through a post-apocalyptic world… a post-apocalyptic world unlike most of us are capable of imagining.
As Hig travels through what’s left of the Colorado in his 1956 Cessna along with his dog, he spends his time seeking the exact same things humans sought before the apocalypse.With his wife, friends and family all gone, Hig set up shop in a small hangar in an abandoned airport, with only his dog and a gun-loving misanthropic for company.
He breaks the bleakness of his routine by retiring to the mountains and fishing… until one day he hears a radio transmission that breathes life into something long-forgotten: hope that somehow, somewhere, things have gone back to the way they used to be.
And so, Hig decided to take the risk and went past the point of no return, following the trail left by the voice on the radio. When he finally makes it to his destination however, he makes a discovery that shatters his beliefs and thoughts about human nature… he discovers something truly beautiful yet horrifying at the same time.
While the story may sound incredibly bleak and depressing, rest assured that the loneliness of the deserted wasteland is compensated for by the beauty of small details, whether it’s a nostalgic smell brought on by a gust of wind or a flower growing on the side of the road.
As was mentioned at the beginning of this post, Heller has a good knack for creating worlds where opposites blend seamlessly together, and that’s precisely the case here.
Ultimately, beyond all the jokes, tragedies and dreams, the story seeks to answer the question as to what it really means to be a human in itself.
Take for example The Dog Stars, where we follow the story of Hig who makes his way through a post-apocalyptic world… a post-apocalyptic world unlike most of us are capable of imagining.
As Hig travels through what’s left of the Colorado in his 1956 Cessna along with his dog, he spends his time seeking the exact same things humans sought before the apocalypse.With his wife, friends and family all gone, Hig set up shop in a small hangar in an abandoned airport, with only his dog and a gun-loving misanthropic for company.
He breaks the bleakness of his routine by retiring to the mountains and fishing… until one day he hears a radio transmission that breathes life into something long-forgotten: hope that somehow, somewhere, things have gone back to the way they used to be.
While the story may sound incredibly bleak and depressing, rest assured that the loneliness of the deserted wasteland is compensated for by the beauty of small details, whether it’s a nostalgic smell brought on by a gust of wind or a flower growing on the side of the road.
As was mentioned at the beginning of this post, Heller has a good knack for creating worlds where opposites blend seamlessly together, and that’s precisely the case here.
Ultimately, beyond all the jokes, tragedies and dreams, the story seeks to answer the question as to what it really means to be a human in itself.
 | Peter HellerPersonal site Peter Heller is an American author known for his extensive work as a contributing editor to numerous magazines, including Outside Magazine, National Geographic, and Men’s Journal. He won the National Outdoor Book Award for Literatuer for his memoir titled Kook, in addition to which he also wrote some recognized novels including The Dog Stars, The Painter and The River. |
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