They only briefly break the reader’s concentration, which is otherwise trained on what is a gentler, kinder end-of-days novel that explores themes of friendship, dependency, hope, and, maybe most important, finding a reason to live when death seems like the easier option. These mildly distracting omissions are just that: minor. Is it somehow related to the epidemic? Is it just another run of bad luck? It’s hard to tell. Heller also doesn’t fully explain why the climate has changed to take with it the world’s animals-tigers, elephants, apes, cheetahs, pelicans, whales-as well as Hig’s beloved Colorado stream trout. He either purposefully excludes exactly what the flu was and where it came from-or he just didn’t think readers would want to know. Heller underplays information about why and how Hig and Bangley-and a host of other characters-either avoided the killer illness or survived it. In more than a few areas, though, the story sidesteps some seemingly pertinent details, too. The novel begins nearly a decade after the flu has passed, which means, unlike other books of its genre, that The Dog Stars avoids the grisly details.

Hig, Bangley, and Jasper live in relatively undisturbed isolation and, for a post-apocalyptic era, they do pretty well. His only company beyond Jasper is a gung-ho militant named Bangley, who serves as their uncompassionate-and deadly-protector. A pilot by training, Hig finds safety from disease and the resulting civil discord in a deserted country airport. A flu epidemic-and a subsequent blood disorder-has killed nearly everyone, including Hig’s wife.

The Dog Stars is set along Colorado’s Front Range, somewhere near Longmont. That's only $1 per issue! Subscribe Today » Sign up for early access tickets to 5280 Top of the Town!.The 25 Best Neighborhoods in Denver in 2023.

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