The Dog Stars

Hig, the protagonist of this postapocalyptic novel, has been living in an abandoned airplane hangar on the outskirts of Denver for nine years, since a pandemic killed most of the world's population. The trigger-happy Bangley, a former military man who lives nearby, helps protect the pair from raids of starving marauders. Hig has a 1956 Cessna plane with plenty of fuel and a loyal hound to accompany him on his hunting and fishing trips. He grows fresh vegetables in a small garden plot and forages for other necessities in abandoned houses and big-box stores. Heller presents a frightening look at the possible end of civilization, where cities have been burned and survivors have a wasting blood disease. The well-written plot unwinds slowly amid graceful descriptions of the natural world and memories of Hig's earlier life, and Mark Deakins's calm, clear reading lends credibility.