From the Bookshelf of Apocalypse Whenever…

The Dog Stars

Peter Heller

Start date: April 16, 2015

Finish date: May 1, 2015

Discussion: AW BOOK CLUB (spoilers)

Why we're reading this: MAY 1ST, DISCUSSION BEGINS.
Chosen by our "book dictator" Joanne, The Dog Stars is a popular post-apocaly…more
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MAY 1ST, DISCUSSION BEGINS.
Chosen by our "book dictator" Joanne, The Dog Stars is a popular post-apocalyptic book (flu pandemic) we've not read in the group, so we're about to change that...

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Showing 2 of 346 topics — 20,939 comments total

AW BOOK CLUB (spoilers)

* What is a good book for AW discussion? (Nominations pool)
By Gertie · 65 posts · 218 views

last updated Oct 18, 2025 05:31PM

* AW Book Club: what we've read
By Gertie · 16 posts · 1826 views

last updated Dec 10, 2019 09:01AM

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What Members Thought

Apr 13, 2013 Robert rated it it was amazing

I'm giving this five stars because I hope you read it too. It is short, thoughtful, action-packed. Tidy. Like Hemingway, maybe. Stripped down. Nicely avoids many post-apocalyptic cliches. Will human nature mean that after armageddon, he with the most firepower simply kills all others and lives? That makes me sad. ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Jan 21, 2015 Kathy Hauck rated it it was amazing

Shelves: nephew-quoyle-book-club

I loved everything about this book. The stilted language, the breakdown of society, the need to shoot first and ask questions later!

Our book club just discussed it and it was one of those books where you either love it or hate it.

Not typical for me, I read this book in less than three days. I couldn't put it down except when I needed to. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Aug 06, 2015 Brook rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4.5 stars. This is really close to a 5-star book, mostly because of the writing style.

The author is a poet, and a graduate of the Iowa Writer's Workshop (one of the best in the world, with a who's who of writers as faculty). While this book is prose, there is enough poetry in the language, and flat out poetic passages, to make it quite beautiful. I read another review that gave the book 1 star because of the style of writing. For me, this is what made it a great book. The narrative is pretty run ...more

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Jul 04, 2013 Susie rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, bong-book, dystopia

I'm partial to punctuation, but I got used to Heller's conceit. . .
...more

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Mar 14, 2019 Aaron rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: apocalyptic

pilot perspective for emotion, security, humanity, altitude, space somehow imparts a higher power authority voice from the pilots are so smart and always do the right thing perspective. refreshingly recent in timeline including relevant references to social media and civilization will hopefully attract an entirely new generation to this post-apocalyptic genre. I'd read it again, to catch the natural, the animal, the aromatic references again. ...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Alice rated it really liked it

Shelves: scifi-apocalyptic-fantasy, 2014

Very good little post-pandemic apocalypse story. Well written male lead... Despite some lead up you don't actually get to find out if one can actually have sex in a hammock, probably because such acrobatics isn't possible.

Also, dog is man's best friend. ...more

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