The Dog Stars

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How does The Dog Stars compare to other post-apocalyptic fiction that deals with biological contaminants and pandemics? Consider the differences between this novel and titles such as Stephen King’s The Stand and Max Brooks’s World War Z. 

2. For you, did Hig’s viewpoint clarify or muddle the novel’s world-building?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Confessing his history to Cima helps Hig to begin healing from his regrets. Have family or friends ever helped you to recover from the effects of a serious crisis?

2. How does Heller strike a balance between the brutal necessities of survival and the finer nuances of finding something worth living for? Consider at least three different characters in your response.

3. Why does Jasper’s death contribute to Hig’s decision to fly to Grand Junction?

4. Compare Bangley and Pops. What values do they share, and how are they different? How do the events of the novel allow them both to change and grow?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Hig remains haunted by the collective trauma of surviving the pandemic. What aspects of his experience relate to the real-world accounts of devastating world events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic or the Ebola outbreak in the Congo?

2. What measures do the characters take to preserve some semblance of a normal life despite the devastation? What broader commentary does Heller make about the resilience of human nature?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1.  Consider the various survival tactics on display in the novel’s different settings. How do the makeshift communities in Erie and in the box canyon differ from the tactics employed at the airport in Grand Junction?

2. Why does Heller focus so sharply on Hig and Cima’s past relationships with their late spouses? How does this information recontextualize their growing bond with one another?

3. Is Heller’s view of humanity optimistic, pessimistic, or a unique blend of the two? Cite key examples from the text to support your interpretation.

4. Why does Hig feel such a deep sense of betrayal after the events at the Grand Junction airport? What deeper need fuels his anger in these scenes?

5. How well-developed is Cima as a character? Does she have her own needs and wants, or is she primarily a means by which Heller illustrates Hig’s deeper psychological development?

6. Why does Heller decline to offer a definitive conclusion to the novel? What purpose does this deliberate uncertainty serve?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine that you are a survivor in this post-collapse world. How might you go about making contact with Hig and Bangley at their makeshift sanctuary in Erie? How would you gain their trust, and what dangers would you have to overcome?

2. Fast forward five years after the novel’s conclusion. What might life at Erie look like now? What other developments may have occurred, and how many people are now a part of this community?

3. Bangley’s fight against the 14 intruders remains largely undescribed. Write a vivid account of this battle, using details that Heller provides to extrapolate the blow-by-blow action. Be sure to tell the story from Bangley’s first-person perspective.