How I wrote The Dog Stars, the novel behind Ridley Scott’s new film
Set in an empty world after a superflu pandemic wipes out most of humanity, Peter Heller's The Dog Stars - the August read for the New Scientist Book Club - will be released as a film later this month. He reveals how he came to write it
The Dog Stars, a novel that served as the basis for Ridley Scott's new film, was penned by its author after a desire to break free from the structured plotting and outlining of journalism. The story unfolds in a post-apocalyptic world, nine years after a super-flu pandemic decimated much of the world's population. Hig, the protagonist, resides at a small country airport in Erie, Colorado, with his faithful dog Jasper and a gun-toting neighbor named Bangley.
Their shared airspace serves as a daily surveillance mission for Hig, seeking any signs of survivors. The novel's genesis came from Jacob Elordi's portrayal of Hig and the lyrical nature of the writing style he admired from authors like Conrad, Faulkner, and Welty. Inspired by the music of language, he immersed himself in the process, letting the narrative flow naturally, much like a river.
The plane, named "The Beast," played a significant role in the novel's development, as the author himself went on to learn how to fly a 1956 Cessna 182 single engine plane, using it to further enrich the story and bring Hig's experiences to life.
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