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'The Dog Stars' novelist Peter Heller drew on real-life survival skills

NPR | By Dave Davies

Published August 21, 2026 at 6:51 AM PDT

Heller's 2012 novel about a man who survives a super flu that kills most of humanity is now being adapted to film. Adventure writer Heller drew from his own life. Originally broadcast in 2012.

Dave Davies

Dave Davies is a guest host for NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

See stories by Dave Davies