‘The Dog Stars’ novelist Peter Heller / Remembering rock critic Dave Marsh

This episode of Fresh Air features an interview with novelist Peter Heller about his debut novel, "The Dog Stars," and a tribute to the late rock critic Dave Marsh.

Peter Heller's Journey to "The Dog Stars"

Peter Heller, known for his non-fiction and adventure writing, discusses his transition to fiction with his first novel, "The Dog Stars." The book, set in a post-apocalyptic world where civilization has collapsed, explores themes of survival and the human spirit. Heller explains that after years of writing non-fiction, where he always knew the ending, he wanted to write a story where he didn't know what would happen next. He began with the first line, "I keep the beast running," referring to an old Cessna aircraft, and the story unfolded from there.

Heller's personal experiences as an outdoorsman and adventurer heavily influenced the novel. He's traveled to remote and dangerous places, including an expedition to an unfathomably deep river gorge in Tibet, which he chronicled in his book "Heller Highwater." These experiences, he says, shaped his understanding of survival and the fragility of human existence. He recounts how some of these trips felt like being at the "end of the world," or in an "imagined place on Earth that no one had ever been to before." He even admits to praying that he wouldn't die on some of these kayaking trips.