Anthem by Ayn Rand

“Pronouns can get confusing, but it has a solid message”

Overview: Anthem tells the story of Equality 7-2521, a man living in a time in which the words "I," "my," and "mine" do not exist and each person is assigned a life of toil in a designated vocation at the age of 15.

The book is around 100 pages and a quick read and is impressive in that as a short story it masterfully weaves together the concepts of invention, freedom, conscious thought, and the power of the individual. 

The story at times becomes preachy and heavy-handed, but it doesn't detract from the story. For as controversial as Rand can be, Anthem does a very good job of illustrating a core concept of her ideology with a great deal of brevity. She manages to make a compelling point about the nature of the philosophical debate between individualism and collectivism without overreaching or attempting to explain more than the work is capable of. 

Although the story is dark, it is compelling, and it forces the reader to consider how easily our own society could fall victim to conformity. Whatever you may think of her reasons, Rand could write, and this story has many vivid images you'll remember.

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller

“Guns, a dog, and a Cessna — post-apocalyptic survival pack”

Overview: Hig somehow survived the flu pandemic that killed everyone he knows. Now his wife is gone, his friends are dead, and he lives in the hangar of a small abandoned airport with his dog, Jasper, and a mercurial, gun-toting misanthrope named Bangley.

This story, for lots of reasons, reminded me of my father. The hunting, the solitariness, the chewing tobacco, the main character’s relationship with his dog, his sense of connection with nature; and I shared many of those experiences with my father, so this book really touched me.

I also liked it because it was a dystopian novel, but subtle. There wasn’t a lot of exposition or background on the nature of the “disease” that eradicated most humans - just sort of tossed you right into the middle of what was happening.

It’s hard for me to describe the power of this book, and through it all, I’d rate this post-apocalyptic story as "hopeful." But, in its odd, idiosyncratic and special way, I think it is. Even though the journey to that point of hope is a real doozy.