Sunday Reading

One thing about a vacation-if you do it right, you have time to read.

I had time to read The Little Dog in the Big Plague by C.C. Alma (among some other things). This is a novella set in a world where a plague has killed off nearly all of mankind. The protagonist is a small dog named Ringo, who has lost his owners to the plague and who is trying to find a new human, one free of “the rot”. Ringo also has a special talent, the ability see into a person’s soul. He could tell “…the really good people, the best people, the ones who were so full of love and kindness that Ringo could feel that their bodies were both dappled with sunshine and damp with holy water, as if a seed of goodness within was being continually watered by a mysterious force of nature.”

I think it was the choice of the protagonist that made this such a great read. It isn’t the typical doomer porn sort of end of the world story. The hero isn’t some uber-survivor who has an endless supply of stuff and training. Instead, this small dog draws together a group of good people who are going to work together to survive. They aren’t perfect people, but they’ve got that seed of goodness that can be watered. There are things in it that will make a seasoned prepper cringe, but that’s the nature of these people-these are just ordinary people who were leading their lives until the world died.

It’s a fun read. I took my time and it took only part of an evening, sitting on the back deck watching the moon come up. Give it a shot.