One Shot

"So many snatches come back to him, little moments which are big moments in hindsight. At eight, a TV program - Hiroshima blast: men, women, children, their shadows caught and appliqu d to walls. At twenty-five, the collapsing accordion of detonated buildings. And at thirty-two, sitting at a barbecue, Kerrie kneels beside him." Rex has always fostered a bleak view of humans. He suspects the world would be better off without our species. So when a virus, designed to make pests develop an insatiable appetite for their own kind, affects humans instead, it is as though Rex's wish has come horribly true. With his dog, Soldier, he wanders a devastated landscape armed with a gun and only one bullet. Days-long car chases ... shoot-outs ... cannibalism ... unyielding desert sun. His situation deteriorating, he seeks solace in recalling life before, with his girlfriend. But as these flashbacks become increasingly real, and fuse with the murderous present, are they more than memories? Should he turn the gun on himself or has he, his relationship, and humanity got one more shot? Suspenseful, shocking, and often brutal, One Shot is both a lyrical evocation of the unique Australian landscape and psyche, and a thoughtful contemplation of love, guilt, and ultimate responsibility.