Xild animus

After graduating from college, Sam Altman finds himself subject to an urge he doesn't understand, an urge drawing him away from civilization. Altman's unleashed - and increasingly unhinged - imagination takes him first to Seattle and then farther north, to the remote Alaskan wilderness. Sam has fallen deeply in love with the mysterious and powerful Lindy, a young woman who will do anything to help him realize his quest, no matter how dangerous. Alone with a driving need to uncover his innermost self, Sam gradually transforms himself into a ram - prey to a pack of strangely familiar wolves. The mad pursuit leads from the wilds to civilization and back again. And when Sam and Lindy return to the perilous mountain together, the truth behind his imagined transformation emerges. Cover Image May Vary

Rich Shapero grew up in California and headed north as soon as he could scrape the fare together. Captivated by the staggering beauty of the Alaskan wilderness, and the dare of its dangerous side, his explorations have taken the form of meditations on transcendence. For Shapero, the primeval landscape tests not only human endurance, but the boundaries of the human spirit. Whether circumnavigating Chichagof Island by sailboat, dog sledding the arctic, or traversing 400 miles of mountainous terrain solo—as he did while writing Wild Animus—Shapero's focus has been on the exploration within. The real goal, he maintains, is a fresh discovery of ourselves.