Craig Childs on the Darkest of Dark Skies

For many people, the night sky is an afterthought, especially if you live in a big city, where all the artificial light drowns out the stars. But the nature writer Craig Childs wants to help us rediscover the dark heavens and consider what they show us about who we are and where we fit in the universe.

Childs says the night sky isn’t so much the absence of light as the presence of the universe, and that’s what he went in search of for his latest book, “The Wild Dark: Finding the Night Sky in the Age of Light.” On a bicycle-powered quest, he and a friend rode from the blinding glare of Las Vegas into one of the darkest spots on the map. So, it’s an adventure story. It’s also a kind of field guide to the wonders of the night. And it’s an effort to rekindle the awe that the starry sky can inspire, wherever you happen to be. Childs joins us to tell his story and share his reflections on the night in an age of light.​

Craig Childs, acclaimed naturalist and wilderness explorer, is our featured author for the TFNU 2026 Author Dinner. 

[Click here to hear his story]