What is the sun?

In "The Name Means Thunder," David develops a fixation on the idea that the sun will one day explode and result in the heat death of the universe. He stares at the sun after accidentally killing Bedogi, causing blindness, and also thinks of it at the story's conclusion, as Paige burns Bedogi's cradle. The sun stands in for David's feeling that the family unit that defines his life and has shakily held together throughout his childhood will one day implode on itself.