William R. Forstchen’s latest book, One Second After could take a prominent position in our recent Post-Apocalyptic Fiction feature. The story of the after-effects of an electromagnetic-pulse (EMP) attack on the United States, One Second After has been said to follow the tradition of other fear-inspiring novels such as Nevil Shute’s On the Beach and Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank.
The book, released last week, has garnered quite a bit of interest as opinions fly about the vulnerability of the United States to such an attack and that Forstchen is proffering reality in a fictional manner rather than simply presenting a work of science fiction. The book description even claims that the US Congress suggested that One Second After is a book that should be read by all Americans . . .
Book Description
New York Times best selling author William R. Forstchen now brings us a story which can be all too terrifyingly real…a story in which one man struggles to save his family and his small North Carolina town after America loses a war, in one second, a war that will send America back to the Dark Ages…A war based upon a weapon, an Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP). A weapon that may already be in the hands of our enemies.
Months before publication,One Second After has already been cited on the floor of Congress as a book all Americans should read, a book already being discussed in the corridors of the Pentagon as a truly realistic look at a weapon and its awesome power to destroy the entire United States, literally within one second. It is a weapon that the Wall Street Journal warns could shatter America. In the tradition of On the Beach, Fail Safe and Testament, this book, set in a typical American town, is a dire warning of what might be our future…and our end.
Oh, great. Another way to scare people into a state of paranoia, start Americans searching for enemies under the bed and behind every tree, and increase their own weaponry, possibly in order to pre-emptively strike another nation. Again. Amen.
All for literary profit! Are we having fun yet?
Bizarrely, there seems to be an amazing appetite for post-apocalyptic novels at the moment.
R
Perhaps because pre-apocalyptic reality is becoming more bizarre….
Dear Peedeecee I am the author. You do not even know me, so how dare you suggest this is “all for literary profit.” And no, I am not having fun yet when writing about this subject and the threat it presents to my country and far more personally my daughter and friends. My prayer is that the book is a wake up call to the reality of a threat. If you doubt, just Google or Wikipedia the subject EMP or go to Thomas.gov. You don’t have to believe my book, but please do believe what hundreds of experts are saying about the subject. . .and please do not attack my honor that this is about literary profit and has no other motives.
William R. Forstchen
Unfortunately, Mr. Forstchen, scaring the American people is an old, old tradition, which has led to profit for many sectors of the American culture, authors and book publishers among them. It’s interesting to look back briefly at some of the boogeymen that have been used in the past to a) make the American military ludicrously huge; b) enrich arms manufacturers; c) keep the American people in a state of fear that borders on paranoia.
Whatever became of those terrible Russkies? Chicoms? The threat from the Vietnamese? Koreans? Hey - what about the commies “ninety miles from our shores”? The fashionable threat these days is Muslims. I wonder what will be next?
America - under all administrations - prepares, prepares, prepares constantly for apocalyptic terrors that, if they occurred, would destroy much of the world. Americans live in a state of constant, manufactured and promoted fear.
Frequently, America’s global political behaviours put it at risk - have you considered that? Most other countries in the world do not live in a fear-based state of military readiness that trumps the values on which the country was founded.
Consider this: only one country has ever used nuclear weapons - and on civilian populations, at that. Only one country has ever started a “pre-emptive” war. Only one country interferes with the rest of the world for invented reasons. Only one country seeks to weaponize space. Only one country (and its protege in the middle east) refuses to ban such weapons as cluster bombs, depleted uranium, phosphorus and land mines.
And only one country keeps its citizens in constant fear of attack, despite being the largest, richest, most powerful country in the world.
Yet another threat of annihilation. What a way to live.
I guess I could have expressed my thoughts more succinctly:
1) The only thing you have to fear is fear itself;
2) Given the horror of that weapon, which nation do you think is most likely to deploy it?
I guess I could have expressed my thoughts more succinctly:
1) The only thing you have to fear is fear itself;
2) Given history, which nation do you think is most likely to use that terrible weapon?
To Mr Forstchen:
What an impactful book.
Hopefully the doomsday scenario you painted never materializes. In your novel, you did not mention the measures that might have been put in place to prevent an EMP disaster. Are there in fact precautions that the federal government or the private sector could put in place to prevent such a national catastrophe? Are you certain that nothing is currently being done on a national scale?
I would assume that individual precautions would amount to very little given an EMP attack. Those that had gas powered generators and automobiles without electronics would be overrun by the unprepared and hungry masses in short order.
One thing that I would caution against coming out of your novel is the question of whether any state run organization would sponsor an EMP attack. Even if China or Russia or a middle eastern country knows that ana ttack ont he US is an attack on the world and would quickly lead to their own destruction as an inevetable consequence.
Good intelligence and covert operations sound like they may be the best solution to the threat of EMP rather than a complete restructuring of the entire civilized electronic world that we live in.
I will echo that every American should be wary of propoganda and the fear mongering that todays powers utilize as a source of control. Not to say that is what you have attempted with your novel.
To All That Doubt The Possibility, etc:
Stop attacking the author and go do some research. If you find any real facts that this weapon does not exist and there are no such possibilities…. simply present your arguments and everyone can decide for themselves…
DB
Dr. Forstchen,
I love the new book and am a loyal reader. Any thoughts on how long it will be before you start back on the Lost Regiment saga? Is the movie ever going to happen?
I am glad to see you branching in this direction as far as your thoughts and writing. Keep up the good work and lets pray the world opens their eyes.
I’ll bet peedeecee’s grandfather never believed in flying machines with guns either. Of course, back then everything wasn’t all America’s fault. Peedeecee and his ilk won’t be satisfied until the U.S. has unilaterally disarmed.
Unlike at least one of the earlier commenters, I have read this book and found it utterly compelling. I went without electricity for a week last September after the remnants of Hurricane Ike knocked out the power in most of central Ohio. Luckily we still had land line telephone service as well as water and sewage and could buy food and ice in neighborhoods that never lost power. I can only imagine what life would have been like if the entire state or country had lost power, probably very like the horrible situation depicted in One Second After. You don’t have to accept the possibility of an EMP attack to ask yourself how long you and your loved ones would survive for months without electricity or any working electronic equipment. Read One Second After to find out- you probably won’t like the answer unless you’re Amish or a Mormon.
Just because Mormons (and Boy Scouts) are taught to be prepared, does not mean they would “like the answer.” (See Frank on 4/14 at 5:34 am) And the Amish I have met seemed like kind folks. I rather think they would help the rest of us adapt.
But do let me share what Mormons are taught about scenarios such as this: “If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.”
Seems like this book is one more message to convince us that staying in a state of preparation is the best defense, no matter what the threat. And I don’t know about you, but I feel less at the mercy of various threats (flu pandemic, tornado, earthquake, terrorists, etc.) and more empowered when I’m busy doing whatever I can do about it.
There are other areas of preparation that could use our attention as well.
If you want to know some of what your Mormon neighbors are doing in that regard, you can check it out on providentliving.org. It is no secret. They are happy to share so you can be prepared too. On the left side-bar you can search emotional, physical, spiritual, social, educational and financial preparedness topics.
Even if you are totally prepared for every possible threat, you will never be totally secure from any challenge, but being prepared does allow you to sleep more peacefully and live more confidently. Once you are prepared you aren’t so likely to freak out at every alarm.
Now I’m going to order this book. I’m not looking forward to a disaster, but I feel better if I know what the possibilities are. That helps me become emotionally prepared to deal with it.
William R. Forstchen
I applaud you for reminding the intelligent minority in America of this threat to our existing society.
This is a natural threat as well and it is absurd that our government officials have not devoted attention to it’s reality.
Addressing the masses; how soon will the movie be released?
it’s possible to, “what if”, yourself into a tizz however at the sametime there isn’t any point in taking a nap in the middle of the street and then acting upset kuz your toes got squashed. Mr. Forstchen needs rent money as do the rest of us however all i see here is a man speaking his mind. In short Mr. William Forstchen isn’t one of the sleeping grain fed cattle as many in this age seem to be…..
Thanks for your time Mr. Forstchen and don’t ever stop speaking your mind. Chris Dall
Mr. Forstchen:
The book is very good. I find that something like this could happen. After looking up information on the web about this subject .The people in this great country better wake up. There are really bad people in this world who hate us. They do not care what party you belong to or what your skin color is! They hate US because WE live in the United States.
My Father was in the Air Force and was a pilot at the end of the Korean war. He taught me how to fire a weapon, camp, fish, live off the land and take care of myself. I am glad he spent the time to teach me those skills .
Thank you for the book.
TD
Peedeecee, your ignorance of history is astounding.
Mr Forstchen; I am a huge fan and I realize this is a novel and you have taken some literary license. However the EMP Commission Critical National Infrastructures Report does not indicate in any way a total shutdown of motor vehicle/rail traffic. They state that about 15% of motor vehicles will be significantly disabled. Plus ALL vehicles turned off at the time of attack will be totally unaffected. Am I missing something here?
In any event it is a great novel. I read it in two sittings.
Sincerely,
Bill W
I am getting ready to read your book: truly it is of things to come..although they are already taking place….reality is that we are living under a Facist Government and it will be a world wide event…people do not want to know the truth..they rather be like an ostrich and hide their head in the sand…..and go along with whatever is being planned for their future and their children’s too. Like William Wallace said”Freedom”! Actually, your readers can also watch “V” for Vendetta..there are so many truths in that movie like your book which I will start today to read………….we survivalist are preparing for the worst case scenario….but praying for the best..and may the best come forth of people………………….
OK Professor,
Great read. I have been trying to get the missus to listen to me and understand the dangers of EMP and general preparedness for some time. It was about day 65 or so that she put the book down and said “OK, let’s take care of what needs to be done”.
Because of the hurricanes here, I have always been ‘allowed’ to keep a months worth of supplies on hand. Now, she has moved it to six month on perishables, and whatever I want on non-perishables.
She has even started going to the indoor range with me for practice sessions.
Thank You for writing a fictional account of what could be a very real possibility.
After Hurricane Katrina, in North Louisiana (5 hours away), a guy almost attacked my 58 year old mother-in-law in Walmart…over gas cans.
Imagine being in 100 degree heat without electricity, grocery stores, gas pumps, water, and without any news of what’s happening for an extended period of time. It only temporarily happened here. Some people helped each other, and some people were dangerous.
Mr. Forstchen has done a great job of describing what could happen.
Being prepared is the key.
To Mr. Forstchen I say hats off for a wakeup call to all of the people in this country and the world– who are living this complacent existence, only concerned about who’s on American Idol, texting their friends, and making sure we are all physically fit, nonsmoking tech-savvy followers… who fit in to the acceptable culture of 2009. Well - all of that will become instantly silly and trivial should this work of fiction ever become our reality. That will be my only joy - in seeing how the current trendy person tries to survive without his/her cellphone, blackberry, laptop, and all of the other assorted trendy tech-toys that are their “neccessities”.
The author’s writing is brilliant - and the message is very pertinent to all of us!
I am now in the middle of listening to this book-on-CD and it grows more and more terrifying with every chapter. I am typing this comment at work and can’t wait until 5:30 this afternoon so I can get back into my car for the drive home…..and continue listening.
America is SO dependant on technology now. Lazy, weak, self-centered greedy wimps is what this culture has become. This technology grows incredibly fragile. If it all went dead tomorrow, who would we turn to for a way to survive? Probably anyone who’s around 90 years old and lived through the Great Depression might have some clue, but they are few and far between now, as that great generation of strong, self-sufficient people dies off. Even the Depression was a picnic compared to the scenario presented in this book.
I am the same age as the main character in the book - 48 years old - and I wonder how I would be able to get through such an occurance - and could I learn to do things the way my ancestors did them to survive? How would we protect our homes, our loved ones, and our food & water supplies from the “outsiders” who didn’t pay attention to such a thing ever happening and who didn’t prepare? Those are the individuals we would need to fear the most, as people will become like animals in such an environment.
I for one, after completing this novel, will certainly take preparatory steps so at least my family and I will have a chance - when the lights, the computers, the cars and everything we take for granted goes dead forever.
Thank you, Mr. Forstchen for your work. EVERYONE should read this and know what could very well come in our lifetime.
While there is little one can do to prepare for an EMP attack long term…it is helpful to know what sort of things can be done to prepare for health reasons…etc. I have blogged about this…in the past…and when I look at my blog stats…it is the most searced and read post I have.
It is a real threat. People do need to be aware and prepare for this or any disaster that may come.
I believe….gut instinct you may call it….that we will face such an attack in our lifetime. One only needs to look at Iran and North Korea. They both are now boasting the power to do this.
Today alone…North Korea has launched three missiles. We know they have nuclear material….so really…we are sitting ducks. I would venture to say that if this happened….we would be pretty much without defense. What our ships in other parts of the world could launch would be just about it. Yet who do you fire at….if you have no way of knowing who did it to you. I sense that the biggest threat is the sale of such weapons from North Korea to radical groups…..not nations….is imminent.
Thank you Mr. Forstchen….I enjoyed your book….it was not only enlightening…but frightening.
I am a college student and my mom turned me on to Forstchen’s One Second After. Forstchen’s book has by far been the best book I have pleasure read in some time now. I also just read James Wesley, Rawles’ Patriots, unlike Rawles’ Patriots, Forstchen offers a story on the 99.5 % of Americans who get caught with their pants down while America as we know it is forever lost. I live in Houston; after Ike hit and disabled the routine way of life the scenario that Forstchen offers is not as far fetched as people may think or hope. I would advise readers of One Second After to read Patriots; it is not as easy of a read, and doesn’t have the personal story that Forstchen includes (though it is not absent) Patriots offers another scenario (very believable) and pages upon pages of helpful information for those who are preparing shouldn’t ignore.
I came across this site while googling for what could cause a massive power outage that would last months or years. The reason I was googling it is because I keep getting an…impression, feeling, premonition perhaps…that something will lead to a massive power outage.
I’ve also read articles on cyber attacks on the electric grid, solar flares and HAARP. I lived through the cold war. I recall the “Russians are gonna nuke us.” paranoia. I never had a feeling like I have now. For the first time in my life I feel compelled to stock up on supplies. Canned food, water, propane, lamp oil, everything. I’m doing this and asking myself why I am doing this when money is so tight right now. I wonder if I’m losing my mind.
I do not know if this power outage will be caused by an EMP attack, solar flare or cyber attack. A small voice keeps telling me it will be just like WW2. Rationed gas, no computers, no ATM’s and people will have to grow their own gardens for food.
The dates that keep popping up in my mind is June of 2010.
I pray that I am wrong.
The author was on Bill Bennett’s Morning in America today 8/07/2009. What a very thoughtful segment. Several items I intend to check out ie: EMP Commission Report ( yes there is one ) and the congressional study. I will do some digging and I am sure I will find what I am looking for. Yes there are things that can be done It is scary to think that the Koreans can and probably will try something and the Iranians are right there too. KRAZY people do KRAZY things not knowing or realizing what the results can and will be
Shooting the messenger is an old tradition and a common reaction to
really bad news. However I have the technical background to evaluate
the premise of the book, and I’ve read not just the book, but the
Commission report and quite a bit of other material on EMP. This
threat is real and at this point, not at all unlikely.
An EMP attack is simple: It requires one each, primitive atom bomb,
medium range ballistic missile, shipping container, and rusty old
freighter with crew. An air burst one or two hundred miles over
mid-America and ‘one second later’ we have no power grid due to what
amounts to a gigantic NATIONWIDE lightning strike on the equipment.
While there wouldn’t be complete destruction, every generating plant,
every transmission line, and most homes and factories would suffer
enough damage to shut them down until repairs were made and in most
cases those repairs would require spare parts.
As an example of the spare parts problem, the largest transformers in
the power system — those that step up the voltage from the generators
at the plant to 500,000 volts or more for long distance transmission
– are no longer made in the U.S. They must be ordered a couple of
years in advance and there’s a world wide production capacity of about
100 per year. We have a few thousand of them in our power grid.
Turbines and boilers are also built to order on a scale of years;
while there are elaborate protections, these systems aren’t
extensively tested under emergency conditions and some of the control
computers would have been damaged by the EMP: We can expect some
turbines to destroy themselves and some boilers to burn up.
The hated nuclear plants would probably do best, due to more extensive
safeguards and testing, as well as being specifically designed for
emergency shutdown.
Our economy is very efficient meaning that food we eat and other stuff
we use today may have been made last week in an electrically operated
plant. Yes, the testing shows that many cars would still be operable.
But how and where will you drive when the electrical system that keeps
the fuel available, the stores stocked, and our entire communications
system (Internet, phones, TV, radio …) operating, dies?
Short range communications will be improvised phone systems, just as
Mr. Forstchen describes; longer range will be the thousands of ‘ham
radio’ operators, many of whom will still have operable equipment and
emergency power to run it. (Some of us, indeed, have working vacuum
tube sets, nearly certain to survive if not currently in use.) But
government control will be gone, and I think the book’s description of
the resulting anarchy is probably about right.
This scenario is not just terrible and entirely possible; I’d call it
likely, if we do not prepare. The good news is that the preparation is
simple: Prepare yourself by stocking a lot more food than you
ordinarily would do — you can buy this in kits from survivalist
stores or just get more of the long lived usual stuff — and anything
else you couldn’t live without, such as medications.
Equally important, insist that our country move beyond appointing a
commission that publishes reports, to stockpiling of spares and
training of repair personnel for the power system. Since many
thousands of additional trained people will be required and they’ll
need to operate with the military, they might as well be organized as
Electrical Construction and Repair units of the National Guard.
(There’s a jobs program there and not a sand-pounding one as so much of
what we’re seeing from this administration.)
A minimal ballistic missile defense would also have a high payoff. It
would not need to stop more than the number of missiles you can count
on one hand because it’s the terrorist attack from a freighter we have
to worry about. Larger attacks require a nation, and deterrence — the
certainty of your country being a glowing slag heap in an hour or so –
will work.
A few weeks of personal preparation by most of us, a year of effective
government action, five years of increasing industrial preparedness:
each of these will reduce the consequences of an attack by tenfold.
When the likely payoff becomes small enough, the attack won’t happen.
This doesn’t require upending our lives or spending what would now be
considered a lot of money: I think even $1 billion would make a dent,
and $100 billion over a few years would do the whole job.
A salute to Mr. Forstchen for his book. It was one of the least fun
reads of my lifetime and I imagine that writing it was worse but it is
a great service to our country.
Thanks, Walt, for the summary.
Your comment reminds me of a similar analysis I read (or perhaps saw on a video) years ago on EMP vulnerability and the inability to produce replacement transformers. And our military has been aware of EMP damage for several decades, with test labs to measure the effects of EMP.
Believing such a scenario as this does not require much imagination. We have the enemies, as proven on 9/11. They will us whatever means they can acquire for little effort and maximum effect. (The definition, perhaps, of “asymmetrical warfare”?)
EMP surely fits the bill.
Thus preparedness is necessary. While there are probabilities involved that certain devices won’t be affected, enough could be harmed that integral systems managed using remote electronics could be damaged enough to be useless at best, and dangerous at worst.
I’d like to thank Mr. Forstchen for taking the time and enormous effort to write such a disturbing book.
I have read the book and frankly if one tree limb can knock out the power grid of seven states, the people who mock your book clearly have no clue about warfare or how fragile we have become. I think 20 years as a U.S. Navy operations specialist give me that right to speak on the subject.
Mr. Forstchen;
I am a high school biology teacher in a rural community in Florida. We have a period of 25 minutes each day dedicated to reading. My class is reading this book together, and the students relate, particularly because of the similarities between their own community and that of the book. I read your book last spring, along with Alex Berenson’s, THE SILENT MAN, as recommended by your friend and one of my heros, Newt. The possibilities are frightening. The ramblings of PDC early in this thread are indicative of the shooting the messenger mentality as previously stated, and “blame America” mentality he exhibits is indicative of the pseudointelectual governing elete hoity toid mentality we have in Washington right now. It reminds me of Romans 1:22, …”Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools…”
Your book caused a paradigm shift in my already boy scoutish “be prepared” mentality. My family has been preparing for such a catastrophy for several years. While It’s hardly possible to be totally prepared, I at least will be able to defend my family from marauding thugs for a significant period of time while we regroup as a family and decide how to go about our future. It happened with Katrina which was only a mere microcosm of such an event as EMP. I’m hearing whispers of this book being made into a motion film. Can you confirm that for us, sir?
I’m also wondering if you might pen a short note to my students from the author, concerning the book? You have my email with this reply…
Thank you, Sir.
Dabo
P.S. As a Civil War buff, I’m just starting the book you did with Newt on Gettysberg…