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Product Description
Review
"Civilization slides into the abyss of a new dark age in this horrifying apocalyptic novel. Forstchen has put Bin Laden's wet dream on paper and, in the process, taken civilization straight to the rack."--Stephen Coonts, author of The Assassin
“The only thing more terrifying than this masterfully crafted story is the possibility of it actually happening—and not a damn thing being done to protect us.”
--W.E.B. Griffin & William E. Butterworth IV
--W.E.B. Griffin & William E. Butterworth IV
"Forstchen's work has flair and power."--Joel Rosenberg, author of The Sleeping Dragon
"Good storytelling consists very simply of creating characters so believable that the reader forms a deep bond. Forstchen did such a damned fine job with One Second After that shortly after the first page, I had been reeled in hook, line, and sinker."--David Hagberg, New York Times bestselling author of The Expediter
Product 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.
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Most helpful customer reviews
20 of 26 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Informative research paper. Terrible novel.,
By
This review is from: One Second After (Hardcover)
You know how a book is "supposed" to have something in the first few pages, or, at least, in the first chapter that grabs you and keeps you reading? Well, this book does not have that. If it wasn't for the fact that you already know what the book is about, and that this event must eventually be interesting/exciting/gripping, you'd be bored to tears with how the author TELLS you everything (no showing here folks, it's all neatly explained, word by word). So If you have never heard about what an EMP is/does, don't worry, you'll be well-versed after the 10th time it's explained in the book.If you tend to forget what items are run by electricity/computer chips, don't worry, the author will remind you that your coffee maker won't work and your car and your cell phone and your water pump and - well, pretty much every single "powered" item you might use is identified at some point... The main character roams from scene to scene (town hall, new town, campus, store, etc) and meets other men and they have a confrontation which is resolved by either a) his superior military training and intelligence b) sharing cigarettes (yes, I'm serious, one of the main threads in the book is how important cigarettes are as a "friend-making" tool) I know there are a lot of reviews calling this a right-wing political book. This didn't deter me from buying it. If anyone had mentioned the lack of characterization, the abundance of clichés and stereotypes, the complete lack of women (other than nurses or sex interests), and the very dominant "strong white male as savior" theme, I would have saved my money. As a informative research paper on the outcome of an EMP, this is a 4 star. Unfortunately, I was expecting to read a novel, not a research paper... so 2 stars it is.
3.0 out of 5 stars
A good read, but cliched,
By J. Friesen "Avid Reader" (Edmonton, Alberta Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: One Second After (Paperback)
I have liked other works by Forstchen, and its post-apocalyptic premise was intriguing.Basically the premise is that a rogue nation/terrorist group sets off a couple of nuclear weapons at a high altitude over the continental US causing an Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP) to fry electronics all across the US. Society goes from the Information Age to Middle Ages "One Second After". Having read lots of other post-apocalyptic fiction (Alas Babylon is one of the best BTW), this novel had promise. A mix of fairly interesting characters caught in a situation not of their making. A need to rebuild society from the ground up, and so on Regrettably, the book doesn't live up to its promise. It follows the fairly typical plot line of most post-apocalyptic works - disaster, starvation, adaptation and finally conflict with some 'bad' people (usually outlaw bikers or such) and for this reason, I felt disappointed. It would have been nice to see something unexpected happen. Instead, the barbarian outlaw biker gang appears and threatens their idyllic little community. The stereotypes are IMHO, the worst, painting city people as fat and lazy (for the most part), and rural dwellers as smart, savvy, salt of the earth types who must rescue their inept urban neighbours from themselves. Cliched characters, like the stern retired military officer and inept bureaucrats are liberally sprinkled throughout the book. It's not a bad book (like Levar Burton's Aftermath was), but it's not a great book, and doesn't really add anything new to the genre. On the other hand, John Birmingham's "Without Warning", takes the genre in new and exciting ways and is highly recommended.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
One Second After a Review,
By
This review is from: One Second After (Hardcover)
I started this book with a great deal of excitement, and I was not disappointed. I enjoy 'The End of the World as We Know it' Genre to start with. The book starts out like most introducing our characters, in this case a retired military man and history professor who is suddenly thrust into a world where nothing works like we have become accustomed to.The book takes us through the slow and steady decline of a small town that has to deal with the sudden effects of an EMP on the Continental United States, and some other areas of the world. While they begin to feel the effects of the sudden lack of technology, you will realize that your own life (yes you in reality) is also precariously balanced on the technological edge of civilization. Things like 'just in time delivery' while a boon to the business efficiency community, takes away a safety barrier of a having a little on hand 'just in case'. Back to the book, as the town starts to come to the realization that help is not in fact coming it must deal with the construction of a army, raiders, and a arrogant public safety chief of a neighboring town. The main character also has to deal with several personal tragedies. In my opinion this is a great read, but the main character given his previous position in the US Military should have gotten many of the plans they had later in the book, up and running much sooner. It is an eye opener with respect to the consequences of the loss of technology. Overall a good read.
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