"ONE YEAR AFTER," by William R. Forstchen, Forge Books, $15.99, 304 pages (f)
Veteran journalist Ted Koppel recently wrote the book “Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath,” a nonfiction look at the very real possibility of a terrorist or rogue state attack upon the United States with an electromagnetic pulse weapon.
In 2009, author William R. Forstchen wrote a novel that dealt with the same subject and painted a picture of an America so devastated that the book was cited in congressional hearings on the subject of an EMP attack. Forstchen's novel revolved around Col. John Matherson, a retired Army officer who was teaching military history at Montreat College in North Carolina (where Forstchen himself teaches military history).
After an EMP attack fries all electrical equipment in the U.S., Matherson and the town of Black Mountain must work together to survive the nation's downfall. Mass starvation, lack of medicine (including insulin for Matherson's daughter) and roving gangs of cannibals are only some of the trials that Matherson and his friends face. Forstchen's horrifying narrative postulated that within a year of the attack, approximately 80 percent of the population of America would die.
After six years, Forstchen has returned to this grim world with a sequel novel, “One Year After.” “One Year After” takes place two years after the devastating EMP attack, and America appears to be getting back on its feet. A new government has formed in Bluemont, Virginia, and a new federal administrator has been dispatched to Asheville, the largest town near Black Mountain.
When the new government sends out draft notices for something called the Army of National Recovery, Matherson confronts the administrator and learns that the real Army is preparing to face off against the Chinese, who are occupying the United States’ West Coast, and the Mexicans, who are occupying the American Southwest. The ANR is needed to restore order in lawless cities such as Chicago and Pittsburgh.
When Matherson begins to question the administrator's authority and intentions, he sets his town on a collision course with the Bluemont government. Additionally, Matherson has to deal with bandits on his northern border who have their own agenda.
“One Year After” is a smart, scary novel that vividly paints a devastated world and an America struggling to rebuild. Forstchen's ability to create believable characters further lends credibility to his nightmare scenario and offers more than a little food for thought about the real consequences of an EMP attack and the moral dimensions and cost of survival.
From start to finish, this is a fantastic novel of speculative fiction.
“One Year After” contains some strong language, wartime violence, scenes of torture and discussions about sex.
Cody K. Carlson holds a master's in history from the University of Utah and teaches at Salt Lake Community College. An avid player of board games, he blogs at thediscriminatinggamer.com. Email: ckcarlson76@gmail.com