Reddit reviews One Second After (A John Matherson Novel)

We found 41 Reddit comments about One Second After (A John Matherson Novel). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

Tor Books

Check price on Amazon

41 Reddit comments about One Second After (A John Matherson Novel):

u/_Ph03niX · 16 pointsr/ConspiracyII

That's not the only one. Though not a supervolcano, I've been talking about Mt. Vesuvius for months now. There's been increased earthquake activity in the region and several years ago experts gave that one an 85% chance of a major eruption within this century. It last erupted (minor) in 1944 during WWII. Yet, people keep building there. Not good building either. They toss up cheap structures in "the red zone" (of roughly 800k people) as if they are taunting the damn thing. Not good. That eruption would kill or displace millions.

Yellowstone is quite another beast. That right there is a global event. Everyone, and everything on Earth would be affected in some way, however measurable.

We're not prepared for anything like that. Our short-sighted society isn't adequately tracking meteors, we're not prepared for supervolcanos, we're not prepared for a 2" rise in sea level. Nothing. Anything like this happens, we're screwed. Time is ticking towards the inevitable.

There's three main power grids in the US, all with old infrastructure and overwhelming demands placed upon them. Just knocking one of those out for a month would be catastrophic. No fuel pumps, no sewage pumps, no clean water, no heat, no trucks moving freight into stores. Things would go south quickly. We're far too comfy. No one can really survive without modernity anymore. The rich knows what's up. "Spez", the head of this very website, is building bunkers--along with thousands of other people doing the same. He's smart for doing it too.

I'd go so far as to say if Yellowstone erupted, societal collapse would be almost a certainty for the survivors. You know what, though? However morbid it sounds, I think society almost needs an event like this. The video OP didn't have much of anything notable to say, but one thing did stand out. In that they want to be sure people keep going to Walmart. Sounds about right to me..

Anyways, here's two great books I read last year with similar themes. Disregard the causation, and pay attention to the aftermath:

Ted Koppels "Lights Out" (cyberattack on the grid)

One Second After by John Matherson(EMP attack)

u/satcomwilcox · 11 pointsr/preppers

I guess a little list couldn't hurt. Some of my favorites:

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
[Malevil by Robert Merle] (https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&amp;field-keywords=malevil) (hard to find, originally french)
[One Second After by William R. Forstchen] (https://www.amazon.com/Second-After-John-Matherson-Novel/dp/0765356864/)
[World Made by Hand: A Novel by James Howard Kunstler] (https://www.amazon.com/World-Made-James-Howard-Kunstler/dp/0802144012/)
[The Jakarta Pandemic by Steven Konkoly] (https://www.amazon.com/Jakarta-Pandemic-Steven-Konkoly/dp/1495907376)

I could go on forever, it's an addiction. The sub-genres go on forever it really just depends on what you're into: pandemic, nuclear war, environmental, alien invasion, natural disaster, etc...

u/dave9199 · 11 pointsr/preppers

u/SnotHog_theUglinator · 10 pointsr/preppers

Such a good book.

&#x200B;

For those who haven't read it: https://www.amazon.com/Second-After-John-Matherson-Novel/dp/0765356864

u/seraph77 · 10 pointsr/books

Awesome! Have you read One Second After? If you liked Earth Abides, definitely check that out.

Oryx and Crake was a bit of a grind to be honest. I felt like she wrote the book sitting next to a thesaurus, and intentionally used the most obscure word possible to describe something. The overall story was amazing however.

u/Do_not_reply_to_me · 9 pointsr/engineering

Amazon links for books mentioned in this thread:

\/u/thetrueonion (OP)

Digital Apollo, David A. Mindell &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;- &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other books by this author
Eagles of Mitsubishi, Jiro Horikoshi
Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!, Richard P. Feynman &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;- &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other books by this author
A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;- &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other books by this author
Ignition!: An informal history of liquid rocket propellants, John D. Clark

\/u/llothar:
Amazon.com's list of books authored by Richard Feynman
The Martian, Andy Weir

\/u/DallasGreen:
Closest I could find was Engineering and the Mind's Eye, Eugene S. Ferguson

\/u/gearnut:
Slide Rule, Nevil Shute &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;- &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other books by this author

\/u/frothysasquatch:
Waterpower in Lowell: Engineering and Industry in Nineteenth-Century America, Patrick M. Malone

\/u/Beefstyles:
Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed, Ben R. Rich

\/u/CalledCaptainHook:
One Second After, William R. Forstchen &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;- &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other books by this author

\/u/75footubi:
The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge, David McCullough

\/u/Bradm77:
The Soul of A New Machine, Tracy Kidder

u/TheWaywardBus · 8 pointsr/Survival

One Second After by William R. Forstchen

The USA loses power[edit; read: electricity], as told from one small town in North Carolina.

u/Coup_Soup · 6 pointsr/AskReddit

There is actually a book called 'One Second After' regarding this exact scenario. Good / easy read.

u/edheler · 6 pointsr/preppers

My assumption is a high altitude nuclear induced EMP. A solar EMP would have lesser effects. The overall premise of One Second After is accurate but the specifics aren't. An EMP would drastically alter all of our lives and a majority of us would likely die in the first year. I have done a lot of research in this area and below is my current understanding.

What is likey safe:

Vehicles made before the mid-1980's. (Have replacement starter motors, stored in faraday cages, just in case.)
Most small handheld devices.

What is likely not safe:
Anything which is attached to the power grid when an EMP happens.
Devices unattached to the grid but which are attached to longer antennas.
Things unattached to the grid but attached to a ground.

Unknown:
Cell phones may have a long enough antenna to be effected. (800/900MHz)
Vehicles built after 1980 are more likely to be effected the newer they are.

Notes:
The position and orientation of a vehicle in relation to the EMP is likely to be the critical factor in if they are effected.
It is estimated that if only 1 vehicle in 100 is disabled that nearly every major highway in the US would become deadlocked if an EMP went off during rush hour.

u/Doom_Douche · 6 pointsr/preppers

You should read "One Second After". Its a fantastic book that is both critically acclaimed and considered a must read for preppers. It is based on the premise of a nuclear EMP But the effect of a large enough solar flare would be the same, just global...

http://www.amazon.com/One-Second-After-William-Forstchen/dp/0765356864

over 3k reviews on amazon with a 4.5 star rating.

u/DasBarenJager · 5 pointsr/Survival

One Second After mentions cannibalism being practiced by a roving gang as does the book Survivors

Both are good books but not particularly gritty so I don't know if they stand up to Blood Meridian (still on my reading list).

I like your idea though. Perhaps the main character could begin the book as an average joe with no survival gear and have to start as a looter and refugee instead of beginning the story as a bad ass like a lot of these other novels do.

u/ZombieKingKong · 5 pointsr/books

Sci Fi, ok cool. Here are a few very entertaining Sci-Fi audiobooks (you can actually find some of these free).

Infected by Scott Sigler, with a sequel titled 'Contagious'. If you search for Scott Sigler online, you will be directed to his website, and can go through itunes to get the free podiocast.
http://www.amazon.com/Infected-Novel-Scott-Sigler/dp/030740630X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1311807514&amp;sr=8-3

Robopocalypse
http://www.amazon.com/Robopocalypse-Novel-Daniel-H-Wilson/dp/0385533853/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1311807626&amp;sr=1-1

For fantasy, I highly recommend 'The Name of the Wind' by patrick Rothfuss
http://www.amazon.com/Name-Wind-Kingkiller-Chronicles-Day/dp/0756405890/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1311807743&amp;sr=1-1

The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett
http://www.amazon.com/Warded-Man-Peter-V-Brett/dp/0345518705/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1311807801&amp;sr=1-1

For Horror I recommend
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
http://www.amazon.com/Darkly-Dreaming-Dexter-Vintage-Lizard/dp/0307473708/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1311807869&amp;sr=1-1

Serial Uncut
http://www.amazon.com/Serial-Uncut-J-Konrath/dp/1456401580/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1311808020&amp;sr=1-1

For the taste of apocalyptic greatness I recommend
World War Z
http://www.amazon.com/World-War-Oral-History-Zombie/dp/0307346617/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1311808107&amp;sr=1-1

One Second After
http://www.amazon.com/One-Second-After-William-Forstchen/dp/0765356864/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1311808128&amp;sr=1-1

I have other audiobooks that touches multiple categories. For a nice series, there are two I really love. The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King, and The Dresden Files series.

u/youpostyoudie · 4 pointsr/suggestmeabook

One Second After is very good. It stays very grounded the whole time and deals with the aftermath of a nationwide EMP attack (not entirely accurate) on the US.

https://www.amazon.com/Second-After-John-Matherson-Novel/dp/0765356864

u/cyberflunk · 3 pointsr/preppers

Read/Listen 'One Second After' (http://amzn.com/0765356864)

For your EMP dramatization pleasure.

u/vivling · 3 pointsr/suggestmeabook

I just read a good apocalypse/prepper novel (and boy, those are hard to find.) - Anyhow, seems to hit some of your sweet spots, and the author is a military history professor. https://www.amazon.com/Second-After-John-Matherson-Novel/dp/0765356864/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1481885962&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=one+second+after

u/Burnsey235 · 3 pointsr/AskReddit

If you want to read about what might happen if an EMP took out the US electrical grid I highly recommend the book "One Second After." It's a great read, although a bit disturbing and depressing.

u/bonked_or_maybe_not · 3 pointsr/inthenews

Forget a few days.

Read One Second After to get a real perspective on what to expect (plus it's an interesting read.)

u/Afewsecrets · 2 pointsr/books

I really disliked One Second After. It's a hardcore right-wing fantasy scenario. The author..I mean the characters constantly preach at you. I tried to give it a chance, but after about 25%, I gave up. Read some of the 1 star reviews on Amazon.

u/plethoraofpinatas · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

One Second After is about a modern EMP attack on the US and has government response. The response is mostly at the city level. Good read.

On the Beach is after a nuclear exchange using salted nuclear bombs. Salted bombs kill the world (we no longer use them due to this). The government involvement is the Navy and the use of a submarine though that is only a part of the story. Classic.

Lucifer's Hammer speaks to government when there are only a few key people left like a mayor and a senator. Asteroid hit. Starts dry but ends well. Also a classic.

u/drcox611 · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

One Second After. About the US after a high altitude EMP destroys everything in the country that is electronic. Makes you wish for a plague or zombie apocalypse. Ugh, more brutal than The Road because of the detailed description of exactly how society breaks down and how long it (doesnt) take

http://www.amazon.com/One-Second-After-William-Forstchen/dp/0765356864

u/fireflygirlie · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

These aren't under $5, but definitely worth getting and HAVING. I've been increasingly interested in surivalism (as a result of hanging out with my paranoid dad), so definitely get these books:

u/hclear · 2 pointsr/worldnews

Read One Second After by William Forstchen for a pretty reasonable description of EMP devastation

u/allthegoo · 2 pointsr/diabetes

One Second After. https://www.amazon.com/Second-After-John-Matherson-Novel/dp/0765356864

Well researched and the need for insulin is a critical issue. Plus, this is such a likely scenario it is scary.

u/Jlocke98 · 2 pointsr/todayilearned

> 5 seconds later

https://www.amazon.com/Second-After-John-Matherson-Novel/dp/0765356864

link for the lazy

u/AaronKClark · 2 pointsr/scifi

One moment after by William Forsyth.

EDIT: It's called "One Second After."

u/EineBeBoP · 2 pointsr/SelfSufficiency

One Second After seems pertinent

u/butlermonkey · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Yes. The most likly scenario would be the use of an EMP over the US to disable the infrastructure.

The invaders wouldn't even need to be in a hurry. They could basically take their time while the country tears itself apart trying to simply survive.

Check out the book "One Second After". It does a pretty good job imagining how the US would react if that occured.

u/goodcool · 1 pointr/conspiratard

I once read a Newt Gingrich-approved scifi novel about EMPs called 'one second after'. Gingrich had written the foreword so I knew I was in for a fun ride. Surprise surprise the hero turns out to be a white, conservative straight man whose hunting and gunplay skills got him through the worst of society's downfall, all while sneering at liberal ideas and people. In the end he wins and becomes the leader of a glorious right-wing gun society.

It's a must-read if you ask me. Chuffing hilarious. Check it

u/woodforfire · 1 pointr/conspiracy

it's honestly like, over 90% of the population. like i said, i'm no fearmongerer, but i have a wife and cats and ZERO plans of leaving if SHTF (i live in a pretty rural woodsy area), so i like being prepared. we have peace of mind.

it's not even just SHTF kinda stuff. in the mountains, we lose power a lot during stormy seasons (like, summer, fall, winter, and spring lol), and sometimes for days at a time. we only have a small generator, but it's sufficient for running the fridge, though not our well pump. we take care of what we can with what we have.

there's a real negative connotation with preppers, well...cuz a lot of them are dicks about it, and most of them are completely unrealistic. the majority are the super right-wing 'THUR COMIN TO GIT UR GUNNNSSS' kinda folk, who weigh 300lb, haven't physically walked or run further than their mailbox in 30 years, and just prep to have something to do. in a real situation, they'd probably be an easy target for the guy down the street who's in shape, has guns, and knows how to use them. it's why people laugh at them.

thus my seatbelt analogy. i'm not fearful. i honestly DO think we're due for 'something'. russia? china? EMP? nukes? i dunno. and frankly i don't care. if we're gonna die we're gonna die. i only do this so i don't HAVE to run to the store the minute the minute disaster strikes. most people can't even fathom the chaos that will ensue if something serious, and nationwide happens. this isn't the 50's where everyone will 'head on over to the town hall and see what the mayor has to say' lol.

it'll be chaos guaranteed. so why not stay home and avoid it all?

if you've never read One Second After, you should. i can't recommend this book enough. i know a ton about prepping and survival skills, but this book brought a lot of stuff i never thought about before to light. it's a fantastic (and pretty quick) read. it's about someone who lives in a small town, and his experience when the US gets hit by an EMP. the whole country goes down, and no one has any idea what to do, or even what happened, and how that all works out. it's so good.

u/BlairWaldorfHeadband · 1 pointr/suggestmeabook

One Second After by William R. Forstchen is really good (despite having a forward by Newt Gingrich).

u/RelaxIMMAdoctor · 1 pointr/space

Both disasters would be shockingly similar results

Nuclear EMP: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_electromagnetic_pulse

A fantastic novel on life after a nuclear EMP: http://www.amazon.com/One-Second-After-William-Forstchen/dp/0765356864

u/JetteAuLoin777 · 1 pointr/teslamotors

I read One Second After. A sobering read :(

https://www.amazon.com/Second-After-John-Matherson-Novel/dp/0765356864

u/wanttoplayball · 1 pointr/whatsthatbook

One Second After?

https://www.amazon.com/Second-After-John-Matherson-Novel/dp/0765356864

u/cristian0411 · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

I recommend One Second After by John Matherson. I really liked it!

u/TsaristMustache · 1 pointr/suggestmeabook

One Second After

It has the added bonus of being based on a pentagon study about what would happen to the US if an EMP were detonated. Author is former
Military. Really cool and fun read. There’s three in the series.

u/ObsidianOne · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

Highly recommend One Second After. Post apocalyptic, EMP related.

u/Cdresden · 1 pointr/suggestmeabook

Wool by Hugh Howey.

One Second After by William Forstchen.

u/danger_one · 1 pointr/AskReddit

This, this, or this probably. If that worries you, head over to r/collapse.

u/LocalAmazonBot · 1 pointr/worldnews

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Amazon Smile Link: One Second After

|Country|Link|
|:-----------|:------------|
|UK|amazon.co.uk|
|Spain|amazon.es|
|France|amazon.fr|
|Germany|amazon.de|
|Japan|amazon.co.jp|
|Canada|amazon.ca|
|Italy|amazon.it|
|China|amazon.cn|

This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting). The thread for feature requests can be found here.

u/CowardiceNSandwiches · 1 pointr/worldnews

Yes, promotion of EMP as The Current Danger a bit of a right-wing thing, though it seems to have reached its peak popularity a couple years back. Newt Gingrich was/is a prominent promoter of the idea.

There was even at least one significant speculative fiction book on the subject: One Second After, by William Fortschen, with a foreword by the aforementioned Newt Gingrich. If you look at the Amazon-suggested similar books, you'll probably notice a common ideological thread.

u/carter1984 · 1 pointr/PoliticalDiscussion

Not sure but I found your post interesting considering I just read this book