Lightning Fall

A Novel of Disaster

By: Bill Quick

Narrated by: Johnny Heller

Length: 18 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Three terrorist attacks are launched from freighters against the United States. Only one fully succeeds, but in the blink of an eye all of the country west of the Rocky Mountains is transformed into the technological equivalent of the 18th century - no electricity, no computers, no electronics of anykind, or any of the amenities of modern life that depend on them. This is the story of ordinary and extraordinary people, high and low, who struggle to survive in a mortally wounded nation, as America's enemies within and without circle for the kill.

A Latino gangbanger becomes mayor of a devastated Los Angeles; a gay survivalist fights for his life in San Francisco; an ordinary Indiana housewife and her three children struggle to keep their lives together in a crashing economy; a shrimp fisherman in Louisiana watches a mushroom cloud rise over New Orleans; the admiral in charge of the military defense of the nation faces a storm of enemies from every corner of the compass; and the president of the United States and the Speaker of the House of Representatives battle for supremacy as the lives of 60 million Americans hang in the balance.

Lightning Fall tells a story of terror, tragedy, and triumph that you will never forget.

©2014 Bill Quick (P)2014 Blackstone Audiobooks

Major disaster response

Definitely has some suspenseful spots. Gets you thinking about what would happen during major disaster in US

swill

this book was the strangest mish mash of opposing political views I have ever come across if you are tired of political posturing stay away from this book if you want something mildly entertaining try it out

To much Gay indoctrination!

Would you try another book from Bill Quick and/or Johnny Heller?

No

What was most disappointing about Bill Quick’s story?

I wanted a disaster and not a introduction to alternate life style and all his feelings!

Excellent writing and well-informed

Finally, a book that doesn't read like a middle schooler wrote it. (ie, Grid Down).

Incredible use of vocabulary and the narration was simply amazing.

Good Disaster, Rubbish Politics

Hmm. This is a tough one. The disaster scenario is interesting, the characters are pretty good. And the narrator does an excellent job. I was enjoying this book until the author's political vendetta against 'the Carters' got too extreme to swallow. And ultimately distracted me from an interesting 'what if'.

two for one

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend this to a friend as it is entertaining and suspenseful.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

The end was a surprise in may ways and allows one to add their own spin to what happened.

Which scene was your favorite?

When the thugs were trying to burn the apartment complex down, and the Marines arrived to save them. What a classic - "The Marines have landed!"

Did Lightning Fall inspire you to do anything?

I made me think more about being prepared for an EMP attack, as well as any one of the many diseases that seem to be popping up in our country. Preparation is better than regret.

Any additional comments?

This also an interesting portrayal of the Oval Office. One that may in part be in our furture.

Most interesting book to listen to.

Other than the obvious push to justify homosexuality and the authors’ love of sex with men, the story was good. It held my interest even thru the garbage bag of immorality and the God is dead theory. The characters were excellent and the choices the author made with the president and her husband where perfect I loved it especially their ends. More than obviously "oh no" mr. bill and hillary these two were represented perfectly and with great accuracy. The end of "oh no" mr. bill in the book aka BJ which remembering everything about Monica Lewinsky fits to a tee was sublime in its execution [no pun intended]. The way the story is laid out in the book sounds like it could very well happen as described and found myself imagining it very clearly while listen to the book. Not to mention the narrator did a great job of it. I'll be watching for a follow up or book 2, it seemed that the author left a lot of room for one to be written and I for one will be watching for it.
I recommend the book but again the homo crap could have been left out of it, do what you want in the privacy of your own bedroom, that's between you and your Creator as far as I'm concerned but don't shove it at me in your book[s]. Unless of course he was trying to be "Progressive" much like the commie-crates are today in the ongoing administration of the great pretender and lying king.
The whole book could have been a political espionage story. I had fun with the majority of it and I didn't want to put it down even with certain things that offended my sensibilities’.

Unique American collapse novel

Which scene was your favorite?

I enjoyed the scenes that took place in the San Francisco Bay Area. I've lived in the Bay Area for 28 years and I'm very familiar with all the locations written about. The author either did some great research and/or spent a significant amount of time there himself.

I Liked It Mostly

Would you listen to Lightning Fall again? Why?

Not likely, but if there were a few follow up titles I might.

Would you recommend Lightning Fall to your friends? Why or why not?

Before I say I'll preface with my opinion. The story is more or less believable. There are a few issues I had with the way the US Armed forces weren't deployed to the West coast as soon as possible. And why was California the only West Coast state that mattered, besides theUtah segiment? Of course, it's possible that Mr. Quick had more of a story here and it got edited too much. Hard to say. There were other things that he had done some excellent research with such as the survival training and supplies. And the political stuff was... interesting? I'll leave it at that because it depends on what you think is best in terms of government. It could be either liberal or conservative and that's a matter of personal opinion. Nevertheless, I liked the political back stage infighting scenes. They were mostly believable. The Carter to Clinton part was a bit much, but I got it. I'd have preferred a different pair of characters in this fiction work but that's just me. Last, I did like the reader. I think it was the 1st of his efforts. I thought he did fine. He has a relaxing timber to his voice and I thought the imperative voice he used was good. The character voices were okay, not great but passing grades for them too. All that being said? I give my recommendation but keeping the afore mentioned issues in mind.

Have you listened to any of Johnny Heller’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

None.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Here comes the Rock! Just when you need him the most!!!

A different twist on the EMP Disaster Novel

Be warned, the language is horrible!!.....definitely not for family listening (I REALLY wish Audible would come up with a ranking system). Otherwise, an excellent political thriller more than an EMP Disaster Novel. It would make a great (but long) movie.

So....Hillary is elected and the "diabolical duo" are back in the a white House. I never considered that the Chinese would team up with the Mexicans, but fully feasible and kinda brilliant. The Chinese send an EMP weapon that disables the west coast and places 60 million lives at extreme risk. The Mexican government offers assistance, which turns into a military invasion. I'd like to think there woukd be more opposition than the author shows, but maybe not. The book deals more with the aftermath of the west coast situation than the EMP itself....as in, finding out how it happened. If you can deal with the constant F this and F that, it's a good story.