One Second After

By: William R. Forstchen

Narrated by: Joe Barrett

Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

A post-apocalyptic thriller of the after effects in the United States after a terrifying terrorist attack using electromagnetic pulse weapons.

In a small North Carolina town, one man struggles to save his family after America loses a war that will send it back to the Dark Ages.

Already cited on the floor of Congress and discussed in the corridors of the Pentagon as a book all Americans should read, One Second After is the story of a war scenario that could become all too terrifyingly real. Based on a real weapon—the electromagnetic pulse (EMP)—which may already be in the hands of our enemies, it is a truly realistic look at the awesome power of a weapon that can destroy the entire United States, literally within one second.

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.

©2009 William R. Forstchen (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"[An] entertaining apocalyptic thriller....fans of such classics as Alas, Babylon and On the Beach will have a good time as Forstchen tackles the obvious and some not-so-obvious questions the apocalypse tends to raise." ( Publishers Weekly)

Recommended to all.

this story, while fiction, has nonetheless illustrated the possibility. Reading it will allow one to be aware of what could be done in the chance of the fiction becoming the reality.

Eye Opening

The forward sets the stage for reading/listening to One Second After as a true rendering of the aftermath of a bolt from the grey. It does not come across as a far fetched post apocalypse fiction.

I am inspired to find out what progress has been made in hardening our electrons

Good story

Overall the story is something that can happen and we should all be asking the question, what are we doing to change this?
I would recommend this book because it's fictional with truth sprinkled in it.

Great Story That Feels Real

Would you listen to One Second After again? Why?

Absolutely. Solid very well done narration of a really interesting story with a unique twist on catastrophic circumstances. A story where the human spirit is revealed in all its glory but equally checked by by its capacity for evil.

What did you like best about this story?

The story felt more real than most any other story I have read from this genre.

Which scene was your favorite?

The epic battle, of course.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were numerous moving moments.

It was a great story!

I'm not sure an EMP is going to be the cause of a shutdown in the United States but I think the story is going to play out the same way whatever it is.

Engaging story with a somewhat slow start

It took me a bit to get into this story, but once the plot started thickening, it became a pretty gripping look at a possible disaster scenario that the West currently feels pretty immune to.

Totally superficial annoyance: having two characters in the same family with the names "Jen" and "Jennifer".. Just unnecessary confusion for the listener in the early stages of the book.

wow this is a must read. please read and share.

this could be our future if we do not prepare individually and as a community and as a nation.

Great first book

This book has a great story, great characters that are well developed, and a good performance by the narrator. It's eye-opening, and definitely makes you think.

Unfortunately the narrator in the follow up books changes, and ruins the series. Somehow the main protagonist, John Matherson, a Catholic raised in New Jersey who is transplanted to North Carolina in the first book become the slack jawed hillbilly in the following books. In fact the new narrator in the following two books makes anyone from the south sound like a bumbling moron.

Enjoy the first book, it is really good. Save your money on the following two books of the series the new narrator ruins them.

Entertaining, thought provoking, and scary

I am not sure if enjoy is the right word for this book, but I couldn't stop listening! I don't remember a story that has captivated and scared me as much a this story. The performance was an excellent match for the subject matter and the real possibility of it all made it more captivating and thought provoking than your standard apocalyptic story.

One second after review.

An Excellent read!! It sure makes you wonder (why) our government hasn't "hardened" our electric grid. We've known it needs to be done for several decades.