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)

Made Me Think

a very informative story, while fiction, it really hits area's we should be considering for our own future sake.

We need to prevent.

Loved this book. It really shows we need to prevent this from happening. Our government should take this as our worst threat to our country.

Great book

Very emotional, realistic, and enveloping story. I would frequently lose myself in the very real possibility of this story.

Loved it, could have been longer, time gaps.

Where does One Second After rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Great performance, great story depth, only gripe is it felt like someone "ripped out" a few chapters, or the editor told him it was getting too long winded (though it didn't feel that way). I would be loving the story, and then a several month gap happened, while briefly caught up to speed.

Grade A realism, B grade subplots

last half of the book's writing was very rushed, and the storyline fell flat and important moments with characters weren't in depth. however, the science and hypothetical time line of events after an EMP was very well researched and realistic, as well as terrifying.

great read

The settings of this book are a little old school and corney. The story is a must read. It will make you see what the author is trying to show you. Be prepared and maybe you will survive.

Post-apocalyptic America revisited

Any additional comments?

One Minute After revisits the post-apocalyptic scenario. The story has a transparent political agenda; to raise awareness of a little know annihilation threat, and to educate the western world of what life would be like in a situation when most modern technology was not operating.

For much of the story this agenda dominates, and it reads/listens as though the concept of the threat and resulting breakdown of food/medical supply chains is more important than the characters - who are just there to experience the impact. Consequentially some of the characters seem clichéd and shallow. Later on in the book the characters have more depth and authenticity and the story more feeling.

If you liked novels from this genre like Alas Babylon, The Dog Star, The Road, you'll probably enjoy One Minute Afer. Forstchen has done a good job of this novel, but it lacks the difficult to define x-factor of a classic. Very good narration made this book a worthwhile listening experience.

The truth hurts

Where does One Second After rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the most memorable! The author's technical knowledge, understanding of human nature, and foresight all came together in a truly believable story, although the subject is one we do not like to think about. The idea that our comfortable lifestyle can be so totally wrecked so easily is not an idea that is appealing--just the opposite; we want to deny that anything can cause the USA to collapse. This book should be compulsory reading by all civic leaders, and highly recommended for everyone.

What was one of the most memorable moments of One Second After?

There were 2: John's speech before executing the drug thieves who stole the drugs from the nursing home, and John's actions upon winning the battle with The Posse.

What about Joe Barrett’s performance did you like?

Joe did an excellent job of giving distinctive voices to the book's different characters; it really helps when several people are involved in a single conversation. In addition, his rendition of a NC brogue while in the voice of a specific character is to be admired.

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

Again, there were several and hard to pick just one: when the dogs were killed for food; the dedication of key townfolks and their sacrafices.

Any additional comments?

I did a lot of crying in this book; it is truly gut-wrenching. I'd like to think that there are many who may live in such a catastrophic situation as this book describes will be able to come forward for leadership. My gut tells me though our current leaders will NOT be among them.

most frightening thing I've ever read

the scariest thing about this book is that so what is fiction based it could easily become a reality

thrilling but chilling

very interesting book but if read it will change your outlook on your life and how you may go forward.