Prepper Novels and Reviews

[Searchboss]

I like to read. In fact, I probably read a lot more than I should, but I also learn a lot of interesting things in the process. While I like to read all kinds of books on many different subjects, some a bit technical, I thought I would try to open a discussion on the topic of Prepper Novels. You know; fiction stories about preppers and prepper-related events.

Coincidentally I recently found a survey on one of my favorite sites (https://amrron.com/) that presented the results of their “Top 10 most recommended fiction prepper/patriot/dystopian books or series, by AmRRON members”. It can be found here: https://amrron.com/2023/02/17/your-top-rated-books-the-survey-says/.

I found it interesting that my personal top 10 choices would be very similar to this list. My top three would actually be the same three authors/books but in a slightly different order. If you are looking for a novel to read, this list is a great place to start! I was intrigued to note that I have already read five of the books/series on the top 10 list and am currently reading Lights Out by Ted Koppel.

I plan to post a review of some of the books I have read in the near future if this topic shows much interest. In the meantime, please feel free to post the titles of your favorite books or a review of a book you have recently read.

[Starlady]

I've read 15 of the top 20 listed, books and series.  Several of them over 40 years go, lol!

[Surveyor1]

I really like a few authors that develop their characters quite well:  Bobby Akart, Franklin Horton, Harley Tate, Mark Goodwin and NC Reed.  I do not think that I’ve read any books from these authors that I did not thoroughly enjoy! 

[Abigayle]

This is a good list. Of course One Second After always comes in first (well almost) on lists of this nature.... read all three.
 I am finally going to read my first Akart book, just ordered it.  Our Kindle is pretty new, but we never got it to load and then got busy. Need to put that on the to do list, as it will save a lot of money.
Going to write down authors on everyone's lists here, and hunt for some.  Right now, I fall asleep fast, after working in the garden.

[Surveyor1]

Abs if you read more than 2 books a month Kindle Unlimited at $9.99 is a good deal.  All of the authors I listed above are Kindle Unlimited reads.

[HogJowlHomestead]

Thanks for the list, if you have a library card you can read the 299 series on Libby for free just found it.

[Searchboss]

I just finished reading “Partisan Operator Journals, Volume 1” by John Jacob Schmidt.

I bought the book on Amazon priced at $20. This book is overpriced in my opinion, but it was recommended by someone I know. I doubt I will buy another "volume" unless I can find it at a discount. It was a “2022 reprint and revised edition.” It has 292 pages followed by a few pages of technical data included to encourage the reader to participate and learn encryption and encoding of messages.

The main theme of the book is about how the characters use common amateur radio equipment and training combined with readily available cryptography equipment, programs, and knowledge to develop, send, and receive nearly unbreakable encoded messages by HF (high frequency) radio in a WROL situation. If you are not into it, the over-emphasis on amateur radio usage takes away from the plot.

Like other “prepper” novels I have read, it has several errors such as formatting, strike-through text, repeated words, missing words, or misspelled words. While the word may have been spelled correctly, it was the wrong word in the sentence such as “and” instead of “an”, etc. This may not detract much from the storyline, but it is disappointing that the book made it through the editing process twice with these errors and omissions. Sadly I see this occur a lot in books published these days.

The plot revolves around a recon team one year after “Zero Day”. A human-caused earthquake and Chinese takeover of the west coast as well as an EMP and Russian takeover of the east coast. The team’s role is to observe and report via ham radio what they see.

The book started out with an action scene and it was not until around page 155 that the plot started to reveal how the situation depicted in the book originated. It was not until three-quarters of the way through the book that it was disclosed what originally caused the situation that the characters in the book found themselves in. Until then I found the storyline difficult to embrace. Until that point, it seemed disconnected and unbelievable since it was not adequately explained at the beginning.

Regardless, this book is a good action read if you stay with it to the end. It is sprinkled with a lot of detailed information about the specific radios and related equipment used as well as encryption techniques that the protagonist in this story uses which is helpful if you are into Amateur Radio or cryptography. If you know the background of the author and are familiar with AmRRON, the storyline makes more sense as he views the book as a training tool as well as a novel.

If you have read this book please share your thought about the book.

[Searchboss]

Lights Out
A CYBERATTACK, A NATION UNPREPARED, SURVIVING THE AFTERMATH
By Ted Koppel; printed 2015; 249 pages plus notes, acknowledgments, and index.

I finished reading this book a few weeks ago. I was going to write a review of this book, but in the research process, I realized that there are many good reviews already written. There is no point in me reiterating what has already been said. Instead, I will present my view of the scenario in the 8-year-old book as I see it today.

The book did not present any new information that most knowledgeable preppers have not already learned. It clearly spells out the risks and the possible aftermath should this type of event unfold, regardless of the cause. As many government experts stated, it is a matter of when, not if it will happen. I believe that in the years since the book was written the US Government and many in the power generation/delivery industry have begun to take some steps to harden the system. Unfortunately, as Mr. Koppel pointed out, the response is not uniform or coordinated. This still leaves the country vulnerable.

The book does help to understand how the electricity generation and delivery system works in a general way, and to see how we as preppers might want to prepare for such an event as a long-term power outage. I think that most of us prep for a multitude of possible scenarios, but I do believe that if the electricity went out over an entire region or worse yet nationwide, we will all be in trouble. Over the long term, even those that have prepared will find themselves dealing with the masses that have not. People will smell your food cooking. If you have a generator, and/or solar panels and batteries, etc., your neighbors will notice sooner or later. Those that have not prepared will soon starve, panic, riot, etc.

The cascading effects of the loss of electricity will amplify the crisis. Without electricity, many people will not be able to see at night, work, cook, or do the many mundane daily things that require power. Cell phones and the internet would not work. Hospitals will eventually close. Communities will not be able to pump water or process sewage. Without electricity gas stations will not be able to pump fuel, so transportation will all but stop. Lack of fuel will quickly cause supply chain breakdowns. With no regular deliveries of food and supplies, prices will skyrocket, people will in due course start to panic, and many will die.

The book does not provide much advice as to how to prepare for this type of scenario. Most reasonable people realize that we will all be on our own should this happen. It was a good and detailed read but is now starting to age. Regardless, I would recommend it.

If you have read this book please share your thoughts about the book.

[Surveyor1]

Just finished reading:

The Amish Apocalypse
After The EMP
Author:  Judd Yoder

I was hoping to get some really good information but was really disappointed!  Fortunately it was on Kindle Unlimited so at least it did not cost anything.  The cover was graphically really good.  There was no foul language and the editing was simply absolutely perfect.  The content though was lacking any substance.  For example (spoiler alert): 

Chapter 1 started with “The EMP happened.  It then went to chapter 2 and read “Nothing changed” Turned to Chapter 3 and it simply stated “The End”

Even though the cover looked great and the editing was flawless I could not recommend this book based on the lack of content.  I will say for a 7 word book though it pretty much laid out the affect of an EMP on the Amish.  I guess it’s saying a lot when my review has around 140 more words in it…😜

[Searchboss]

This week I finished reading the first three books in the Perilous Miles series written by P.A. Glaspy. The first book “300 Miles” was rather short at 77 pages. It basically introduced several of the main characters and provided a bit of the main plot along with a developing twist. The second book “15 miles from Home” was what I consider to be about an average short novel (196 pages). This book developed the main characters introduced in the first book and added a few more. Book 3, “Another 20 Miles” has 233 pages.

The storyline in this series is about an extended family that lives a normal life in a suburb. When an EMP is set off by North Korea over the middle of the USA everything with electronics is disabled. No modern vehicles work, no phones, electricity, running water, etc. The family is not all together when the attack happens, so they all have to cope with various scenarios while they plan and travel to get back together at their designated rural retreat owned by their grandfather. There is also a sub-plot revolving around the US President, but I will let you read the book to find out how this plays out.

This book series is a different approach to an EMP scenario from what I have seen before. It was an enjoyable read. While the series got off to a slow start, it developed into an interesting scenario in the second and third book. I am looking forward to the next book in this developing series. I would recommend this series if you enjoy prepper novels.