ConNotations Book Reviews
One Second After
by William R. Forstchen, foreword by Newt Gingrich, afterword by Gen. Eugene Habiger, USAF (retired)
Forge Books, $14.98, 350pp.
After reading this novel, I now realize why space access for citizens is just a dream. Any sane government will never allow it, in fear that this story would come true. All of the continental USA is EMP-nuked by only three high-altitude rockets. It only takes three nuclear bombs tuned for electromagnetic pulses to fry all of our electronics and make The Day the Earth Stood Still last FOREVER. Granted, the rockets come from secret offshore boats as it is discovered at story's end, but the idea carries over to space access. There is no hi-tech adventure in this book, though, and the rockets never appear – just the aftermath of their use. Such an EMP blast would not hurt people, and we would not likely even notice it unless we saw the flash in space. We would just find everything not working any more. This story is set in a North Carolina town, centered on an Army veteran officer who organizes a local militia in response to the crisis. They face starvation, marauders, and a dwindling supply of insulin for diabetics like his daughter. I guess you could say this story really got me to thinking. I understand now: science fiction and its fandom is just the leftover debris of the space race, but that's over. At least, until we get technology immune to EMPs. It only takes three nukes in space to cover our continent with line-of-sight radiation, and the USA and Russia have always known it (so why the hell did we ever have a nuclear arms race?). Space buffs, read it and weep. Everyone else, be very afraid, and the tragedy might make you weep, too. ~~ M.L. Fringe




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