William Forstchen's scary "One Second After"

Review: “One Second After” by William R. Forstchen

“One Second After” raised the hackles on my neck as I read William R. Forstchen’s tale of the unspeakable terror of living in a world one second after we are impacted with EMP, electromagnetic pulse weapon.  Whether from imagined enemies we may never identify, or from the source of our light and energy, the sun, this threat is real and what is terrifying is that we aren’t taking it seriously or preparing for it.

Forstchen draws his reader into the world as it would be without electricity or mobility.  What if we were suddenly thrust into a world where there was no refrigeration, no electric lights, heat, cooling, no television or radio or computers; you are in a moment back where your ancestors were when they had to provide everything for themselves; unwilling and unprepared pioneers. 

Soldier turned college professor John Matherson and the ordinary Americans who rise to the occasion of leadership when the unthinkable happens challenge us. Could we survive such a trial and keep the character of civilized, compassionate, godly people?  Or would we revert to tribal ways that put no value on the lives of those outside our sphere, those in desperate straits?

As the book takes us through exploring these quandries, we are left to ask ourselves: would we have the spiritual strength, the unshakable faith, to do the right thing even when it meant hardship for ourselves.  

This book is no flight of fancy.  The possibility of such a horror is very real.  We can have two positive responses: urge our leaders to take positive steps to prepare, and be on our knees before God praying it never happens.