This is a hard one to review.
I hate it because it's done by an ex-military, right-wing, flag-waving Southerner.
Oh wait, no, the protagonist is ostensibly from New Jersey, so he's the 'outcast Yankee' of his South Carolina town, but he's a college history professor - who apparently knows EVERYTHING about EVERY major period in history- from battles to sociology to politics - all while referencing "I saw it on the History Channel" at town leader meetings (he never opens a book.)
Still, it is TERRIFYINGLY well researched. Because, yeah, take away everything electrical (from cars to refrigerators to communication)... and in 10 days it would be anarchy. We ARE a nation that over-specializes, and we are removed from food production, medication, and even fixing things that break around the house.
The author details it all in pretty bleak terms - panic, insanity, cults, disease, mass starvation, feudal (and futile) behavior. I could see it happening, if you take the dark view of humanity. This book made me cry a lot.
It took reading this review over at "Goodreads" by "Timmy" to give me some perspective:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/91704194
Because, yes, every adult in the tiny town is a gun-toting, ex-military "this is America-dammit!" flag waver or married to one. (And no, they're not near a military base.) The average adult is not going to know/understand/submit to "military triage" conditions. No one is going to take the 'long view.' Even the kindly old doctor in town has an extensive knowledge of third world bacteriology and historical perspective on everything from medieval black plague statistics to WWII Russian cholera outbreaks in the general population.
The general population is apparently both meek and mailable in town, and all 'outsiders' are panicky, selfish, and apparently easily led to join mass cults or roving 'Mad Max' bands of criminals & insane prophets (sociopathic charismatics off their meds.)
And yes, it's lazy of the author to do all the 'action' sequences as ordered, post-happening flashbacks: "Glad we survived that one! Did you know x,y & z happened too?"
The thing "Timmy" didn't articulate was the utter lack of help from the world community. (Although there is allusions to the unknown EMP adversary somehow taking out Western Europe and Japan simultaneously as well- talk about a lucky strike!) NO ONE helps the U.S. (There is one bit at the very end in a conversation that apparently Mexico 'repatriated' Texas and the surrounding states - oh and China showed up on the Western seaboard with aide, but that's just so they could take over with their military.) While I agree, most of Africa would laugh it's ass off, and South America... well, we've pretty much pissed them off with our military meddling... the world is just gonna let us all die? Really?
The book gives me a lot to think about... which, in the end, is the point. So it gets 3 stars.
I hate it because it's done by an ex-military, right-wing, flag-waving Southerner.
Oh wait, no, the protagonist is ostensibly from New Jersey, so he's the 'outcast Yankee' of his South Carolina town, but he's a college history professor - who apparently knows EVERYTHING about EVERY major period in history- from battles to sociology to politics - all while referencing "I saw it on the History Channel" at town leader meetings (he never opens a book.)
Still, it is TERRIFYINGLY well researched. Because, yeah, take away everything electrical (from cars to refrigerators to communication)... and in 10 days it would be anarchy. We ARE a nation that over-specializes, and we are removed from food production, medication, and even fixing things that break around the house.
The author details it all in pretty bleak terms - panic, insanity, cults, disease, mass starvation, feudal (and futile) behavior. I could see it happening, if you take the dark view of humanity. This book made me cry a lot.
It took reading this review over at "Goodreads" by "Timmy" to give me some perspective:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/91704194
Because, yes, every adult in the tiny town is a gun-toting, ex-military "this is America-dammit!" flag waver or married to one. (And no, they're not near a military base.) The average adult is not going to know/understand/submit to "military triage" conditions. No one is going to take the 'long view.' Even the kindly old doctor in town has an extensive knowledge of third world bacteriology and historical perspective on everything from medieval black plague statistics to WWII Russian cholera outbreaks in the general population.
The general population is apparently both meek and mailable in town, and all 'outsiders' are panicky, selfish, and apparently easily led to join mass cults or roving 'Mad Max' bands of criminals & insane prophets (sociopathic charismatics off their meds.)
And yes, it's lazy of the author to do all the 'action' sequences as ordered, post-happening flashbacks: "Glad we survived that one! Did you know x,y & z happened too?"
The thing "Timmy" didn't articulate was the utter lack of help from the world community. (Although there is allusions to the unknown EMP adversary somehow taking out Western Europe and Japan simultaneously as well- talk about a lucky strike!) NO ONE helps the U.S. (There is one bit at the very end in a conversation that apparently Mexico 'repatriated' Texas and the surrounding states - oh and China showed up on the Western seaboard with aide, but that's just so they could take over with their military.) While I agree, most of Africa would laugh it's ass off, and South America... well, we've pretty much pissed them off with our military meddling... the world is just gonna let us all die? Really?
The book gives me a lot to think about... which, in the end, is the point. So it gets 3 stars.
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