Summertime is a great time to catch up on reading. I just finished reading a book of fiction, American Apocalypse: The Collapse Begins by author Nova. It is the first book in a series of four books. I read it in two days; I was quite riveted with the story.
The book centers around a young man who finds himself homeless, trying to stay alive in a suburb of Washington, D.C. Much of the country has fallen into anarchy following a global economic collapse. Our hero adapts and learns how to survive in the dangerous new world, with constant threats of hunger, looting and murder. I liked the hero, for the most part, although the character was starting to become somewhat too blood-thirsty for my taste. However, given the environment and all the suffering he has endured, it was a natural progression to become desensitized and cynical.
The most fascinating part of the book, to me, was reading about the environment in the city itself, after the economic free fall. In the book, the global economic disaster sends the U.S. on the way to third world country status, but the other countries are not faring any better. It was chilling to read about how the infrastructure starts to crumble when there is no money to pay for services: the roads fall into disrepair, trash does not get picked up and no police force to enforce the law in many outlying areas. Because of lack for funding, the authorities start to limit their services only in the prosperous areas where employed people could still afford to pay taxes. The description of the tent cities, of homeless people living in the wooded areas of the park, and “car people” who lived in their cars in vacant industrial parks felt a little too close for comfort as we hear of this happening already.
As I read through the book, I could not help but think, can this really happen? With the economic situation not getting any better, I can see how things can devolve and spiral downward. Though it is a work of fiction, I could not help but see parallels in current events. I hope and pray things do not take a turn for the worse, but prepare just in case.
I am looking forward to the next book, American Apocalypse Wastelands, scheduled to be released in August 2011.
Bernie,
Oh my gosh – yes, talk about almost too close for comfort. In the past 72 there have been random shooting all over the world. The latest in our area is someone who was an innocent bystander was killed as result of someone’s road rage. I am afraid that things are going to get worse. I hope I am wrong.
Gaye
Hi SW, reading this book was almost “too close for comfort” I was got really embroiled in the backdrop of the story, even more than the actual characters because the events and environment described seem so realistic and a natural progression if things were to get worse. It embodied that “long slow decline” that was mentioned in Urban Survival/Peoplenomics a few months ago. I really hope nothing like that ever happens.
Sounds like a page turner…I’m excited to check it out!
I had high hopes for Rawles’ Patriots last summer, but it ended up being too cheesy to even finish (I know, who am I to belittle a survival “hall o famer”).
Appreciate the recommendation.
I have Patriots as well, but haven’t finished it, it does have a lot of detail. This was a quick read, can be finished in a day or two.
Your description of a crumbling infrastructure sounds like what has been happening to us since 2008 up here.
That’s what makes the book kindof scary in a way because we already see the beginnings of it.
Sounds like these books have actually been out for a while, and are just being re-published. In which case the sequels are already available. (II, III, IV)
American Apocalypse: The Beginning:
Thanks Tom will look for the next books.
Sounds really interesting, in a morbid sort of way! I’m adding it to my reading list. And I definitely think that if the US goes down, we’ll take a lot of other countries with us. Maybe the rest of the world will bail us out, like we bailed out the auto makers? I dunno…but then, we may find out on August 3rd, lol. I kid…I don’t think it will be that bad if we miss the deadline, but I’m making sure we’re stocked up enough to stay out of town just in case of looting, rioting, or any other idiocy.
Hopefully all will be resolved by Aug 3rd, but being prepared for anything these days definitely can’t hurt.
Hi,
Thanks for reading my book. I write online and leave the comments open. Why? Because I like feedback. Especially when it comes to the survival/hardware parts.
I think it will be a slow decline until something vital breaks. When that happens, especially in a country that is in a serious state of disarray, the results multiply far more then in a healthy society an economy.
I am also trying to write about possible changes in belief systems as a result of an event like that. This is far from a homogeneous society and the social, racial and religious changes in my lifetime are amazing. How would that play out? That is what really interests me.
Thanks
nova
Hi nova, I enjoyed the book and look forward to ordering the next books in the series. It is my hope we do not see a collapse situation anytime soon, but it’s best to be prepared. I did not realize you write online, I will check out the stories. Thanks for stopping by!
The first and second book are the best in the series.
https://reflexionesfinales.blogspot.com/2011/04/gardener-summer-review.html
After that Nova gets into a strange Gods on Earth (and its not religion its the actualy Nordic Gods) theme and pretty much ruins the (semi-) realistic tone of his novel. He obviously read Neil Gaiman’s “American Gods” novel and then ruined his own story by imitating it. You have people looking through the eyes of a Norse God’s raven friends, and the birds delivering food to them.
I did not know the 3rd book goes off in a different tangent! I started to read American Gods, but did not quite bond with it. Thanks for the heads up!