One Second After
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''One Second After'' is a 2009 novel by American writer William R. Forstchen. The novel deals with an unexpected
electromagnetic pulse An electromagnetic pulse (EMP), also a transient electromagnetic disturbance (TED), is a brief burst of electromagnetic energy. Depending upon the source, the origin of an EMP can be natural or artificial, and can occur as an electromagnetic fie ...
attack on the United States as it affects the people living in and around the small American town of
Black Mountain, North Carolina Black Mountain is a town in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 7,848 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town is named for the old train stop at the Black Mountain Depot ...
. Released in March 2009, ''One Second After'' and was ranked as number 11 on the ''New York Times'' Best Seller list in fiction in May 2009. A
trade paperback Trade paperback may refer to: * Trade paperback, a higher-quality softcover version of a book * Trade paperback (comics) In comics in the United States, a trade paperback (shortened: TPB or trade) is a collection of stories originally published ...
edition was released in November 2009.


Background

Black Mountain, North Carolina, is a small American town, home to a college with about six hundred students. Although it has no large businesses, it is becoming a summer destination for people from larger cities. Black Mountain is strategically located along an
interstate highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...
and provides the water supply for the nearby city of
Asheville Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...
.


Plot

John Matherson is a professor of history at the local Montreat Christian College. A retired
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
and
Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
veteran, he had moved to Black Mountain with his family when his late wife Mary, a native of the town, was dying from cancer. He now is the widowed father of two daughters, Elizabeth and Jennifer. At 4:50 p.m. (16:50)
Eastern Daylight Time The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico, Panama, Colombia, mainland Ecuador, Peru, and a small por ...
on the second Tuesday of May, the first day described in the book's narration, the phone lines in the town suddenly go dead, along with all the electrical appliances. Within hours it becomes clear that this is no ordinary blackout. Every modern electrical device is disabled, destroyed by what Matherson is beginning to suspect was an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack on the United States. The United States has effectively been returned to the 19th century, with few 21st-century people able to deal with such conditions. Matherson later remarks that survivors have had to rely on the technology of the early 16th century. His immediate concern is his twelve-year-old daughter, who has
Type 1 diabetes Type 1 diabetes (T1D), formerly known as juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune disease that originates when cells that make insulin (beta cells) are destroyed by the immune system. Insulin is a hormone required for the cells to use blood sugar for ...
. Without a constant supply of
insulin Insulin (, from Latin ''insula'', 'island') is a peptide hormone produced by beta cells of the pancreatic islets encoded in humans by the ''INS'' gene. It is considered to be the main anabolic hormone of the body. It regulates the metabolism o ...
, which requires refrigeration, she will die. The book explores how the whole community responds, as many others face similar crises. Matherson's experience and character help him with the town's residents. Hundreds of motorists are stranded when their vehicles stop. They get into town, making the residents feel threatened by the numbers of people needing help. An immediate concern is food. No refrigerators or freezers are running, nor are grocery stores receiving supplies. Residents of the nursing home in town, where Matherson's elderly cancer-stricken father-in-law is being cared for, are at risk. The elderly and frail need refrigerated medicines, and many require constant nursing care. The EMP has disabled the nursing home's generator. There are no AM/FM radio broadcasts, no television, no Internet, and thus, no communication with anyone outside the town is possible. It takes two months before a working antique telephone can connect Black Mountain with the nearby town of Swannanoa. Matherson's in-laws are car collectors who happen to own a 1959
Edsel Edsel is a discontinued division and brand of automobiles that was marketed by the Ford Motor Company from the 1958 to the 1960 model years. Deriving its name from Edsel Ford, son of company founder Henry Ford, Edsels were developed in an effort ...
, and a
Mustang The mustang is a free-roaming horse of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but because they are descended from once-domesticated animals, they ...
. These are not affected by the EMP as they have no sensitive electronics. Similarly a resident's vintage airplane is newly useful, because it has no vulnerable electronics. Without modern sanitation and supplies, diseases surge. Minor wounds become seriously infected, and the community has soon exhausted its supply of antibiotics. The social order in Black Mountain begins to break down. It is too late in the year to plant and harvest crops. Suddenly, skills not needed in several generations have become critically necessary. The town organizes its young and able-bodied to defend against a marauding band of cannibals. When they attack, there is a violent and deadly battle with high fatalities. After a while, the extreme shortages of food require rationing. Increasingly, Matherson assumes a growing leadership role as the situation deteriorates. He and other leaders struggle with the multiple issues and moral choices. Matherson leads several battalions of college students into battle against the marauding Posse. The college's resource officer is killed and two-thirds of the students die. After the battle the Posse leader is captured and hanged on the interstate. Matherson releases several remaining Posse members, saying that they were not going to do any more harm. One year later, the
U.S. military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
arrives to rebuild and aid the town. It is learned that the EMP was generated by three nuclear missiles launched from offshore container ships. One was launched from the
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
and detonated in the upper atmosphere over
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
,
Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
, and
Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
. The container ship was sunk by an explosion immediately after the missile launch; no one knows who was responsible for the attacks. Another missile was fired from off the Icelandic coast and detonated over East Europe and Russia. This launch affected major cities such as
St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
and
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
and everything in between. Another nuclear missile was detonated over
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. The U.S. government believed that an alliance between
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and
North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
conducted the attacks, and retaliated by striking both countries with nuclear weapons. The U.S. withdrew all of its overseas military forces to aid in rebuilding and humanitarian work at home. The EMP attack brought down
Air Force One Air Force One is the official air traffic control designated call sign for a United States Air Force aircraft carrying the president of the United States. In common parlance, the term is used to denote U.S. Air Force aircraft modified and used ...
, and the U.S. president died upon impact. One year after the EMP attack, the United States is described as having 30 million survivors, down ninety percent from a pre-attack population of 300 million. The
People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
is occupying the
U.S. west coast The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast, Pacific states, and the western seaboard, is the coastline along which the Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. The term typically refers to the contiguous U.S ...
with a 500,000-strong occupation force, and
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
occupies its former territory of
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
and the
American Southwest The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, N ...
, as a
protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over m ...
against China. The book also explores the increasingly intimate relationship Matherson develops with Makala Turner, a single, childless nurse among those stranded by the pulse.


Characters

*John Matherson – A widowed professor of history at the local Montreat Christian College and retired U.S. Army colonel, who rises to a position of responsibility as the crisis in his community develops. *Elizabeth Matherson – John's sixteen-year-old daughter. *Jennifer Matherson – John's twelve-year-old daughter, who has
Type 1 diabetes Type 1 diabetes (T1D), formerly known as juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune disease that originates when cells that make insulin (beta cells) are destroyed by the immune system. Insulin is a hormone required for the cells to use blood sugar for ...
. *Jenny – The mother of John's deceased wife, Mary. Jenny is a gentle Southern matriarch who is very close with John and his daughters. *Makala Turner – A supervising nurse for a cardiac surgical unit from Charlotte, North Carolina who is stranded in Black Mountain on her way to a medical conference in Asheville on the day of the EMP strike. *Charlie Fuller – John Matherson's close friend and Black Mountain's Director of Public Safety, in charge of the town's fire and police departments. *Washington Parker – A retired Marine sergeant major who is Head of Campus Security at Montreat Christian College. *Dan Hunt – The well-respected president of Montreat Christian College, whose life Bob Scales saved during the Vietnam War. *Jim Bartlett – John's eccentric neighbor who owns the local Volkswagen repair shop and supplies the town with working vehicles after the EMP attack. *Doc Kellor – Black Mountain's local doctor. *Tom Barker – Black Mountain's chief of police. *Don Barber – Owner of a functioning
Aeronca L-3 The Aeronca L-3 group of observation and liaison aircraft were used by the United States Army Air Corps in World War II. The L-3 series were adapted from Aeronca's pre-war Tandem Trainer and Chief models. Design and development In 1941, the ...
who provides crucial intelligence to the community, especially regarding the advance of the Posse, through his reconnaissance flights. *Kate Lindsey – Black Mountain's mayor at the time of the EMP attack. *Ben Johnson – Elizabeth Matherson's boyfriend and later fiancé. *Bob Scales – John's friend, a high-ranking worker at the Pentagon who acts as the girls godfather, got John his position at the college, and saved Dan Hunt's life in the Vietnam War.


Non-fiction afterword

The book contains a brief non-fiction afterword by
U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
William Sanders, regarding EMPs, which includes references to the reports of the United States EMP Commission and the book ''The Effects of Nuclear Weapons'' by
Samuel Glasstone Samuel Glasstone (3 May 1897 – 16 November 1986) was a British-born American academic and writer of scientific books. He authored over 40 popular textbooks on physical chemistry and electrochemistry, reaction rates, nuclear weapons effec ...
and
Philip J. Dolan Philip Jarvis Dolan (October 5, 1923 – January 5, 1992) was an American physicist. He graduated from West Point in 1945, was assigned to the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos in 1948, and received his MSc in physics from the University of Virginia ...
, published by the
United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secu ...
, which is a technical description based on early nuclear tests.


Reception

''One Second After'' was released on March 17, 2009, and a trade paperback edition was released on November 24, 2009. The book reached the number 11 position on ''The New York Times'' best-seller list in fiction on May 3, 2009.


Adaptation

The option for the film rights to ''One Second After'' was initially sold to
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
, but has subsequently expired. , a new option was being negotiated with another unknown studio. In November 2021 the TV rights for the book series were licensed MPI Original Films. J. Michael Straczynski is involved with the production and will be writing the pilot. John Matherson Trilogy Series Adaptation In Works From MPI Original Films & Startling; J. Michael Straczynski To Pen Pilot
/ref>


Sequels

A sequel, ''One Year After: A John Matherson Novel'', was released on September 15, 2015. The plot premise is: "''One Second After'' was a dire warning of what might be our future...and our end. Now, ''One Year After'' returns to the small town of Black Mountain, and the man who struggled so hard to rebuild it in the wake of devastation-John Matherson. It is a thrilling follow-up and should delight fans in every way." The third book in the trilogy, ''The Final Day: A John Matherson Novel'', was released on January 3, 2017. In this book, it is revealed that only 30 million Americans survived up to this time.


See also

*
Lucifer's Hammer ''Lucifer's Hammer'' is a science fiction apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic science fiction, post-apocalypse-survival novel by American writers Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle that was first published in 1977. It was nominated for the Hugo Award f ...


References

{{reflist


External links


''One Second After'' official website

Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack
2009 American novels American science fiction novels American post-apocalyptic novels Novels by William R. Forstchen Novels set in North Carolina Buncombe County, North Carolina Forge Books books Dystopian novels