Survival Fiction

[memphismason]

"Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse"

Amazon.com: Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse (9781569755990): James Wesley Rawles: Books

Has anyone read this book?

I picked it up last night, and I have read the first 3 chapters, and I am hooked. It seems like it will be a good read spinkled with a little information.

any thoughts?

or any other Book Suggestions?

[Guest SUNTZU]

I've read the book. Its a fun fictional read, as long as you disregard the grammar and typos. You can get the technical information on the interwebz without the need to buy the book. I thought it was crap, or a survivalist's wet dream, due to tossing the Constitution out the window, from a man who says he follows it.

SPOILER: Its hard to follow his moral high ground throughout the book as his group stops people on the road (public way) in front of his house and searches their belongings, then kills them for what he finds there. I understand why he killed them, but stopping them just because they were passing in front of his house knocks him right off his high ground, IMO.

Its not worth the money I paid for it, IMO.

[memphismason]

I've read the book. Its a fun fictional read, as long as you disregard the grammar and typos. You can get the technical information on the interwebz without the need to buy the book. I thought it was crap, or a survivalist's wet dream, due to tossing the Constitution out the window, from a man who says he follows it.

SPOILER: Its hard to follow his moral high ground throughout the book as his group stops people on the road (public way) in front of his house and searches their belongings, then kills them for what he finds there. I understand why he killed them, but stopping them just because they were passing in front of his house knocks him right off his high ground, IMO.

Its not worth the money I paid for it, IMO.

You know I noticed a couple of typos already. It thought it was kinda weird. After a few of the "de-breifing" that are in the begining, I figured morals were tossed out the window, even thought they have stopped to pray twice in the first three chapters.

It seems like, a fun read, and thats what I figured it to be.

I normally stir clear from fiction, because I always tell myself it's for entertainment and I read for knowledge. However a friend gave me a book by Ken Follet abut early Stone Masons titled "The Pillars of the Earth", and I again realized how much enjoyment I could get from reading a Fictional tale loosely related to actual events. So I decided to try this book out.

[Guest SUNTZU]

Its a fun read, just not the technical prep manual that people tout it as. As far as this book, its Gods, Guns, and Preps, so long as your Christian, and their only the groups guns, and only their preps. Which rubbed me wrong from a self proclaimed Constitutionalist.

But if you don't look at it as a PAW for Dummies book, its an enjoyable read as long as you can suffer through the technical details and the religious aspect.

[Moped]

Try reading Lucifer's Hammer by Niven and Pournelle.

Amazon.com: Lucifer's Hammer (9780872234871): Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle: Books

[Oh Shoot]

SHTF/TEOTWAWKI books I have:

The Road

Lucifer's Hammer

On The Beach

The Postman

Alas, Babylon

The Stand

One Second After

World War Z

Patriots

I Am Legend

and the most extended time frame,

A Canticle for Lebowitz

Each one interesting in it's way.

- OS

[Guest snowduck]

friends_links

Lights Out by Halfast

One of the best fictions about survival I have read

[broylz]

it was an ok book. i read one of the older versions. i found it creepy that the intro seemed to go along with our current situation a bit, although far fetched. it is a good conversation starter that gets people thinking. i didnt like the last quarter of it though. seemed chopped short.

[Moped]

I've read

Lucifer's Hammer

On the Beach

Alas Babylon

A Canticle to Lebowitz

And the Dies the Fire Series by S.M. Sterling

No guns in the last one. The premise is something has happened to change the laws of nature. Combustible engines no longer work. Neither do fire arms nor radios or electricity. Most people end up starving to death especially around the cities. Good series! Swords and bows are the weapons of choice.

[Guest GLOCK2340]

World War Z is awesome!! I'll have check some of the books you guys mentioned out!!!

[Guest oldbs]

Take a look at the Enemies Trilogy by Matthew Bracken. A very good writer, and an interesting look into the future! It is fiction of course, but may be a look at what is coming.

[Guest SUNTZU]

The Last Centurion by John Ringo. Its written blog style about a plague then cold spell with hows and whys added that are interesting and not long and windy. Then its on to Iraq and how the hell do I get home. I've started my third reading a couple of days ago.

Amazon.com: The Last Centurion (9781416555537): John Ringo: Books

Go click on the 1 star reviews and laugh at the tofu eaters.

[Defender]

I enjoyed reading Patriots.

[Guest TurboniumOxide]

I am working on "Cell" by Steven King. It is survival Horror, but with many real life situations. Good scary interesting stuff.

"One Second After" is very realistic, and highly recommended.

[Guest Revelator]

I read One Second After and Patriots around the same time, and the difference was night and day. You're right, One Second is extremely realistic. If/when that happens that's exactly what it's going to be like. Patriots, I thought was utter garbage but I'm kind of a literary snob. I love Jimmy Rawles' website but I couldn't get halfway through that book.

[Guest SUNTZU]

One Second After told me to keep an eye on the neighbor's who feel my belongings are better served being confiscated and given to the community by the person with the Napoleon complex.

Not directed at you, Mr. Stegall, but I hear a lot of people who've read that book sing its praises as to what THEY would do. It makes me give them the fish eye when I hear that. The main character protected his car but confiscated from the farmers. I'm surprised the story didn't end right there. I don't need a local "I know what's best for you" person trying to take my stuff because they didn't think ahead or live off McDonald's double cheeseburgers. Just my opinion.

[Oh Shoot]

I.... Patriots, I thought was utter garbage but I'm kind of a literary snob. I love Jimmy Rawles' website...

Have you been reading lately?

His wife just passed away.

And she had sort of advertised for a replacement wife for James, pretty unusual.

- OS

[Oh Shoot]

One Second After told me to keep an eye on the neighbor's who feel my belongings are better served being confiscated and given to the community by the person with the Napoleon complex.

Not directed at you, Mr. Stegall, but I hear a lot of people who've read that book sing its praises as to what THEY would do. It makes me give them the fish eye when I hear that. The main character protected his car but confiscated from the farmers. I'm surprised the story didn't end right there. I don't need a local "I know what's best for you" person trying to take my stuff because they didn't think ahead or live off McDonald's double cheeseburgers. Just my opinion.

On the other hand, if a nationwide EMP really did occur, I do indeed believe in the 90% dead in two years or so prediction.

I also believe that the only hope of survival long term would indeed be in small close knit communities that had enough folks with useful skills to sustain and guns to defend.

- OS

[Guest SUNTZU]

All well and good, just don't come confiscating my stuff to distribute to the masses of refugees. Read The Last Centurion, it talks about what you just posted, OS. I'll loan you mine when I'm finished reading it.

[Oh Shoot]

All well and good, just don't come confiscating my stuff to distribute to the masses of refugees. Read The Last Centurion, it talks about what you just posted, OS. I'll loan you mine when I'm finished reading it.

Cool, haven't heard of that one, thanks.

- OS

[Guest Revelator]

I thought the thing with Rawles' wife was a little strange but, hey, I'm not in their shoes.

In One Second After they didn't sieze crops and livestock from the farmers, they made a deal with them to protect it in exchange for sharing with the community, and the farmers got more than a fair share in return. At least that was what the town leaders agreed on; the book doesn't go into how it actually worked out. That seems very reasonable, plus they decided to leave alone the people who had their own stockpiles. All in all that seems like a pretty good way to go about it. If they came to me I wouldn't mind parting with a bucket of rice and a brick of .22 Long, if I was assured it would be going to the good of the community. In a desperate situation like that I think everyone's chances of survival are best if they all stick together.

[Guest SUNTZU]

I'll have to reread it. I thought there was something in there about seizing cattle or something that just went against the grain. Hell, I've been wrong before, I'm sure it'll happen again...

[Guest TurboniumOxide]

When it was getting down to the end, the food was rationed and the soldiers got extra. But if the schoolkids/soldiers were to fight they must be fed. Under those situations life gets down to brass tacks. Try to deny the reality of an empty stomach and people trying to kill you (and eat you). I would be highly motivated to organize the people around me. You cannot stand alone.

You got a gun, you are playing on our team. If anything I think that "One Second After" is optimistic.

Of course when it goes down, it will unfold in an unpredictable way.

[Oh Shoot]

...

You got a gun, you are playing on our team. If anything I think that "One Second After" is optimistic...

Remember that this was a tale of some of the 10% or so who survived until what was left of the US military found them. About a 90% fatality rate. I wouldn't call that wide eyed optimism.

- OS

[Jonsaiga]

Patriots was kinda okay. I personally did not care for it all that much. Mostly due to the writing style and what SUNTZU mentioned in his spoiler.

Like snowduck, I would have to say Lights Out is one of the best pieces of survival/shtf fiction I have read. Same author wrote a very sobering short story called The Bug Out that is well worth reading too. Cold Camp is another fairly decent free online read.