Good SHTF Survival Fiction Books

[Defender]

On 5/8/2020 at 3:25 PM, Grayfox54 said:

Not long ago I was gifted books #1 Peoples Republic & #3  Wildfire of the Kelly Turnbull series by Kurt Schlichter.  Very interesting books. 

Its a different kind of SHTF story. Here the premise is that in the near future the United States experiences a civil war. Its conservatives vs liberals. When the fighting ends, the U.S. is split into two separate countries.  Most of the central and southern parts are still the United States of America. The northeast down to the Caroilinas and across to Illinois along with the entire west coast are the newly formed People's Republic. The PR is a socialist and ultra liberal nation. 

The stories take place about 10 years after the war. Life in the U.S is pretty much the same. However, the PR is falling apart. Socialist practices, ultra liberalism and a massively corrupt government has taken a huge toll. The wealthy and connected live luxurious and privileged lives behind walls, gates and armed guards. The middle class pretty much doesn't exist anymore. The majority of the PR's citizens are dirt poor, live in squaller and struggle just to get enough to eat.  The police are little more than armed thugs. Their primary duty is to ensure order by force and protect the upper class.. They are free to victimize, terrorize and even murder the average citizens at will. Ultra political correctness is the order of the day. One wrong off the cuff remark can get you sent to a re-education camp. From which few ever return. 

The protagonist is Kelly Turnbull.  U.S. Army Socom operator now retired and living in Texas. He spent much of the war behind enemy lines training and organizing resistance fighters. He understands what it takes to survive in the PR.  He now makes his living by infiltrating the PR and rescuing friends and family of wealthy Americans who got trapped behind enemy lines. He also does occasional odd jobs for the CIA. He is a professional soldier through and through and his services don't come cheap. 

The stories are action packed and fast paced. Its the presentation of the PR itself that's absolutely mind boggling. While some of it may seem to go overboard, its a fascinating view of what just might happen in an ultra-liberal country.

Once the book stores open back up, I'll go looking for book #2 Indian Country. This is reportedly a prequel covering Turnbull's service during the war. A fourth book is on the way. 

 

This series greatly interests me.  What is the best order to read them?  I notice that Indian Country is a prequel for People republic.  Should it be read before Peoples republic?

[Grayfox54]

I honestly don't know if reading Indian Country first would be helpful or not. I was given books 1 & 3 and read them. #2 and 4 are on the way and I haven't read them yet. However, I would suggest you start with People's Republic as it lays out the premise and explains the way things are. Generally authors of a series tend to build on previous books. 

[Defender]

Thanks, man.  Im going to order the kindle versions i think.  I can afford those, though i wish i could find the paper versions ata decent price.

[hipower]

On 5/8/2020 at 4:00 PM, Defender said:

Those look good.  Id love to read them, but lordy 15 bucks for a paperback?  Outta my price range.

Yes...reading is getting to be an expensive pastime. I got into Amazon's book selections 7 or 8 years ago. Back then selection was terrific and costs were competitive with brick and mortar stores.

Kindle and E readers were the go to for everyone. Book costs were low and sales were high. High enough to give electronic media a stranglehold on material. If a writer wanted to publish, he had little choice as an unknown breaking in.

Getting picked up by an established publisher was difficult. But going to Amazon and the like, got them out in the hands of buyers by electronic media. Writers got paid. Print costs were gone. E-publishing thrived. And took over.

Novice writers had to get a public presence and a following to survive. To do that, they went to e-publishing. The cycle perpetuates and "hard" books are dying.

That gives a virtual monopoly to Amazon and others. They control costs on all sides now. Buying material and publishing. Writers are  getting paid.

But we are paying the costs...again. We went to the dark side to get more selection and save money.

Now we have loads of choices. Dozens, if not hundreds of stories and plots that differ little.

So more gets "published", but is the reader served with quality? Or just more of the same, again and again.

But that "saving money" part has vanished.

Sorry, this is a sore spot for me. lol.

I guess I got a bit carried away.

[Defender]

9 hours ago, hipower said:

Yes...reading is getting to be an expensive pastime. I got into Amazon's book selections 7 or 8 years ago. Back then selection was terrific and costs were competitive with brick and mortar stores.

Kindle and E readers were the go to for everyone. Book costs were low and sales were high. High enough to give electronic media a stranglehold on material. If a writer wanted to publish, he had little choice as an unknown breaking in.

Getting picked up by an established publisher was difficult. But going to Amazon and the like, got them out in the hands of buyers by electronic media. Writers got paid. Print costs were gone. E-publishing thrived. And took over.

Novice writers had to get a public presence and a following to survive. To do that, they went to e-publishing. The cycle perpetuates and "hard" books are dying.

That gives a virtual monopoly to Amazon and others. They control costs on all sides now. Buying material and publishing. Writers are  getting paid.

But we are paying the costs...again. We went to the dark side to get more selection and save money.

Now we have loads of choices. Dozens, if not hundreds of stories and plots that differ little.

So more gets "published", but is the reader served with quality? Or just more of the same, again and again.

But that "saving money" part has vanished.

Sorry, this is a sore spot for me. lol.

I guess I got a bit carried away.

You are 100 % right!  Personally, although i do read ebooks, i still usually prefer paper. Ive acquired many ebooks on my ipad, in Kindle and other formats for rainy day' reading. Im a huge user of the metro public libraries here in Nashville.   Right before they shut down because of the pandemic, I was smart enough to check out a goodly stack of books.  Reading my next to last one now, but it looks like I\ll run out before they reopen, so yesterday while at Kroger, I just stopped to look at some books.  Wow.  Outrageous prices.  Most of the ebooks Ive acquired were free or almost free so I guess when i finish this last hardback, its ereading those for me!  By the way, Metro Nashville library system is outstanding, well, when they are open, lol.  They have different books at every branch and the main library, and you can order books to be sent to your local branch for free.  They also have a great selection of audio books in various formats, and also have access to an ebook check out system as well, called Overdrive.   Online catalog is good if you know the names of your authors or books, but if you liek to just browse to look for books, not so good.  My local branch has a new book area, so that is where i head usually.

[hipower]

I have a Kindle, 2 actually, and have not used them. I know, that's sad. I really do have some things I'd like to read that are ebook only, or cost prohibitive. There are some books/authors that I will buy and keep, but a lot of things that would probably one time reads.

Actually had several thousand books at one time. But the Great Nashville Flood took a lot of them. Plus at my age, I try to be a bit more judicious in my buying. LOL! Right. We went to an Estate Sale in Hendersonville last week and I bought 24 Hard Covers. Stephen King, Clive Cussler, and Dean Koontz. The sales promoters were asking 5 apiece at the start. But these guys don't like to have to move things themselves, so a little dickering was involved. I gave a buck apiece for them. Had I got there earlier, I would have bought more and really haggled on price. But a couple were skimming and picking as I got there. They took a hundred or more. Resellers maybe. Or just like me and buying for the future downtime. 

I guess half or more of my book buying is estate sale or used books these days. At a sale last fall, I got 57 I think it was for a buck each. All SYFY and mystery/thrillers; but things I had a bigger interest in.

Short version...I like to read and it seems I like to hoard as well. 

[Grayfox54]

I thought I'd bring this thread back up as the craziness that is happening these days bears a huge resemblance to  Kurt Schlichter's  "People's Republic" series which I reviewed just a couple of posts earlier.  I mean its absolutely frightening how  Schlichter's fictional dystopian near future of liberalism gone crazy is coming to life all around us. Schlichter has always said that while his novels are fiction, they are also meant to be a warning of just what might happen. I fear he is right.  

[hipower]

1 hour ago, Grayfox54 said:

I thought I'd bring this thread back up as the craziness that is happening these days bears a huge resemblance to  Kurt Schlichter's  "People's Republic" series which I reviewed just a couple of posts earlier.  I mean its absolutely frightening how  Schlichter's fictional dystopian near future of liberalism gone crazy is coming to life all around us. Schlichter has always said that while his novels are fiction, they are also meant to be a warning of just what might happen. I fear he is right.  

I have not read any of Schlichter's work, but have seen many positive reviews. One of them compared his novels to the One Second After novels and The Road. Dark and expressive of the doubts we would survive. 

[Moped]

Can’t speak to the current book, but I do read a lot. And I have successfully made the switch to ebooks. I use Kindle on IPad. I also have used Overdrive to download from Ebooks through the Knox County Library.

[Grayfox54]

I just recently finished the first four books in the series, so they're still fresh in my mind. Like I said the resemblance to current events is down right scary. Deleting/ changing history,  hating people and historical figures with claims of racism. PC run amok. Its all in his books and then some. 

There's a 5th book due out soon. I had planned to get it, now I'm kinda spooked and not sure. 

[hipower]

18 minutes ago, Grayfox54 said:

I just recently finished the first four books in the series, so they're still fresh in my mind. Like I said the resemblance to current events is down right scary. Deleting/ changing history,  hating people and historical figures with claims of racism. PC run amok. Its all in his books and then some. 

There's a 5th book due out soon. I had planned to get it, now I'm kinda spooked and not sure. 

Why not? It might give you a hedge on upcoming events.

[Jamie Jackson]

Thanks for the recommendation @Grayfox54.

I read "Indian Country" first and have just purchased and started "People's Republic" (both on Kindle).

I totally agree it's uncanny and a bit prescient.

 

btw. I love my Kindle Paperwhite. It was recommended here, several pages back. It allows affordable reading and even a technotard such as myself has learned to change pdf files into readable books or booklets on Kindle through Amazon.

[Grayfox54]

9 hours ago, hipower said:

Why not? It might give you a hedge on upcoming events.

That's what kinda spooks me. 

[hipower]

1 hour ago, Grayfox54 said:

That's what kinda spooks me. 

I seriously shook after finishing One Second After. So darn authentic feeling, and have many diabetic family members; so it was truly and eye-opening read.

The Road just gutted me. That has to be the bleakest and darkest book I've ever read. Hands down. Makes any thought of survival quite slim in a cataclysmic event. 

Edited June 20, 2020 by hipower

[Grayfox54]

I've read both of those books and completely agree with you. My oldest son is diabetic. Dark stuff indeed. 

[Jamie Jackson]

OK.

I need some suggestions my friends.

I'm currently re-reading Col. Cooper's "Another Country". It's not particularly gun, nor survival related, but is one of my favorite books. That man truly lived a life that we'll never know because of time and circumstances.

 

So, What are you guys reading?

@hipower and @Grayfox54?

Jamie

[hornett22]

Well I was going to check them out but unfortunately, Amazon chose to attemt to pull a Parler trick so I'm no longer a customer of theirs.

 

Guess I'll go find some used paperbacks. 

[hipower]

5 hours ago, Jamie Jackson said:

OK.

I need some suggestions my friends.

I'm currently re-reading Col. Cooper's "Another Country". It's not particularly gun, nor survival related, but is one of my favorite books. That man truly lived a life that we'll never know because of time and circumstances.

 

So, What are you guys reading?

@hipower and @Grayfox54?

Jamie

William W. Johnstone's Out of the Ashes series. Re-reading actually for probably 4th time. Decent stuff from the 80s. Mack Maloney's Wingman series. Pure numbing bs, but fun. And lastly, Jerry Ahern's Survivalist.  Again, decent...but his stand alone novels are much better.

[Grayfox54]

6 hours ago, Jamie Jackson said:

So, What are you guys reading?

@hipower and @Grayfox54?

Currently I'm working on Texas Ranger. The biography of Frank Hamer, the man who killed Bonnie and Clyde. Amazing man with an amazing career in law enforcement. 

Waiting in the wings is Crisis, This is book five and the latest in Kurt Schlitchter's  People's Republic/ Kelly Turnbull series. I reviewed this series earlier in this thread and every day its looking more and more that it could become reality. 

[Jamie Jackson]

5 hours ago, Grayfox54 said:

Currently I'm working on Texas Ranger. The biography of Frank Hamer, the man who killed Bonnie and Clyde. Amazing man with an amazing career in law enforcement. 

Waiting in the wings is Crisis, This is book five and the latest in Kurt Schlitchter's  People's Republic/ Kelly Turnbull series. I reviewed this series earlier in this thread and every day its looking more and more that it could become reality. 

I read Schlitchter's series based on your recommendation and sadly, I must agree with you 100%. It's damn near like a primer for the unfolding events...

I thoroughly enjoy reading about men like Frank Hamer and Jim Cirillo  (Stake Out Squad), The Newhall Shooting (Woods), and Hollowway's Raiders (E.R.Walt).

Thank you!

[Jamie Jackson]

7 hours ago, hipower said:

William W. Johnstone's Out of the Ashes series. Re-reading actually for probably 4th time. Decent stuff from the 80s. Mack Maloney's Wingman series. Pure numbing bs, but fun. And lastly, Jerry Ahern's Survivalist.  Again, decent...but his stand alone novels are much better.

You know how much I love the Survivalist Series brother, especially the first 5 books in the series. My set was so old (paperback, probably Mass Market) they were about to fall apart.

HOLY CRAP! They're on Kindle !!! It must have been some time since I checked. Well I've got the first 3 in the series loading now. Thanks my friend!

I'll add Johnstone 's Ashes to my list.

I know you guys wouldn't let me down!

[billyblazes]

Given the current economic and political landscape, I highly recommend "The Mandibles" from a few years ago.  Events are set as beginning in 2029.  I found it to be a fantastic work of fiction with a lot of realistic plausible parallels.

[ReeferMac]

Thats the second reference to Mandibles I've seen in a minute.. guess its time to check that one out.

[Jamie Jackson]

2 hours ago, ReeferMac said:

Thats the second reference to Mandibles I've seen in a minute.. guess its time to check that one out.

Adding to the list! Keeping  'em coming.

Thanks!

Edited January 17, 2021 by Jamie Jackson
can't type...

[billyblazes]

7 hours ago, ReeferMac said:

Thats the second reference to Mandibles I've seen in a minute.. guess its time to check that one out.

After you guys give the book a read I'd be curious to know if you found it as interesting as I did.