One Second After
by
William R. Forstchen
Reviewed by Aaron DeWeese
I live in Asheville, a few miles from Black Mountain. Several of my friends have attended Willam R. Forstchen's public lectures. From what I gather from hearsay, they are centered on survivalism. People I talk to either love him as a brilliant man, or despise him as a whacked-out alarmist. I spoke with a few Black Mountain residents on my honeymoon - which was well spent in The Red Rocker - and all of them, both liberal and conservative, spoke well of Forstchen - all had talked with the man personally.
I have had no interaction with the man Forstchen, other than with his mind, via this singular book. I can say that I would indeed read another of his books, because he is a local figure who writes not badly.
I am a bit conflicted however.
On the one hand, I am glad Forstchen bothered to write this book, and alert people to a possible future catastrophic scenario — EMP. Thanks man! Here is what really alarms me about the novel: Forstchen unabashedly pours himself into the main character. Fiction writing is very revealing. Forstchen has as much guts as Asheville's Thomas Wolfe had. Wolfe however, never set himself up in any of his books as the local executioner when martial law comes to town. My Fox News friends were salivating at the mouth when the professor blew the brains out of the thieving drug addict. My dislike for Fox News is equal to my disdain for all mass media, which is controlled by a total of 6 conglomerates. I prefer the internet for depolarization.
I am meaning to say that I simply was repulsed by the vision of Forstchen's fantasy. I realize that it may be a realistic fantasy, and that Montreat College may indeed have need to one day become a boot-camp with Forstchen as General. God forbid. Would I feel like this if the main character, History professor John Matherson, was not recognizable as Forstchen? — If the warrior-savior of post-apocalyptic martial law in Black Mountain was a plumber or something? Maybe.
Mayhaps that is irrelevant. Forstchen has a legitimate and probable scenario, I am convinced. He at least has the modesty to be a reluctant warrior-savior. I must get some more of his books to see if my conflict is resolved. The man seems obsessed with wars past and wars future. I simply am not.
I have had no interaction with the man Forstchen, other than with his mind, via this singular book. I can say that I would indeed read another of his books, because he is a local figure who writes not badly.
I am a bit conflicted however.
On the one hand, I am glad Forstchen bothered to write this book, and alert people to a possible future catastrophic scenario — EMP. Thanks man! Here is what really alarms me about the novel: Forstchen unabashedly pours himself into the main character. Fiction writing is very revealing. Forstchen has as much guts as Asheville's Thomas Wolfe had. Wolfe however, never set himself up in any of his books as the local executioner when martial law comes to town. My Fox News friends were salivating at the mouth when the professor blew the brains out of the thieving drug addict. My dislike for Fox News is equal to my disdain for all mass media, which is controlled by a total of 6 conglomerates. I prefer the internet for depolarization.
I am meaning to say that I simply was repulsed by the vision of Forstchen's fantasy. I realize that it may be a realistic fantasy, and that Montreat College may indeed have need to one day become a boot-camp with Forstchen as General. God forbid. Would I feel like this if the main character, History professor John Matherson, was not recognizable as Forstchen? — If the warrior-savior of post-apocalyptic martial law in Black Mountain was a plumber or something? Maybe.
Mayhaps that is irrelevant. Forstchen has a legitimate and probable scenario, I am convinced. He at least has the modesty to be a reluctant warrior-savior. I must get some more of his books to see if my conflict is resolved. The man seems obsessed with wars past and wars future. I simply am not.
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