I am now writing the first draft my follow-on novel in the "Patriots-Survivors-Founders" series, under the working title "Expatriates." Tentatively, this novel will be set primarily in three locales:

A.) Darwin, Australia,

B.) Tavares, Florida, and

C.) Borongan, Samar Island, Philippines.

There will also be some mention of Bella Coola, British Columbia. If any SurvivalBlog readers have lived in or near any of those locales , I'd appreciate your input, via e-mail. I'd also appreciate hearing from anyone with experience and seismic oilfield exploration.

OBTW, my novel "Founders" should be released in October 2012, in hardback, as an audiobook, and as a Kindle e-book.

This is the release day for my novel "Survivors: A Novel of the Coming Collapse". (October 4th, 2011.) Thank you for waiting to order your copies until today. Keep an eye on the book's Amazon Sales Rank, as the day progresses. This should be fun!

Here is some information on the novel, without any spoilers: Much of the novel is set in the Four Corners Region of the American Southwest. "Survivors" is unusual for a novel sequel. Unlike most sequels, instead of extending the "Patriots" saga further into the future, it is contemporaneous with the action in the first book. But it is set in different locales, with mostly different characters, with vastly different levels of preparedness. The novel begins from the perspective of a U.S. Army officer deployed in Afghanistan, just as "The Crunch" unfolds.

Unlike the protagonists in "Patriots", most of the characters in "Survivors" don't have a deep larder, so they are forced to scramble and improvise. There are just a few crossover characters between the two novels, such as Ian and Blanca Doyle (whom you will remember from "Patriots" as the husband and wife Laron Light Experimental airplane owners living near Luke Air Force Base.)

The cover art for the book was masterfully rendered by mixed-media artist Tony Mauro, Jr. of New York. He took my vague one-minute verbal description of what I had in mind for the art, and he nailed it. I am very happy with his design and his choice of color palette. It really captures the essence of the novel. (The lead character, Andy Laine, is depicted on horseback in Texas, in the midst of The Crunch. You'll see how closely Tony matched the storyline when you read the novel.

"Survivors" is being published by Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster. This first released is in hardback. It retails for $24, but Amazon sells it at the deeply discounted price of $14.40.) It will be followed sometime in 2012 by a trade paperback. (The latter is the same binding format that was used with "Patriots".)

The publisher tells me that the first print run of hardbacks was 35,000 copies. This big initial printing was in part based upon Amazon's strong pre-order of 15,000 copies. I'd prefer that readers in the U.S., Canada, and the UK order through Amazon. (If your order is at least $25, you can qualify for Amazon's free "Super Saver" shipping. See our Catalog Page for ideas on other items that you might want to order, to bring your total over $25.)

I should also mention that Kindle, Nook, and iBook e-books as well as the audio book are also now orderable. The award-winning Dick Hill narrated the audio book. (He also narrated "Patriots".)

The hardback will also soon be available to U.S. armed forces servicemembers, through the All Services Exchange Catalog.

If you've already read it, succinct, positive reviews at the Amazon and Barnes & Noble web sites are greatly appreciated. For example, here is one that was just posted:

"I was fortunate enough to get an advance copy of Survivors and truly enjoyed reading it. If you liked Patriots you will love Survivors! While Patriots was about 50% technical manual and 50% novel, Survivors is much more a story but still has enough "technical" in it to keep a true Rawles fan happy. Survivors is a wide-ranging book that takes place with different groups in many locations who are much less prepared than the groups in Patriots. That makes it very interesting, coupled with the fact that Rawles dosen't mind killing off a character you like once in a while to keep you guessing. I especially like the "Kentucky Seed Lady", Sheila Randall, who shows that you just don't lay down and take it when things go bad but get to work instead. Also, who wouldn't like Andy Laine and his story of sacrifice and scrappiness to get home from Afganiston when things go bad. The world and timeline that Rawles has created will continue to support many new books in the future. Survivors (unlike Patriots) leaves you with some unfinished business which, I assume, will be tied up when [the second sequel] Deo volente comes out.

I also have to mention that even though I have read Survivors I ordered a new copy so I can get the great cover art on my bookshelf (the advance copy has a plain cover). The art fits the theme of Rawles world and the story itself perfectly. Great story, great read, educational, interesting and timely - just what you want in a book. Nice work James Wesley Rawles!" - Robert A. Jacobsen

Thanks for your help in making the Book Bomb Day a success!

Please don't order any copies of my upcoming novel "Survivors: A Novel of the Coming Collapse" until its release day, October 4th, 2011.

The cover art was masterfully rendered by mixed media artist Tony Mauro, Jr. of New York. He took my vague one-minute verbal concept description, and he nailed it. I am very happy with his design and his choice of color palette. It really captures the essence of the novel. (The lead character, Andy Laine, is depicted on horseback in Texas, in the midst of The Crunch. You'll see how closely Tony matched the storyline when you read the novel. Much of the novel is set in the Four Corners Region. I don't want to reveal any spoilers, so I'll keep this brief.)

"Survivors" is unusual for a novel sequel. Instead of extending the story further into the future, it is contemporaneous with the action in my first novel, "Patriots". But it is set in different locales, with mostly different characters. There are just a few crossover characters, such as Ian and Blanca Doyle (whom you will remember from "Patriots" as the husband and wife Laron Light Experimental airplane owners living near Luke Air Force Base.)

The novel is being published by Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster. It will first be released in hardback, followed in 2012 by a trade paperback. (The latter is the same binding format used with "Patriots".)

I should mention that the Kindle e-book and the audio book (via Amazon and Audible.com) are scheduled for the same release day. And I'm pleased to report that the award-winning Dick Hill is again doing the narration.

Again, please wait until October 4th to order your copy. By concentrating all of the orders on the release day (the "Book Bomb Day"), I hope to help propel the book into Amazon's Top 20. Thanks!

If you read the title carefully, you’ll notice the word might. Regardless of preparation, situations sometimes spiral out of control faster than we can react to the. In a TEOTWAWKI scenario of indeterminate cause, all the plans in the world go out the window, literally in some cases. Ask any senior military officer about mission planning, and invariably they will tell you that from the time a briefing starts until it ends, the situation has evolved to make the plan need adjusting. The film industry has some of the most creative minds in the world (and some that are not so creative), so the gamut of post-apocalyptic possibilities runs from Mad Max to Waterworld, from The Postman to Dawn of the Dead, from Outbreak to Armageddon. My interest in this genre of these movies (and books for that matter), led to my need to prepare for almost any eventuality. This article can only hope to give you my concepts for saving myself and my family.

The five I’s mentioned in the title are initiate, instruct, improvise, isolate, and invisible. Most of you, who are reading this, have the inclination to live this lifestyle on an everyday basis. You’re already interested in keeping yourself and your family out of the coming storm, in whatever form it takes. Four years ago, when I met my wife (a widow with five children) she laughed at what I jokingly call my “zombie kit”. You would call it a bug out bag. Today, after only four years together, she takes it much more seriously, and we have one for all seven of us, one at my place of business, one at her office, plus smaller versions in each of our five cars. Witnessing the crumbling of the US economy has given her a better understanding of the possibility of social upheaval, or as I love to call it, "the coming of the zombies". It really is only a matter of time until the costs of food, clothing, and shelter, force everyday people to drastic, violent measures in an attempt to keep their families alive.

     Step one: Initiate.

It’s your plan, so now is the time to initiate it. Wait until those first news reports of violent riots breaking out in the cities, and you’ve waited too long. It’s not like you aren’t already planning for your future. With saving up to buy a house, for your kids’ college tuition, or your retirement, you plan for the day that you should eventually need these things. In the past ten years, we’ve witnessed just how helpless the authorities can be in time of dire need. Terrorist attacks, unprecedented natural disasters, extreme weather, banking failures, and escalating economic collapses sound like the preface to a science fiction thriller, but are really just today’s headlines. Your reaction may well define how you survive the next decade. If you initiate a good plan today, and that really means today, you just might get your people through in one piece.

Once started, you’ll notice how easy it becomes to work your preparations into your everyday life. Things that seemed impossible, or difficult, will become second nature, and the boost to your self-esteem and skill sets will serve you even if worst case scenarios never occur. Okay, so maybe you were never planning on growing your own food, but even a windowsill planter in the smallest urban apartment will give you an idea of how difficult it might be to just feed yourself, while providing tasty berries or cherry tomatoes. Try hiking. Your health will benefit, and you can break in a great pair of boots before they are needed. It’s a great way to explore parts of your area for the necessary materials you may need on very short notice, whether you live in a rural area, or in a large urban setting like Manhattan.

Where I live, in Nassau County, just outside of New York City, my escape options are very limited because of the size of my family and the nature of the bottleneck created by needing to cross a bridge to get off of Long Island. So my wife and I were forced to institute some rules for the five kids, whose ages range from 23 to 12. We must know of their whereabouts at all times (a good idea anyway), so should the worst-case occur, we could get them and get out. Without giving away any details, I am confident that I could get my family away from almost any trouble should the need arise.

     Step two: Instruct.

As human beings, we have the ability to learn new things on an ongoing basis, while retaining knowledge previously mastered. Now, imparting that knowledge to your family should be a priority, while continuing to learn new things yourself. Its best if you all try to learn new, diverse things, as the width of your communal know-how is just as important as the depth of your specific information. The greatest gift that I was able to pass along was my thirst for knowledge, learning new things, sometimes just for learning’s sake. With seven very different and distinct personalities to satisfy, there have been some surprising additions to our family well of knowledge.

Our 16 year old daughter has embraced my philosophy totally, and has taken French in high school (should Canada become an option), became a Certified First Responder, the precursor to being an EMT, and begs me to teach her how to drive our newest addition, a 2003 Ford Excursion. The eldest boy, aged 14, wrestles in High School, and is a sponge for knowledge. His brother, at 12 years old, knows his way around a tool box as well as I do, and believes, in his heart, that there is nothing he can’t repair. These were all skills they were cultivating long before I met their Mother, but when shown how they could pool them together to form a team, the incentive to grow further became evident.

     Step Three: Improvise.

MacGyver. That name brings a flood of memories to my generation. A television show based on the improvisational abilities of the lead character to get himself out of trouble. Some of the solutions seemed absurd at the time, but looking back, the concept was purely survivalist. With a short list of basic supplies, a prepared individual should be able to not only survive, but thrive in a post-apocalyptic future. With a family of seven, the going could be harder, or easier, depending on the situation, but my imagination has kept me ahead of the curve in most cases. With very little financial investment, we have based family vacations around learning to adapt, trying out outdoor living in the form of camping. By “forgetting” an important item or two each time, lessons were learned, and solutions were found.

Thinking on my feet is one of my greatest assets, and something you can’t teach. The old saying that “Necessity is the Mother of invention” will hold true more than ever should society fold up.

     Step Four: Isolate.

Getting out of reach. A world wide cataclysm will not let anybody go untouched, but there are certain cases where “away” is where you want to be. Just because you don’t have a rural retreat, doesn’t mean you can’t isolate yourselves. Barricades and boarded windows could save your lives, as the rioting masses would choose the low hanging fruit first. Surviving the first hours, days, or weeks of an incident may be the time you need to gain an advantage.

Be prepared to spend that time out of touch with the world, something the current generation may have huge problems with. We have phone free days, in an attempt to teach our kids just how much time they waste texting, tweeting and emailing. Being out of touch for the first time rattled them a bit, but they are growing used to the idea. Try out “blackout Sundays”, where you kill the main power breaker to the house. Extreme? Maybe. Eye-opening? Positively. Funny how seven people in the dark have trouble getting along, even if the alternative is surely fatal. A few tries at this went horribly wrong, but we seem to have gotten it right the last few times. 

     Step Five: Invisible.

I’m lucky. Twenty years ago, when I was flush with money and stupid enough to spend it, I bought a huge chunk of upstate New York land. [Because of building restrictions] I can’t do anything to it, just hunt, but the vast size makes it a perfect retreat. No dirt trails, hiking trails or easy access, make it key for isolation, but it’s the terrain itself that make it invisible. It's entrance is in a deep rock cleft, barely two hundred yards from the Thruway, my refuge has come to be invisible. I dragged two forty foot shipping containers, two twenty foot shipping containers and a collection of old stockade fencing panels from a fencing company that was only too happy to let me have them. All this was no easy feat, it being almost a mile through the woods with no trail. We used just a few power winches and steel fence poles for roller logs. Now I have covered the tops of the containers, angling the fencing to provide roofline, and planted creeping ivy vines to hold the whole thing together. From twenty feet away, the cliff top looks like a solid mass of granite covered with native growth, and the access is a maze of transplanted shrubbery.

Being prepared means understanding that others who aren’t prepared will want to take your safety. Invisible solves that problem. At my home, you’d never know it, but the drywells that I had sunk in my backyard are all connected to each other, and by entering through a hidden manhole beneath my deck, I have access to my entire bunker system, and the dry wells double as water cisterns. In five years, only once did the water fill the first four drywells, leaving two between my shelter and rain water. The guys who installed the drywells saw only the connected drywells, and I did the bunker work myself, converting the last two (of eight) drywells for my own purposes.

Plan well ahead of need, and you’ll have a fighting chance at survival. If it’s never needed, that’s a good thing, if it is needed; it’s a great thing you did. Many of the things I’ve done cost little or nothing, and some even earn me back some cash. Inexpensive solutions, like getting the garbage fencing from new PVC fencing jobs made me money, and the company lets me use their equipment in exchange for disposing of all their fencing waste. Piece by piece I have added to my hoard. Many times these items were collected with permission during community curbside pickup days. These have included a cast iron wood burning stove, a chainsaw, lawnmower parts, and shelving units.

Mr. Rawles,
I just finished your novel "Patriots" a few days ago and I was compelled to send you a note. Your writing has changed my whole view of the "survivalist/ militia" culture and beliefs. You have truly opened my eyes and provided some answers to many questions I have had for years now.

First you opened my eyes to how fragile our world truly is. The parallels to what is happening today in our society will certainly force me to take personal action for my family and close friends. I will be having both my son and daughter, as well as their spouses read your book. As well I will be recommending it to as many friends as I possibly can. At 52 years of age, I hope I am not too late, for my children's sake.

I appreciate the technical detail and references you have provided. Who knows some of it may save one or more lives in the future.

I have always been a believer in our Second Amendment rights in America and your book has just solidified the understanding of why this should be so important to us, and most importantly our children. Thank you for providing an inspirational and thought provoking look into what we may face in the future. I do so hope you will land your screenplay sale and "Patriots" goes to the big screen. If it does please make sure to maintain the message you send to all Americans. I will make sure I am one of the first to see the film if it does come out.

Thank you again sir, from my heart, I say "Thank you," - Rodney W., Beaverton, Oregon

The following are the results of our recent poll of SurvivalBlog readers about favorite movies with survival and preparedness themes. Each one listed below got at least three votes:

Aliens

Apocalypto  

Braveheart 

Cast Away

Defiance This movie was based on the book Defiance: The Bielski Partisans by Nechama Tec

The Edge (Available through Netflix, as a DVD and "Play it Now" streaming.)

The Flight of the Phoenix (The original version, made in 1965, starring Jimmy Stewart. The recent remake stinks.)

The Great Escape 

I Am Legend

Jeremiah Johnson 

The Matrix Series (The Matrix/ The Matrix Reloaded/ The Matrix Revolutions)  

Miracle Mile  

Never Cry Wolf  

The Outlaw Josey Wales  

Panic in Year Zero

The Patriot 

The Postman

Rambo: First Blood  

Red Dawn  

The Road Warrior and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

Shooter  

The Terminator movies (Terminator 2 is by far the best.)

There were also two votes each for these comic honorable mentions: Tremors and Blast From the Past.

I was thinking about the "I Am Your Worst Nightmare" post as I worked in my vegetable garden, preparing it for Spring. I wonder how long it would be until the Looters evolved their strategy
to the next levels, as follows:

Looter+1: Don't kill everyone, leave some alive to loot again later.

Looter+2: Plan to scare, rather than kill, your victims, so that they can continue farming and provide for your needs later. Dead victims can't work.

Looter+3: Claim a territory and collect "protection" money/goods from the people in your territory. Tell them that in return for only taking one-third of everything they produce, you will protect them from "looters" who will take it all and kill them in the bargain. Punish anyone who holds out.

Looter+4: Call your loot taxes. You are now a government.

Regards, - Bear

JWR Replies: Your observation is astute. In many nations, there is not much difference between "the government" and the bandito "Señor Calvera." (You may remember the bandit leader in The Magnificent Seven--which was the American remake of Akira Kurosawa's classic film Seven Samurai.)

As a college teacher, NRA firearms instructor, and military trainer (including survival skills), I have spent years sorting the most effective teaching techniques from less effective ones.  Obviously, some types of training, such as marksmanship, require hands-on methods, while classroom presentations are more appropriate for other subjects.  In all cases, however, it is common for students to base their questions on preconceived notions.  For example:  “What is the 'best' handgun?”  Best for what situation?  Or,
 “What is the best survival kit?”  I always reply, it’s the one you carry between your ears;  knowledge, not equipment.  And, I am often asked similar questions about “best” books, and again, I counter, best for what? 

For actual instruction on survival-related skills, there exists a plethora of training manuals, old and new, general and specialized, beginner level to expert.  Some of these books give the subject matter straight and unvarnished; others contain an admixture of politics, patriotism, or preaching along with the technical data.  I quarrel with neither approach, but I do have reservations about much recommended “inspirational” literature, - mostly novels, - intended to “send a message” or otherwise stimulate the readers’ thought. 

Far too many of the current crop are based on premises or plots so implausible that the author undermines any credibility his characters’ actions may have.  This is entertaining, but it leads the reader directly into the realm of imagination, if not outright fantasy, (not unlike imagining oneself as James Bond) instead of leading him to ask, “what would I do in that situation?”  Moreover, though it may be like sugared medicine, a truly inspirational story must go down smoothly, so the reader gets the point without feeling he is being preached to.  So, why bother? Why not stick with the technical books?

As mentioned, hard skills can be learned, and practiced, but it is difficult to develop, much less measure a person’s survival mindset, his ability to anticipate problems he might encounter, his situational understanding.  Even Jesus recognized that most people learn best through stories:

". . . the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?  He answered and said unto them,  Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.  . . . because they see not; . . . neither do they understand." - Matthew 13: 10 - 13

Some books that meet the criterion of  “understanding” have stood the test of time:

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank [the pen name of newspaperman Harry Hart Frank] is the overall best post-apocalyptic novel.  First published in 1959, it is still in print.  It tells the story of a fictional town in Florida, coping on its own after a brief nuclear war has destroyed central government and electrical power.  There are some exciting conflicts, but no space aliens, no diseases unknown to science, no comets striking the earth, no roving bands of drug-crazed looters – just sympathetic characters realistically dealing with plausible problems.  One older character salvages a discarded bicycle, recognizing its value if the gasoline runs out.  Another character saves irrigation pipe, realizing that the city water supply will soon fail.  Lacking medical instruments, a doctor improvises a surgical kit from household tools.

The book is well-written and the plot builds to an exciting, yet plausible, climax.  Some of the 1950s technology is outdated, such as tube-type radios, and some details have changed --  the Air Force Base mentioned is now Orlando’s airport – but the fictive town is based on the real town of Sanford, Florida, the other places mentioned are real, and the characters seem real, too.  They are neither survivalists, nor firearms experts, nor former Green Berets; the reader can relate to them without delving into fantasy.

First runner-up, and best in the emergency evacuation category, is No Blade of Grass (1956) by “John Christopher,” the pen name of prolific British science fiction author, Samuel Youd.  His series of books depicting life after a space alien invasion is popular, but this book is realistic and plausible.   A plant disease wipes out most of the world’s food crops; famines, riots, wars, and social chaos follow.   Several families band together to escape London, losing their vehicles halfway through their odyssey.  The characters deal with privation, hardship, danger and violence in realistic ways. Some of them cannot accept “murder for self-preservation;” others willingly trade their personal freedom for protection by the stronger.  A historically-minded reader can see a parallel to the collapse of the Roman Empire and the rise of feudalism in an insecure Europe.

No Blade of Grass is now back in print, but look for copies from earlier editions that are widely and inexpensively available on the used book market.  It is also known under the British title Death of Grass and a reprint title, An End to Grass.  A 1970 motion picture bears little resemblance to the book, so skip the movie.

The award for Miss Uncongeniality goes to the title character in Vandenberg (1971), re-titled by the publisher as Defiance: An American Novel (1981), by Oliver Lange (the pseudonym of novelist John Wadleigh).  Vandenberg, the character, is a rebellious social misfit who resists indoctrination after a Communist take-over of the American West. He finds it harder than most such books make it seem.  Vandenberg pontificates, “to listen to some, if the day ever came, 500,000 citizens, all appropriate Rogue Male types, would melt into the hills, and when they weren’t creating havoc among brutal Occupation forces, they would be practicing the fine art of survival.”  On equipment, he says, “if a survival and guerrilla nut bought all the stuff the outdoor stores and catalogs said he needed, it would’ve taken a 25-foot U-Haul trailer and two weeks of packing to get him out of his damned driveway.”

Of course he does go into the hills, and the author’s descriptions of the New Mexico mountains are so accurate the book’s locations can be found on a map.  Eventually he does get some equipment, and he does recruit a few other rebels willing to fight back, but the ultimate result is more thought-provoking than satisfying.  Both titles are out of print but available on the used book market. 

A similar theme with a more optimistic conclusion is developed  by Samuel Southwell, a former U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala, in If All the Rebels Die (1966). Southwell’s characters resist enemy occupation after a brief nuclear war, but it is their discussions about patriotism, duty, resistance and its consequences – especially the consequences of reprisals by the enemy – that stimulate the reader to think, “what could I do in such a situation?”  “What would I do in such a situation?”

Many books, both current and past, develop the idea of retreating to the mountains and ultimately fighting the “bad guys” of that particular scenario. "Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse" ( 2006, 2009, and earlier draft editions [under other titles]) by James Wesley, Rawles, is a current best-seller that has been described as “a survival manual disguised as a novel.”  It is the now-standard dystopian tale of the hardy band of survivors coping in the wake of the collapse of civilization, and it is representative of this type plot – nothing original here.  But it differs from similar works in the early chapters which describe a collapsing economy: 

“The President . . . instead of reducing growth in government spending launched an immoderate bank lending stimulus package . . . the Federal Reserve . . . began monetizing large and larger portions of the debt (p.13)  The dollar collapsed because of the long-standing promises of the FDIC . . . the government had to print money – lots and lots of it.”  (p. 15)

This is prescient, considering the first edition of this book came out about 1999, before the current government actions it seems to predict, and the theme of economic collapse followed by chaos has resonated with many readers.  The remainder of the book, however “action-packed,” is far less plausible.  An earlier, briefer treatment is found in Fire and Ice (1975), by Ray Kytle.  Note the author’s name, since there are several books by this title.

Fire and Ice was written shortly after the very first Arab oil embargo of 1973, and it posits a three-year economic decline precipitated by an oil shortage.  The protagonist and his family do, indeed, go to a mountain cabin, and do, indeed, fight the good fight.  But along the way they must deal with such problems as obtaining firearms on the black market, and the enmity of less-prepared neighbors.  They also face their own crises of conscience, not over the morality of killing but of the “selfishness” of protecting themselves versus attempting to help their friends and community.   Except in Southwell, this psychological dimension has not been dealt with in other books.  Some of the technical details are less plausible: Even if you can obtain guns ‘off the books,’ don’t try to smuggle 2,000 rounds of .30-06 ammunition in your children’s luggage; they would weigh about 140 pounds!

It is training that prevents an emergency from becoming a crisis, but no one can say, with absolute certainty, what he or she would do in a given emergency.  Soldiers and “first responders” are trained (and trained, and trained) on how to react in foreseeable situations, yet even well-trained persons sometimes fail to take appropriate action.  There are also a number of our fellow survivalists who are so committed to a particular scenario they either cannot or will not consider possible alternative situations or outcomes [If I just have enough guns and ammo, I’ll be safe, no matter what!] or they do not take into consideration many of the human factors that affect sound judgment and decisive action.

Sorry about the delay, but here are the result's of last month's poll. Today, I'm starting a new poll: What are your favorite movies with survival themes? Please e-mail me a list of your top five picks. Thanks! I'll post the results sometime early in November.

Here are the results of our recent poll. Thety are listed in no particular order, but each book listed below received at least two votes. Those that are marked with an asterisk are suitable for teenagers.

• Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank*
• Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
• One Second After by William R. Forstchen (An EMP scenario.)
• Earth Abides by George Stewart*
• Dies the Fire series by S.M. Stirling
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shafer and Annie Barrows
  
• The Survivalist series (Most recommended just the first 10 books) by Jerry Ahern
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy
• Lights Out by David Crawford (a.k.a. HalfFast, (Post-EMP attack shareware serialized e-book, hosted by Frugal Squirrel's)
• The Rackham Files by Dean Ing (includes the the novel previously published as "Pulling Through")
• Molon Labe! by Boston T. Party
• Last of the Breed by Louis L’amour
• The Postman (Bantam Classics) by David Brin
• Wolf And Ironby Gordon Dickson
• World Made by Handby James Howard Kunstler
• Farnham's Freeholdby Robert Heinlein*
• Out of the Ashes (Ashes Series #1) by William Johnstone
• On the Beach by Nevil Shute
• The Stand by Stephen King
• Unintended Consequences by John Ross (Warning: Graphic violence and sexually explicit)
• Enemies Foreign and Domestic by Matthew Bracken
• Things Fall Apart by Fred Heiser (Also available as a PDF e-book.)
• The Rift by Walter J. Williams
• Malevil by Robert Merle
• Swan Song by Robert McCammon
• Tomorrow! by Philip Wylie
• Deep Winter and Shatter by Thomas C. Sherry
• Warday: And the Journey Onward by Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka
• Enemies Foreign and Domestic series by Matt Bracken
• Tunnel in the Sky by Robert Heinlein*
• A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller
• Solar Flare by Larry Burkett
• The New Madrid Run by Michael Reisig
• The Collapse by Jeff Stanfield
• Down to a Sunless Sea by David Graham
• The Folk of the Fringe by Orson Scott Card
• The Restoration Series by Terri Blackstock
• The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein*
• Eternity Road by Jack McDevitt
• The Last Canadian by William C. Heine
• Survivors by Terry Nation
• Conquistador: A Novel of Alternate History by S.M. Stirling
• ED Day-Dead Sydney by Darryl Mason (Post flu pandemic shareware serialized e-book.)
• Fallen Angels by Niven and Pournelle
• King Rat by James Clavell
• The Guardians Series by Richard Austin
• There Falls No Shadow by David Crossley
• Long Voyage Back by Luke Rhinehart (George Cockcroft)
• I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
• The Frontiersmen by Allan Eckert
• Vandenberg by Oliver Lange (Note: It was later republished under the title: "Defiance: An American Novel")
• There Will Be Dragons by John Ringo
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Not This August by C.M. Kornbluth
• After War by Janet Morris
• Neither Predator Nor Prey by Mark Spungin
• After the Bomb: Week One by Gloria Miklowitz
• Footfall by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
  
• Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
• A Secret History of Time to Come Robie MacAuley
• Some Will Not Die by Algis Budrys (Plague scenario)
• 1632 (The Assiti Shards) by Eric Flint
• Cold Creek Cash Store by Russell Hill
• Patriots by James Wesley, Rawles

Thanks for all your input. As I recently mentioned in an interview on the Laura Ingraham show, one of the best ways to inspire preparedness newbies is to put a piece of survival fiction in their hands. It gets them thinking through some potential "what if" situations.