An exclusive diet of TEOTWAWKI is not advisable and would be very depressing, but there are some books in this genre worth reading -- even if Tolstoy, his masterpiece literature peers or some other first rate author didn't write them. For instance, I will confess to thoroughly enjoying Steven King's "The Stand." Crass as that may be. And The Stand was further motivation to be very attentive at pandemic planning meetings. On 9/11, a Tom Clancy novel came to mind. Wish some more people in certain jobs had read it. Whatever it takes.

I don't think TEOTWAWKI books or films necessarily instill or reinforce a survivalist mindset. Survivalists aren't the only ones reading them.

The bleaker fiction, like Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" and Albert Camus' "The Plague" (a high school class read) make me ponder the merits of stocking up on only one item: cyanide.

EMP - the subject of this book - is beyond simply losing power for awhile. EMP during nuclear weapons tests has permanently destroyed electronic devices and could have long-term consequences for power grids. That's why governments around the world are so interested in defending against it and the bad guys are intrigued by the offensive potential.

My biggest takeaway from One Second After, other than the need for good editors, was that in a non-apocalyptic disaster that could result in an extended power outage, there is extreme peril for people reliant on powered medical technology and medication that requires refrigeration.

One of the main characters was diabetic. And the consequences at a nursing home and hospitals were explored, as well.

My dog is presently being treated with a medication that must be refrigerated. She wouldn't die without it but her rump would itch for a while longer. Who needs that in a crisis?

Tolstoy, Homer, Dickens, et.al. didn't have a clue about that modern reality (EMP, nor my dog's rump) and if the others you mentioned had written about EMP I'd be pleased to read their take on it.

Lesser authors not blessed with the literary skills of the classics, can still be thought-provoking on subjects - such as EMP - that are worthy enough to warrant congressional hearings and scientific studies.

That said, One Second After, is second-rate quality. The original point of the thread was: is his EMP scenario plausible were an EMP to occur?

And now I will go back to reading The Secret Life of Bees.

Honey bees, not killer bees.

;-)