Original Work Thoughts on a Survalist Book?

I had a discussion the other day concerning a reasonably famous survivalist book - my opinion of the book was not high, for various reasons. An invasion of a weakened US would be difficult, while a fascistic American government would have problems holding on to its gains. Unsurprisingly, I got told to go write my own <grin>

This is a vague concept I have along the same lines, linked to Matt Bracken’s civil war cube and some other ideas and thoughts I’ve seen in various places.

Basically, start with a major economic shock. That wouldn’t be hard to do - ISIS wants to trigger one, while there are no shortage of flashpoints that could cause a disaster. Money largely becomes worthless unless you have a lot of it. Survivalists bug out at this point, while there is rioting on the streets (as in the Civil War Cube.) Most inner cities explode, then start to starve. Federal law enforcement agencies start to come apart, both because they’re being asked to do the impossible and because the government is backing the wrong side. (Alternatively, have Congress declare a state of emergency and put a general in command - said general discovers he has a taste for power.)

Now, outside intervention isn't too likely to happen, but the feds (either liberal fascists or an outright military dictatorship) will probably wind up holding most of the country under control. The story would centre around the civil war to destroy this government.

Thoughts?

Chris

 

Not sure how I feel about rogue general bit. Also I would seriously doubt that any career politician would put a military general in charge of the country. Just sayin'.

Might be interesting seeing the play between the national guard and reserves vs the active duty. National guard and reserves are much more connected to the civilian community that they live in.

Maybe start it with a hacking attack against the financial system and maybe also followed by hack attack against other infrastructure.

 

I think Bill Shakespeare has already covered that pretty much....Coriolanus

I'm sure that you could do very much better than Patriots.

 

A little discussed but very effective Attack would be for terrorists to somehow taint the diesel fuel supply, the main refineries in the us are grouped fairly close together, a time delayed microbial agent or the like, could cripple the distribution system, and the attack would go mostly unnoticed until it was too late. I am not organized, talented or dedicated enough to do a story like this, but maybe someone of your talents.......

 

Honestly, I'd go with something similar in concept, but with a less predictable cause and cast. For instance, and this ties in and flips Chris' comment about money being useless unless you have a lot of it, the country suffers economic shock due to paying off the National Debt. This leads to quite a few plot possibilities and intrigues.

It's actually not a far-fetched concept, either. One I predict will likely happen. You have all the first-world nations loaning money to one another in order to keep their economies afloat. On the surface, this looks like charity and helping a country's allies. In the shadows, it's actually lobbyists or pocket-politicians helping their benefactor launder money to be used in a different location for other reasons. I.e. possible Illuminati or Rothschild-like conspiracy (though I only point that out to illustrate plot possibilities, not turn this into a conspiracy theory discussion).

So, you have countries getting further and further into debt. Eventually no outside party (i.e. China) will loan any more to someone, which means others can't shuffle money around. This will require the start of the repayment. But where will the money come from when there's only so much cash available? The US Treasury will of course start printing, but this lowers the US dollar's value. Which of course affects all other countries in the loan chain. Likewise, they won't want to suffer. So, what do they all agree upon?

Printing money to pay off all their debt with everyone. A clean slate. This of course would destabilize every currency affected. So they'll have to start a new currency that isn't tainted. Which they will all agree to become a part of so that the new currency has weight and other countries not using the currency will do business with them.

The above scenario would lead to quite a few possible protest and hacktivist activities which would open up opportunities for terrorist actions or coups while the populace tries to understand their now worthless bank accounts, or much-less converted amounts in their accounts due to lack of inflation.

 

Not bad. The military runs on diesel. Almost exclusively. If you could not use the fuel, without becoming infected with a biological agent, the military would be forced to commandeer civilian transport (without armor, or heavy weapons mountings. And burning gasoline. ) this would neutralize a large part of a military's effectiveness. We have seen video of machine guns mounted in the beds of pickup trucks, vaporized with a single hit. And heavy guns mounted to wheel barrows, it might make repelling an invading force extremely hazardous. Perhaps the local militias and local hunters would fill the role of snipers and recon on home turf.

 

They'd run them on kerosene or bio diesel probably.

 

Kerosene is just de waxed diesel, and with the microbal fuel infection most of the problems would be to the transport industry, Milspec treats most of their fuel as they receive it, so they might be immune anyway.
Biodiesel is a greeny joke the supply of dry methanol to produce it would not last long in a crisis, however savvy
tinkerers would be able to adapt their compression ignition engines to run straight plant oil.

 

Anyone can write a better book than Patriots. I say this after reading about five versions (Grey Nineties, Triple Ought, private printing, Patriot v.1, Patriot v.2), all of which suck, as do all of Rawles' books.

As long as the book doesn't start with "The hero, tall, dark, handsome, hung like a horse and rich looked out over the landscape and his minions. His deep blue eyes twinkling and his wavy blond hair rustled by the breeze...." I have to quit before I throw up. I did read something like that on one of the web sites that post survivalist fiction. That was as far as I got, I threw up and had to quit reading.

Sorry, I forgot to mention the "rippling muscles" too the first time.

 

I have read half of Rawle's books. After a while it became same story, different title. I have commented and mentioned on his book reviews that he needed to write the story of the Keene brothers. One scene says they ate the dogs that winter then at the end of the book they were still alive and active. I don't think Rawle's could imagine how someone could survive w/o a years worth of food or pallets of ammo. I would love to read a book that has the prepper lose their supplies yet survives. Survival Monkey has or should have all the info on how to survive when #10 cans are not available, it would be great if someone would take that info and write a book. I have read of 3rd world kids eating dirt and sawdust to fill their bellies. I know @ChrisNuttall is looking for suggestions on more of a military- good guy vs. bad guy book but have the good guys have to eat bark or something before battle because rice and beans are not available.

 

As far as the population control factor, I have to say that which I have read that made me think the most was in Tom Sherry's Deep Winter trilogy with the government (via a MonsantoGeneral Foods sort of corporation) developing a "worker bee" sort of food supplement. Not suggesting a straight "lift", but it might be a line of thought to delve into.

With the "right" administration (such as the logical extension of the current one, possibly with a former First "Lady" in control), I am not sure I would completely disregard the possibility of outside intervention to help the government maintain control...nor would I doubt former military (especially top command and spec ops folk) rallying the populace in opposition.

I may be in the minority here, but I really look forward to a book series of this type with a little (or a lot) less focus on the Christian Soldier vs the Godless Hordes...

Just my thoughts reading the thread.

EDIT: Oh yeah...and avoiding a Superhero main character would be nice..

 

I'm with Pax on the superhero. Can we have an ordinary human?

I think that is why I like Ken's book here at survival monkey ... hero is a good man doing the best he can and he attracts a good team of people around him

 

that would be why I don't read Clive Cussler books, anymore. in every book its the end fate of humanity in the balance if Pitt fails.

 

Well unless you wanna do something alla Afraid of the dark. where aliens decide to introduce plants and alien species in an effort to terraform earth before they get there themselves. Think dangerous beasts , plans that are poisonous to humans and eager to grow like grass. Then you really want some sort of crisis to set things in motion. So why not have an old school mastermind fresh out of prison preparing to do his last score taking down fort knox. Unaware that fort knox doesn't have much in gold anymore it's all paper gold. Gold that's been sold three or perhaps four times unbeknownst to the buyers. Now he wouldn't find any gold but he would find proof that there isnt any gold. Which would give you a economic crisis. he would try blackmail the goverment with this giving you a political crisis. And given how people tend to buy gold when ever they think the marked is gonna crash to have somewhere safe for their money. you could have a few leaks get the gold price soaring when its alleged the gold is gone.
And you have things ripe for a run on the bank which could get the kind of crisis that would fell a countrey. season with terrorist plots, some mad science and political idelogies and let it simmer

 

HAHAHAHA! No super hero?! No Svengali like leader (Rawles) and his millionaire brain dead murderous followers? No Jerry Ahern (who NEVER impressed me in real life! Sorry he is dead and all, but I never cared for him personally.) "Survivalist" hero... "can he survive?" Well he darn well better or it's the end of the series! With the Bat Cave full of guns, ammo, food, planes, tanks, trucks, etc., too! No Willy Johnstone (another one who does NOT impress me!) coming out of the closet, (OOPS! MEANT to say "the Ashes"!)? The first three were good, after that the next 47 were the EXACT same thing with different names/places. Dirk Pitt IS getting pretty long in the tooth and I couldn't finish the last one I (tried) to read. Used to love that series, but it got too goofy for me. Same thing over, and over, and over in the book, "Can he? Can't he? Should he? May he?", finally quit because I didn't care if he did or not. No "Mysterious Island" with Cap'n Nemo bailing you out with supplies/help? Well I could go on but you get the idea.

Sorry, edit here. Fort Knox is EMPTY. Has been for years. THAT is no surprise to anyone. I can not see 20-20 walking and and filming dust covered vault shelves and doing a report on it surprising any one. Remember the gold that was in the basement of the World Trade Center and the line of trucks hauling it out just days before 9-11-01? And then when they dug down to the vaults and they were empty, to no one's surprise?

Remember back several years ago when the "Amero" was reported? I was listening to the news and a "gov't official" came on screaming the Amero was a fake! No such thing! It was a hoax! Right wing propaganda! Then the commercial comes on, "Tonight on 20-20! We have an exclusive tour the Denver Mint to see the new Amero coin being minted!" I laughed until I nearly passed out! Which was it? Hillary Klinton Right Wing propaganda or was 20-20 right and they were/are minting it?!

Everyone knows the US dollar is not even backed by air now. The IMF has already stated the new World currency will NOT be the dollar! Probably going to be the Chinese Yuan, which is gold backed! THAT will be interesting to see! NOT fun however!!

 

I tried to write a story a few years ago, but allas I discovered I am a better technician than a author........Well to make a short story long, my idea was ,and now I will give it to you is to flop the survival theme around....It kinda goes like this.. A middle aged man in the US lands a job as a security guard after a very large downturn in the US economy at a site that was bought and built by a company from India for atomic particle acceleration research.( you know, Nuttall tech talk here) This is a vast multi thousand acre area that he and a few others live on and guard. well something happens and the whole area is transported back 400 years...ect,ect What they have with them still works..............

 

I think I'd like to see a story where Paris Hilton has to survive on food stamps and home canning while making her own clothes by trapping, and skinning gophers and skunks....I think that would work....might even get some Hollywood investers to make the film of the book, starring Paris Hilton as Paris Hilton in a kind of Daisy Mae / Dogpatch milieu.

 

Well I for one would watch ANYTHING that starred Paris Hilton in her birthday suit, except for that tape, it was so dark that I thought I was going blind from.... well going blind anyway.

Skunk fur is BEAUTIFUL too! Thick, silky soft, lush, if you get over the idea it is a (GASP!) skunk it is one of the nicest furs going. Skunk is good eating too, as is muskrat, beaver, racoon.