David Crawford (4)

EMP and Societal Collapse

When an Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP) attack destroys the power grid, this intriguing novel begins. Mark Turner is at work in the San Antonio area when the Burst, as it is called in the novel, sends the nation into chaos. Telephones, and most radios go silent, late model cars die, planes fall from the sky. Government struggles to maintain order and provide relief, but in the cities, society quickly breaks down. The novel follows Mark, his friend Jim Davis and a growing community of family and friends as they work feverishly to protect themselves and their families while civilization unravels around them.

Lights Out has been downloaded from the internet in PDF format over three million times. It is now available in a 600-page paperback edition and on Amazon.com in Kindle format where it is selling well.

The author, David Crawford, states in his bio that he resides in San Antonio and is "an avid outdoorsman who likes to hunt, fish, hike, off-road, and shoot," and that he is a black belt in Karate. There is definitely something of David Crawford in the character of Mark Turner.

Most reviews that are critical of the book fault the writing and that is what compelled me to give it four stars. However, the EMP threat is so real and compelling I can forgive some bad editing (that will hopefully be corrected in latter editions) and the expository telling, instead of showing, through much of the story. Others, who see the novel as simply as an action novel might be quicker to fault technique.

The novel is a warning. Crawford states he wrote the book, "to try to get people to prepare." The novel does stir thinking and discussion. Could it happen? What would we do? Are we ready?

My wife and I read Lights Out at the same time. I thought the book compared favorably to One Second After. Lights Out had the better story, but One Second After had the better writing. My wife felt Lights Out was the better novel on both counts. We agree that Lights Out is a realistic, thought-provoking post-apocalyptic novel.

At the close of my review of One Second After I said, "The threat is real. Read the book." The threat has not diminished, read both.… (més)

A small community in Texas must cope with the aftermath of an EMP. The people begin to farm and adapt to life without electricity: solar powered showers and windmill water pumps. This book keeps your interest until the very end. Guns do play a role in the story; however, the 'good guys' use them to protect family and property from roving bands willing to take things by force. The only downside is that the right person or piece of equipment always shows up at the right moment. Crawford did not describe how bad things would really be if life were to imitate life.… (més)