Book picks similar to
The Shepherd by Steven C. Bird


apocalyptic
dd12
prepper-fiction
fiction

Inception


G. Michael Hopf - 2015
    Marred by the pain of a neglectful mother and the early death of her father, she could only find solace in shallow friendships and arm's length relationships. The one person she loved and trusted was her younger sister, Carey, but even their relationship was strained. With no purpose and aimlessly wandering from job to job, she was on a path that would lead nowhere. Then the lights went out and life changed - for everyone. In the early morning a spectacular attack against the United States was carried out. It was the fulfillment of a grand conspiracy that would leave millions dead and many more millions on a trajectory towards a fate worse than death. The super-EMP would destroy the power grid and leave most electrical devices useless. With the infrastructure devastated and the government incapacitated, Lexi would find her purpose, but the cost would be greater than she could have ever imagined.

Highway: A Post-Apocalyptic Tale of Survival


John Q. Prepper - 2016
    For young Lexi Broadmoor and her brother Travis, the detonation not only took their father away, but their future as well. Now stranded on a highway far from home without any survival skills or someone to protect them, staying alive will depend on their wits, a single bug-out bag, and a map to a stranger's house. With the grid down and a nation quickly descending into chaos, they'll need to hurry, because the lawless are taking over. But a larger threat looms. A mysterious foe has set in motion a countdown to Armageddon; unknown to Lexi and Travis, they're part of the plan.

Blackout


Ryan Casey - 2016
    An impossible journey...Will Stuartson is having the worst month of his life. His wife is leaving him, he can't see his daughter anymore, and he has been kicked out of the family home. He sees no better opportunity to take a trip into the Scottish wilderness with his trusty dog, Bouncer. And a bottle or two of whisky.But Will's retreat is interrupted when a devastating series of EMP strikes hit the country. All electrical and battery power, from cars to watches, is down. Will is cut off from society and forced into a world where survivalism is required to stay alive, and where the sudden lack of communication is driving the country to destruction.

Now, forced into a dangerous, primal world where the elements and other people all pose a threat, Will must make the long trek back down to Preston in order to find and save his wife and daughter.But even with a basic knowledge of survivalism, surviving is anything but simple in this harrowing new world...
Blackout is the first book in the After the Storm post apocalyptic series by Ryan Casey, author of Dead Days and Infection Z. It is sure to delight fans of the author's trademark complex characters, rapid pacing, and unexpected twists and turns.

Last Alive: An Apocalyptic Thriller (Last Days Book 1)


M.C. Magill - 2016
    Without warning, life as we knew it ended.Husband and father Will Carter is an ordinary man plunged into an unthinkable situation. An attack has devastated America and everything changed in an instant. Now the Carters must stay alive and together in the face of an unknown enemy.The Carters embark on a rescue mission in a landscape that is no longer the safe haven they once knew. If they want to survive they'll have to rely on their determination, instincts and their strength as a family. Last Alive book 1 of the Last Days apocalyptic thriller series.

The Jakarta Pandemic


Steven Konkoly - 2010
    One family's struggle to survive as a deadly pandemic sweeps the nation. This book both entertains and prepares at the same time. Reading this book might save your life if the Ebola virus or Avian flu turns into a pandemic." Preparedness consultant-2014  The Jakarta Pandemic: The People's Republic of China announces strict travel restrictions...  Indonesia goes dark...  Cases of an uncategorized influenza virus appear in major cities around the globe...  Department of Health and Human Services officials claim that measures have been taken to safeguard the American public...  Most ignore the warnings...  Alex Fletcher, Iraq War veteran, has read the signs for years. A seasoned sales representative for Biosphere Pharmaceuticals, he understands the unique dangers of a pandemic flu and has taken the necessary steps to prepare. With his family and home mobilized to endure an extended period of seclusion, Alex thinks he's ready for the pandemic. He's not even close.  The lethal H16N1 virus rapidly spreads across the nation, stretching the fragile bonds of society to the breaking point. Schools close, grocery stores empty, fuel deliveries stop, hospitals start turning away the sick...riots engulf the cities.  As hostility and mistrust engulfs his idyllic Maine neighborhood, Alex quickly realizes that the H16N1 virus will be the least of his problems.  The Jakarta Pandemic  is a terrifying, cautionary tale that explores the depths of human desperation and its unremitting influence on our decisions. - The sequel, The Perseid Collapse, is now available -  "It delivers a vicious punch of violence and heroism for the reader to endure and admire. I could hardly put The Jakarta Pandemic down until I finished it." - Amazon Reviewer (2012) "The tension builds as difficult choices are made, when no good options seem to be available. I found certain segments to be uncomfortably realistic, at times creepy in the way you could feel things closing in around the family." - Amazon Reviewer (2013) "It makes you think just how prepared you really are for any kind of emergency. It makes you question your resolve in a potential crisis. How far are you willing to go to protect your loved ones? Every day that goes by, these characters have to question what is right and what is wrong. Take the trip thru this book. You won't be disappointed." - Amazon Reviewer (2013) "Pay attention as you may learn a few things in this book that could help you make the best of an emergency situation. For that matter some of the info in this book may very well save your life." - Amazon Reviewer (2013) "Anyone who has relished running to the hardware store before a big storm to stock up on essentials will be drawn to Steve Konkoly's intricately-researched and drawn breakdown of our supply systems, and transfixed by his description of what it takes to survive six months of enforced isolation behind the locked(booby-trapped, draped and shuttered) doors of one's own home.

The Loyal Nine


Bobby Akart - 2015
    The series introduced The Loyal Nine, direct descendants of the Founding Fathers whose mission is to protect America, and the republic, from those who would inflict tyranny upon her.

The Scattered and the Dead


Tim McBain - 2016
     Survival. Murder. Snow. Winter is here. The cold spreads over the land, shriveling and choking out all the plant life. Harsh. Unforgiving. The first winter without electricity will surely claim more human lives as well. The isolation may do more damage than the cold, however. Too much time alone drives people to unthinkable acts.

Family Reunion


P. Mark DeBryan - 2015
    The last thing on his mind was the end of the world and having to defend himself from the savage by-products of a CDC-issued vaccine. With his wife and grown children on the other side of the country and no viable means to get to them, Ryan bands with his brother and niece. Together, they set out to locate family members who were en route to the reunion when the world collapsed. As they journey together, Ryan finds strength and hope to survive. But will it be enough to help his large extended family regroup? Most importantly, will he live long enough to return to his wife and children, and what will he find when he does?

Into The Darkness


Doug Kelly - 2013
    Dylan Smith was over a thousand miles from home when an enormous coronal mass ejection collided with Earth. The ensuing electromagnetic pulse devastated the power grids of the world and sensitive electronic equipment. Dylan, and a small group of men, must devise a way to return home through a world in which modern technology was abruptly stripped away. During their long journey home, they witness the civilized world transcend into anarchy and are forced to struggle with the morality of the decisions they make to survive. Into the Darkness is a remarkably convincing portrait of ordinary people facing the nightmare of survival in an apocalyptic world. The story concludes in its sequel, Fade To Black.Book 1: Into The DarknessBook 2: Fade To Black*

Wormwood


Micah Ackerman - 2014
    Regularly suffering from panic attacks triggered by news reports of world catastrophes, he can barely handle his everyday life even when rationally, the events should not affect him. Nate becomes a prepper to help him cope with the anxiety, stocking a makeshift shelter. So when nuclear disaster actually strikes home, Nate must employ truly heroic courage or fold to his fears. But in the aftermath of the bombs, it quickly becomes apparent that surviving the attack is just the beginning—there is far worse yet to come. Wormwood is a taut, post-apocalyptic thriller told from the perspective of three main characters: flawed hero Nate; Jeanette, his intelligent love interest; and Simon, the unstable leader of their survivor community.

Out of Gas


Randy Dyess - 2012
    Their childhoods were spent in small Texas towns with summers at their respected grandparent’s farms. Like most teenagers growing up in small towns they could not wait to flee after graduation for big cities and successful careers. Careers were launched, the big house on the golf course bought, luxury cars leased, and fancy vacations taken. They had it all until a global fuel shortage started causing Mark to wonder about his job and the financial future of his family. Follow Mark and Kelly as they learn about global finances, hidden agendas, and the cover-up of the upcoming global fuel shortage and severe economic depression it will create. Follow the Turner’s as they plan their strategy to voluntarily move from an upper middle-class lifestyle to a self-sustaining lifestyle on an Oklahoma farm before it is too late. Learn alongside them as they learn the skills needed to live on a small farm, raise their own food, and prepare for a global economic depression on a scale never seem by mankind before.

Run


Blake Crouch - 2011
    Brutal. Seemingly unconnected. A cop walked into a nursing home and unloaded his weapons on elderly and staff alike. A mass of school shootings. Prison riots of unprecedented brutality. Mind-boggling acts of violence in every state.4 D A Y S A G OThe murders increased ten-fold…3 D A Y S A G OThe President addressed the nation and begged for calm and peace…2 D A Y S A G OThe killers began to mobilize…Y E S T E R D A YAll the power went out…T O N I G H TThey’re reading the names of those to be killed on the Emergency Broadcast System. You are listening over the battery-powered radio on your kitchen table, and they’ve just read yours.Your name is Jack Colclough. You have a wife, a daughter, and a young son. You live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. People are coming to your house to kill you and your family. You don’t know why, but you don’t have time to think about that any more. You only have time to….R U NThis 80,000-word novel also contains a bonus interview with Blake, and excerpts from his other work.

Without


E.E. Borton - 2012
     Mother Nature had been sending signs for three years, but most didn’t pay attention until she pulled the plug on everything. Nobody will forget where they were and what they were doing at 8:13 on that morning. They’re all still waiting for 8:14. Well, at least the ones that have made it so far. He was stuck in Atlanta traffic, making his way to work, when the world fell silent. His car, his radio, his phone, his watch, anything that needed a spark, a battery, or an outlet died. The silence didn’t last long and neither did she. He didn’t know if the yellow sundress was the first to die, but he does know that she wasn’t the last. Not even close. As aircraft fell out of the sky, panicked drivers lost control in the fast lane, and pace makers stopped keeping their rhythms, he got out of his car and popped the trunk. Most didn’t pay attention, but he did. And he knew what was coming. Three years earlier during the first city-wide blackout in Atlanta, he lost his Samantha to cowards who were never caught. Those looking to take advantage didn’t hesitate, wreaking havoc at every opportunity. It took less than an hour after the event for society to start its disintegration. He made a promise to himself never to feel that helpless again. He wasn’t a soldier or a cop, but he was one of the few that did have a plan. Get out of the city, get away from people, and don’t hesitate. May God have mercy on their souls, because he won’t.

Hunger


Keith Taylor - 2016
    The world looked on as millions of innocent lives were snuffed out in a matter of hours. Millions of men, women and children slaughtered without mercy, killed by a violent mob that attacked without reason, motive or warning.Tom Freeman saw the aftermath. He reported on the tragedy and looked into the eyes of the sole survivor, and what he saw looking back sent him running home to the United States. Back to safety. Back to a place where the world makes sense, and the putrid stink of the dead doesn't haunt his nightmares.He didn't run quickly enough. They're coming.Remain indoors...Gather supplies...Find a weapon...They're here. HUNGER is the opening book of the terrifying post-apocalyptic LAST MAN STANDING series.

Fight Like a Man


L.L. Akers - 2017
    They had everything they needed at their homestead. What he wasn't prepared for, was his family not being home if it ever happened.Olivia Rowan is with her sisters, Gabby and Emma, on a girls-only trip to Myrtle Beach. When chaos erupts and there's no gas, their journey home is a nightmare, filled with predators and danger--and apparently, Olivia hadn't learned a thing her husband tried to teach her. When your neighbors run out of food and water, and turn on each other, what will you do?Jake, a country boy mechanic, never believed in TEOTWAWKI, but he'd heard his brother-in-law preach about it many times. He knew what to do; but he didn't prepare. He lazily left it all up to Grayson--he was the prepper after all. When catastrophe strikes, will he continue to keep his head stuck in the sand while his clueless neighbors destroy each other, and his wife is stuck out on the road; or will he stand up and fight like a man? And if you're alone? Bug in or Bug out?Graysie Rowan, a freshman at University, just wants to go home. When no word comes from the government, and the state capital is overrun with looters, chaos and mayhem, the college administration puts the students on lock-down. But her dad, Grayson, had prepared her for this. Now, if she can only remember what it was he said to do...If they want to survive this post-apocalyptic event, they'll all have to learn to fight like a man.The end came not with boots on the ground, nuclear weapons or an EMP. It snuck in with a quiet clatter at the back door and flipped the switch, covering the states in darkness and sending this family on three divergent paths that ultimately lead home. When they collide in this surreal and gripping family drama, it won't be without bullets and bloodshed.