One Second After cover art

One Second After

 Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

One Second After

By: William R. Forstchen
Narrated by: Joe Barrett
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

A post-apocalyptic thriller of the after effects in the United States after a terrifying terrorist attack using electromagnetic pulse weapons.

In a small North Carolina town, one man struggles to save his family after America loses a war that will send it back to the Dark Ages.

Already cited on the floor of Congress and discussed in the corridors of the Pentagon as a book all Americans should read, One Second After is the story of a war scenario that could become all too terrifyingly real. Based on a real weapon—the electromagnetic pulse (EMP)—which may already be in the hands of our enemies, it is a truly realistic look at the awesome power of a weapon that can destroy the entire United States, literally within one second.

In the tradition of On the Beach, Fail Safe, and Testament, this book, set in a typical American town, is a dire warning of what might be our future and our end.

©2009 William R. Forstchen (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Fantasy Fiction Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction Suspense Technothrillers Thriller & Suspense Thriller Dystopian Technology Exciting Scary War Survival Natural Disaster Military Emergency Preparedness

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Alas, Babylon cover art
After the Silence cover art
After It Happened: Publisher's Pack cover art
Edge of Collapse: Box Set, Books 1-3 cover art
Going Home cover art
Deep Shadows cover art
Last Stand: The Complete Box Set cover art
48 Hours cover art
The Complete Nuclear Dawn Box Set cover art
Until the End of the World cover art
The Eden Plague cover art
Through Many Fires cover art
Prepared cover art
Nodding cover art
The Burning Tree Box Set: Books 1-5 cover art
World Departed cover art

Critic reviews

"[An] entertaining apocalyptic thriller....fans of such classics as Alas, Babylon and On the Beach will have a good time as Forstchen tackles the obvious and some not-so-obvious questions the apocalypse tends to raise." ( Publishers Weekly)
All stars
Most relevant
Believable story with decent characters. One of the best post apocalyptic readings I have ever enjoyed.
Good narration.
Recommend :)

First audio book and I really enjoyed it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A great book detailing the devastation and societal breakdown after an EMP attack. Made me want to start stockpiling food and survival gear. If you’re diabetic this cones with a health warning !!!!!

A frightening look at the future

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Read it, your vulnerable' more than you think.
Stop worrying about climate change and start learning how to cultivate food, plants biology and water systems.

5 stars

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The story is set in the USA, but nevertheless captures the interest and imagination of the UK or European reader. I love natural disaster and post apocalyptic style stories, but only if they are well written with good and varied vocabulary as well as plausible characters. The author hit the mark for me and managed to communicate a sense of American pride and confidence, without that off putting “ra, ra, ra” cheerleader style which some writers sadly slip into. The reader will find themselves drawn into an exciting and moving narrative. The characters became very real for me and it was easy to believe that the events portrayed could be true. The narrator masterfully portrays the voice of a child, of a teenage girl and boy, the voice of an older lady, of a thirty something woman, of an African American, of an old man, of a man in his prime. I normally find American accents to grate on my ear when listening to an audio book (sorry Americans, nothing personal). However, the combination of this narrators particular talent and the fact that this story is set in the USA meant that pretty soon I was not noticing the narrators accent, but was just engrossed in this very moving and strangely beautiful story. Beautiful because it jolts the reader into a realisation that for all the power and riches that could ever be, there is another power and another wealth which is beyond what is material. This story made me think of the original European settlers in America, as well as all those peoples around the world who suffer in similar ways to those in this story. This book is a story of suffering and loss and of survival for some, beyond what people would expect to survive. Although this story is set in the USA, I felt that for some it is here and now. I recommend this book as a great read and a page turner, particularly if you enjoy these disaster survival style books. If you’re at all soft hearted you will cry. Don’t worry it’s just a story. But for some it’s real and it’s now.

Great post apocalyptic style survival story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

What made the experience of listening to One Second After the most enjoyable?

This is one of the few books that has made me cry, I mean really cry, yet it's rugged style and intelligent views of a real threat of a shtf moment and how that impacts a small comunity

What did you like best about this story?

Its a very open honest practical possible near future but unlike alot of shtf books the characters are well developed, I have a real feel the author loves the area the book is set. The issues with rights of the individual are more organic and honest than you would normaly expect

Which character – as performed by Joe Barrett – was your favourite?

the dogs, listen to the book and you will see what I mean

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes, though I can't say anything about the 4 poignant moments without spoiling the book

Any additional comments?

Listen to the book and start preparing

Classic book for shtf

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews