While talking to a friend of mine the other day and mentioning the new book I had been reading, he commented that there was nothing to be gained by reading fiction. After discussing it for a few minutes, he decided to read a couple of books for himself. You see, there is a great deal we can learn by reading these books. Most of the authors that write these books have either done a lot of survival training or in some cases they even regularly practice what they write about. Can you think of a better way to illustrate Tactics or when and how to use certain survival items short of actually attending a class on it? In this post, we will take a look at a few of these advantages and I will even recommend a few books to get you started in case you haven’t already.
I will admit that when I first started, I was skeptical about how they could possibly prepare me for SHTF! The first book I read was “Going Home” by A. American. That was it, I was hooked! Since then, I have devoured over 200 books and counting. I am constantly amazed at the insight one can gain from reading these books. They force you to think about things in ways you haven’t actually considered before and you realize just how bad things can become, in the blink of an eye, in some cases. By reading these books and thinking about the scenarios that they present, you instantly become more prepared for what may possibly come and also develop some great real world ideas on how to handle them if they do arise.
Let’s take a look at tactics and strategy for example. You can read all of the books you want on the subject, but if you don’t know how or when to apply them then it is just useless information. In every book I have read, there are real life situations proposed by the authors and you can learn from the solutions that they choose in the books. Another thing that you will quickly notice is how much their descriptions of a SHTF world resemble each other. That is because they have done their homework and read the assessments of the specialist in the field and looked at history as an example of what to expect when the time comes. They study things like how quickly we can expect society to break down once a disaster hits and what types of situations we can expect to encounter when it does. They propose some pretty ingenious ways of dealing with them as well. Things I never would have thought of if I hadn’t read the book. Their ideas are a great source information and can be eye-opening also.
Learn how and when to use survival items in ways you never thought of. In fact, many authors intentionally use their books as a way of passing along training and survival tips in an entertaining form In their books, these authors are heroes and should be thanked for their contribution to the Prepper communities in the form of educating us on the best ways of doing things. Things like how to build a Dakota Fire Pit and what makes it so important. What plants you can eat and how to identify them in the wild. What survival skills would you need if you were stuck in a swamp, a desert or a mountain? How would you forage for food or find drinking water in these areas? Where and how would you build shelters in those types of environments? When you read these novels, you do far more than just entertain yourself; you learn valuable skills that you will need when TEOTWAWKI hits.
And then there is the entertainment value of these books. They are great reading and fascinating entertainment as well as educational. Imagine being stuck indoors for a long winter and having nothing to read or do. It would be enough to drive a person insane. They allow you to imagine situations and a world that may be completely alien to you, and allows you to put yourself in different scenarios and work through them with the author right there with you. I truly enjoy reading these books because they are always making me think and letting me explore how I would handle different situations. Yes, there is great value in reading these books for any Prepper and anyone that thinks otherwise is cheating themselves out of a valuable learning tool. Now granted, some of the authors do get a little out there sometimes, but these cases are easy to spot and can be disregarded and enjoyed as simply entertainment. whether you are new to Prepping or you have been doing it for years, these books hold a lot of value as training aids. Please take advantage of them. Well, as I promised in the beginning, I will provide you with a list of some of the better Prepper fiction books I have found. This is only my opinion, and yours may vary. There are also a ton of books out there that I have not yet read, so if you have any recommendations then please let me know in the comments below. Until next time, keep on prepping!
In no particular order:
- Going home by A. American
- Walking in the rain by William Allen
- American Exit Strategy by Mark Goodwin
- Grid Down by Bruce Buckshot Hemming
- The pulse of Allah James Knight
- Count down to Armageddon by Darrell Maloney
- Holding their own by Joe Nobody
- A distant Eden by Lloyd Tackitt
- Last stand by William H. Webber
- The Darkness after by Scott B. Williams
- After the event by T.A. Williams
- Patriot Dawn by Max Velocity
- Oh Shit! By Michael Kaye
- Broken Lines by James Hunt
- Without by E.E. Borton
- The last layover by Steven bird
- State of Chaos by Summer Lane
- Dark Titan by Thomas A. Watson
- The End by G. Michael Hopf
These are just a few of my favorite reads. Let me know what yours are in the comments below.
