Books, Reality

I've been re-reading Dean Ing's Systemic Shock, which I think is one of the better modern after-the-Bomb novels, though a little dated now. (It's followed by at least two sequels, "Single Combat" and "Wild Country" and he may have used the same background in one or two more novels). Ing's not to everyone's taste; while his characters are well-rounded, he's more gadget-happy than many readers can follow. For me, it's warm and friendly; I come from a long line of gadgeteers and reading Ing is like listening to a favorite Uncle. In Systemic Shock, the essential premise is a limited nuke-and-biological exchange between the West (US and Russia, et al) and a loose alliance of Red China, India and the oil-producing Islamic nations. (I'll probably read the entire trilogy. His hero reminds me of a boy I had a terrible crush on, when I was about that age).

With that novel as a backdrop, I stopped by Carteach0's other blog this morning to find this news item.

I'm reminded Mr. Ing has written a how-to book, as well: The Chernobyl Syndrome It's a survival handbook. Despite the title, he covers everything from camping to child-rearing; but it's the sections on dealing with fallout, improvising air filters and pumps, and similar topics that I'll be reading again. If you don't have a copy of this book, take a look at the reviews and consider adding it to your library