With the war in Ukraine, and Russia making tough talk, there's a book you need to know about, Dean Ing's Pulling Through, which contains information on coping with the aftermath of someone dropping The Bomb.
The late Dean Ing being who he was, he presents the information first in a novella and then in a collection of factual essays and useful reprints.
That book, along with plastic sheeting, duct tape, filter material and some odds and ends will at least get you through the months after a "wet firecracker" situation. But I can't just put in an Amazon link, because the book is out of print. The prices I'm seeing at the big online used book sellers are...high. The good news is that most of the same information (and more) can be found in Ing's all-fact book The Chernobyl Syndrome...And How To Survive It, which is a little more available and at better prices. I couldn't find my copy to verify just how much duplication there is, though, which is why I have ordered another.
Amazon, Alibris and ABE Books are your friends in finding out of print books.
I met Ing at a Windycon, years ago when Windycon was in Schaumburg, IL. He and C.J.Cherryh were at the L5 Society suite. I was already a fan of Ing, we talked about his custom car. I tried to buy a copy of all his fiction. Somewhere in my basement I have a copy of Pulling Through. I was sorry to read he had sucumbed to dementia.
ReplyDeleteHonestly at this point? I'm not sure I want to survive in a post-nuclear-war world, where I'd be even MORE isolated, supplies would be even harder to get, there'd be even fewer consolations than during the worst of the pandemic. I don't have a family, I don't have anyone right here who gives two hoots about me. I'm not sure there'd be enough worth living for after the big one drops to make the investment in visqueen and duct tape seem worth it :(
ReplyDeleteI think I still have a copy of this and several short stories of his downstairs. Didn't know they had become so valuable.
ReplyDeleteI also recall seeing one of his cars for sale, maybe on Bring a Trailer, or somewhere else.
I kind of agree, however, about survival after. It doesn't sound like a lot of fun for the best equipped and in shape, which I am not. Many are not, don't fool yourselves. It's like thinking you'd be ok in a modern rifle fight with a Moisin...
For nuclear war survival information, Cresson Kersey NUCLEAR WAR SURVIVAL SKILLS has been a mainstay for this unpleasant topic. There may even be a free pdf version of this somewhere on the net.
ReplyDeleteThe first science fiction book of nuclear war survival was ALAS BABYLON by Pat Frank. Made the topic not so scary and train of thought of how dependent we are on electricity (moreso now than ever) was eye opening.
I don't rate our chances of undergoing 'canned sunshine' very high. But definitely possible - irritating people with that capability is not a good idea.