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writer

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Joined
Nov 25, 2018
Messages
8
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Sweden
Hey everyone!

I'm signing up because i'm doing research for what i hope will one day become a post-apocalyptic novel, and i figured who would know better about these things than you guys. I hope you are ok with this, and that you don't feel like i'm loafing off of your knowledge.
What i'm most interested in is the durability and longevity of things in a post-apocalyptic setting, so expect a lot of stupid questions about such stuff.

If i ever finish this you will be owed a great thank you, but i'm not sure i can offer more than that.

Once again - here's a preemptive thank you and i hope i will write that a lot more!

Have a good one!

Ps: feel free to ask about the "novel". I can share some stuff about it but not too much. Ds.
 
Arcticdude said:
Where and when is your novel taking place? And what is going to be the cause of the apocalypse? Knowing that information could make a lot of difference in potential answers.
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Approximately 100 years after the apocalypse, and sort of assuming complete technological collapse. Cause of armageddon is mainly nuclear war of the worst proportion, and a following very bad case of nuclear winter. I know the theory of nuclear winter's been criticised but it's fiction so i get to pick and choose ;) Like i wrote, my main interest is in how well things would be preserved over time (so that i would know what would happen when some fictional future scavenger comes upon them).

Also assuming this sort of scenario i'm guessing those who would survive best are preppers like you guys. So i'll browse through your ideas and use them as inspiration.

Oh yeah, and about where - i'm from Sweden but i can't help that my head wants this scenario to play out in the US. So i guess all those eventual errors on how things are over there will have to be re-edited some day. But that's a future problem. Thank you for showing interest and being helpful!
 
first you have to decide what kind of nuclear attack, is it a ground burst or an air(atmospheric) one? the results of each will be different. a ground burst will kill people and flatten buildings- like happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, an atmospheric burst will cause an EMP an electro magnetic pulse which will destroy electronic and electric components but not necessarily the buildings or the people. if you wanted to enslave people first deny them access to resources and services.
 
bigpaul said:
first you have to decide what kind of nuclear attack, is it a ground burst or an air(atmospheric) one? the results of each will be different. a ground burst will kill people and flatten buildings- like happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, an atmospheric burst will cause an EMP an electro magnetic pulse which will destroy electronic and electric components but not necessarily the buildings or the people. if you wanted to enslave people first deny them access to resources and services.
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Well i'm thinking complete global destruction so both of those times a lot. I really appreciate you guys trying to help out, but i mostly set up this account so that i could lurk and occasionally ask specific questions about for instance the longevity of different kinds of fuels, electronics etc. So while i do appreciate your active efforts, i'm mostly here to lurk ;) But once again, thank you for trying to help my secretive ass!
 
okay, don't forget, the only stupid question is the one you DONT ask!!:D
as far as electronics are concerned, unless they are in what is known as a faraday cage they are open to attack.
 
Young Swedish writers probably aren't very durable in the event of a nuclear war.

100 years after? I would expect a young Swedish writer, if found by a scavenger, to be pretty dry and crumbly, no longer moist and savory as he once was.
 
100 years after, you'll probably find any survivors are back to bow and arrows, can still communicate but not read, they know what they need to survive but computers and the rest of technology has gone the way of the dodo, any metal that is left is rusty and not useable. not quite back to the stone age but using what people these days would call primitive means.
 
bigpaul said:
100 years after, you'll probably find any survivors are back to bow and arrows, can still communicate but not read, they know what they need to survive but computers and the rest of technology has gone the way of the dodo, any metal that is left is rusty and not useable. not quite back to the stone age but using what people these days would call primitive means.
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Thanks Bigpaul! Ye this is the kind of stuff i'm after. But would stainless have rusted too? Let's say in an untouched shelter, or a bunker? I'm assuming that would be safe. Also, would ammunition have gone bad if kept deep underground in a sealed environment?
 
Squirtgunsquirter said:
Young Swedish writers probably aren't very durable in the event of a nuclear war.

100 years after? I would expect a young Swedish writer, if found by a scavenger, to be pretty dry and crumbly, no longer moist and savory as he once was.
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Hahah yea, i'm just trying to write it, not survive it. And i'm not THAT young ;)
 
writer said:
Hey everyone!

I'm signing up because i'm doing research for what i hope will one day become a post-apocalyptic novel, and i figured who would know better about these things than you guys. I hope you are ok with this, and that you don't feel like i'm loafing off of your knowledge.
What i'm most interested in is the durability and longevity of things in a post-apocalyptic setting, so expect a lot of stupid questions about such stuff.

If i ever finish this you will be owed a great thank you, but i'm not sure i can offer more than that.

Once again - here's a preemptive thank you and i hope i will write that a lot more!

Have a good one!

Ps: feel free to ask about the "novel". I can share some stuff about it but not too much. Ds.
Click to expand...
Congrats on your commitment to your writing project.

I'm an author as well, and have been published in Analog Science Fiction an Fact, Blood Moon Rising, Skeptic, Skeptical Inquirer, and a few others.

I just finished my first book, and am looking for an agent.

A lot of ideas can be obtained from this forum, but cultivate a thick skin . . . some of the people here are merciless:D.
 
Kevin L said:
Congrats on your commitment to your writing project.

I'm an author as well, and have been published in Analog Science Fiction an Fact, Blood Moon Rising, Skeptic, Skeptical Inquirer, and a few others.

I just finished my first book, and am looking for an agent.

A lot of ideas can be obtained from this forum, but cultivate a thick skin . . . some of the people here are merciless:D.
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Obviously, we will want to support a forum member, and have access to this book.
 
Actually, not to detail the thread, but thank you, @Kevin L . If the fact that you are writing has come up before, I missed it, and I apologise.

Your on the team, any literature by you takes pride of place on my bookshelf, I would be absolutely thrilled.
 
Squirtgunsquirter said:
Actually, not to detail the thread, but thank you, @Kevin L . If the fact that you are writing has come up before, I missed it, and I apologise.

Your on the team, any literature by you takes pride of place on my bookshelf, I would be absolutely thrilled.
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Thank you very much.

I have had several short stories in Analog Science Fiction and Fact . . . one of which ("Pale Horse") won acclaim from the critics. I've had a nonfiction essay published in The Autism Files in Britain, a murder mystery in the premier edition of Noir Nation, and some other stuff.

My current nonfiction book is a recap of the issues that I had to deal with in my paramedic career and being autistic at the same time.
 
Kevin L said:
Congrats on your commitment to your writing project.

I'm an author as well, and have been published in Analog Science Fiction an Fact, Blood Moon Rising, Skeptic, Skeptical Inquirer, and a few others.

I just finished my first book, and am looking for an agent.

A lot of ideas can be obtained from this forum, but cultivate a thick skin . . . some of the people here are merciless:D.
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Thank you for the support and nice to see that you've actually had some success with writing. And the thick skin... i'm working on it! :)
 
Kevin L said:
Congrats on your commitment to your writing project.

I'm an author as well, and have been published in Analog Science Fiction an Fact, Blood Moon Rising, Skeptic, Skeptical Inquirer, and a few others.

I just finished my first book, and am looking for an agent.

A lot of ideas can be obtained from this forum, but cultivate a thick skin . . . some of the people here are merciless:D.
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First, Warm Welcome from the Arizona valley folks. :USA:

AND NOW, Kevin L. are you talking about some desert rat that wold make a great heartless character?
 
writer said:
Thanks Bigpaul! Ye this is the kind of stuff i'm after. But would stainless have rusted too? Let's say in an untouched shelter, or a bunker? I'm assuming that would be safe. Also, would ammunition have gone bad if kept deep underground in a sealed environment?
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I don't know about stainless, I always say anything-and this includes ammo too- is finite, it will only last so long and then it is used up, and without a manufacturing base to make the stuff there wont be any more, especially in a nuclear war.
which is why we will be back to a primitive-or more simple more basic if you like- lifestyle.
 
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Howdy from a Texan .... and welcome to the forum and family...there's quite a few knowledgeable folks here that'll gladly tell ya what you need to know,or at least point ya in the right direction and/or give ya a good idea or 2..and by all means jump right oninwithany replies you have on a topic.
 
writer said:
Thanks Bigpaul! Ye this is the kind of stuff i'm after. But would stainless have rusted too? Let's say in an untouched shelter, or a bunker? I'm assuming that would be safe. Also, would ammunition have gone bad if kept deep underground in a sealed environment?
Click to expand...

There are many qualities of stainless. Low grade stainless (cheap cooking utensils - pot & pans) will rust. High grade stainless will not rust. Even sealed ammo will degrade over time, unless sealed and stored in a vacuum. Sooner or later oxygen will get into the primer or powder or both, brass will corrode. All things do have a life expectancy. You can attempt to extend this lotted time frame but the effort typically far out weight any beneficial results. JM2C
 
DrHenley said:
Just keep ammo in an airtight ammo can with a desiccant pack. As long as the humidity is low and there are no corrosive fumes such as ammonia, ammo will last a lifetime.
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I've heard this too.

Supposedly, someone came across a stash of .30-06 ammo from the start of WWI, and it shot just fine . . . although the primers were corrosive, and the rifle needed to be carefully cleaned after.
 
The problem with ancient stored ammo is will it or won't it work? Corroded primer, discolored brass and shooting at th range, no big problem. Depending on it in a life and death situation, I will pass. Ammo can seals will and can break. Oxygen absorbers will become depleted over time. The real question is --- the length of time and the the storage condition. Anyone want to bet on ammo stored for 1,000 year? No, so the real question is the storage conditions. 100 years in air tight, humidity controlled environment, maybe okay. 5 years in a moist, damp cardboard box, not so much.
 
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