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The Nuclear Catastrophe (a fiction novel of survival) (Nuclear Fiction Novels of Survival Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Barbara C. Griffin Billig (Author), Bett Pohnka (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

3.5 65 ratings

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Set in Southern California, this is the story about the people living and working near a nuclear power plant that experiences a large earthquake. The book follows the paths of Ben Harrington, head of the nuclear power plant and Sara, his pregnant wife. Frank and Paula Waring with two children live in San Mirado, an adjacent town. Althea Carr is their school teacher, and Cecil Yeager is employed as an accountant at a nearby chemical plant. Each chooses different solutions to deal with the problems that arise after the catastrophe. This book brings home the reality of what would or could happen. No one can be so arrogant as to believe it will NEVER happen, especially after the events of March 11, 2011, in Fukushima, Japan. History has shown us time after time that...what can go wrong...will go wrong.

This is the 4th edition of the originally published hardcover novel. Technology has moved with lightning speed since the story was written many years ago predicting this type accident would occur. Now we actually know for sure what was denied for thirty years - that this accident can happen. Sadly Fukushima, Japan, was a replica of this novel's story line. And since years have passed since the Fukushima disaster, we now know much more realistically what the aftermath is like.

Unfortunately, the United States and many other countries also have nuclear reactors that are over forty years old that are the same design as those that experienced meltdowns in Fukushima. It is a foregone conclusion that as these reactors age, or new ones are operated by incompetent third world countries, or attacked by terrorists, more nuclear catastrophes are in the future.

Radiation is a boring subject – you can't see it, you can't hear it, you can't feel it – until it's too late. But what if you were warned that more than the normal amount was released into your area? What would you do? Where would you go? This fiction novel is about what should NEVER happen. But what if it did...near where you live...or work?

Read what these fictional characters experienced and the choices that they made – and be better prepared to make your own choices.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

This is how the nuclear fiction novels started. As a science teacher at the time living in Southern California by the San Onofre Nuclear plant, the severe earthquakes experienced in the area gave a premonition of what might occur. It took years before the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan proved this could happen. Now these novels are a reminder that no other industry can affect millions of people in one catastrophe as nuclear can. It's time for safety or for shutdown.

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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004WDRWXY
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Clearview Investments, Inc.; 4th edition (April 12, 2011)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 12, 2011
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 883 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 308 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #2,649,142 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #127 in Geophysics (Kindle Store)
- #4,047 in Technothrillers (Kindle Store)
- #7,588 in Crime Action Fiction (Kindle Store)

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3.5 65 ratings

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Bett Pohnka
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Barbara C. Griffin Billig
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Barbara Griffin Billig graduated from Washington University in St. Louis at age nineteen with a degree in biology and chemistry. She taught for several years in St. Louis before moving to Southern California. There she owned a variety of businesses including pet shops, restaurants, and a real estate brokerage firm. Deciding to take a sabbatical from the business world for several years she wrote, in conjunction with another teacher, Bett Pohnka, "The Nuclear Catastrophe", published in 1977. This fiction novel of survival and suspense portrayed what ultimately came to pass with 3 Mile Island, Chernobyl, and the Japan Fukushima nuclear reactors meltdown. The 1st edition is still available in libraries today. A new updated 4th edition of "The Nuclear Catastrophe" is now available, commemorating the 4th anniversary of the Fukushima disaster. In paperback the book is also published under the title "The Disquiet Survivors of the Nuclear Catastrophe".
The Fukushima nuclear disaster has been called one of the most significant events of the 21st century. March 11, 2015, marked the 4th anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. The first fiction novel (published originally in hardcover), "The Nuclear Catastrophe", predicted that this type nuclear incident was going to happen. But not only has the accident validated what terrible things can happen, others are now writing and reiterating:
"Fukushima is not a Japanese nuclear accident - it is a nuclear accident that happened to occur in Japan. The problems that caused the Fukushima accident exist wherever these type reactors operate."
Now years have passed after the accident. Many of the several hundred thousand evacuated people are still living in cubicles in warehouses, with no possessions. Financial aid is being cut off. And no cleanup has been achieved. Radioactive water massively leaks from the destroyed plants into the ocean. The heavily forested areas of Japan have radioactive dust throughout the tree foliage, with rain washing down this dust, spreading contamination. There is no where to dispose of radioactive soil, so it is bagged and abandoned. The government seems unconcerned.
For this reason a fictional sequel to "The Nuclear Catastrophe" called "#Betrayal, a Nuclear Fiction Novel of Survival" was written. Is the aftermath of the accident worse than the accident itself? It is set in Japan and Southern California. The lives of the characters all intertwine in this tale of betrayal with lies, murder, greed, and power. Whom should you trust? "#Betrayal" has won an award in the category of 'Best First Chapter' from UP Authors!
The earth has come close to extinguishing itself in five different points of its history. This fictional re-creation of what has happened to people in Japan and in the United States will hopefully bring more awareness of what nuclear can do to the world...to help save it for the next generation.
Following "#Betrayal", the next nuclear novel (written with Michelle McKeeth) was released in December, 2014. After a contest to choose the name, the following was selected:
"Nuclear Road Trip - Onward to Destruction". Terrorists are alive and well, busy with their sabotage of the United States, the country they expect to take over for themselves. A target city has been selected. A plan is in place. They are certain they can far surpass what happened to the twin towers in New York City on 9/11.
When "The Nuclear Catastrophe" was originally written, the scientific community said it could never happen. But it did (Fukushima proved this terrible event is possible and will most likely happen again). When this horrible tragedy was mostly ignored, "#Betrayal" was written. The scientific community said it was an insignificant happening, not worthy of attention. But they were wrong.
"Nuclear Road Trip - Onward to Destruction" sets the story for what we will see next. Terrorists are here in the United States and throughout the world. There seems to be little concern that nuclear waste is stored at all nuclear power plants with little attention or regard. This is a dangerous perception. The novel is fiction - until it becomes reality.
Barbara Griffin Billig is also the author of a previous book "A Successful Business of Your Own". She and her husband, Edward Billig currently own Clearview Investments, Inc. which has several different businesses under that corporation name including construction and real estate.
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3.5 out of 5

65 global ratings

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Marc Stern

Clear and Present Danger

Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2013

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In this updated version of Barbara Billig and Bett Pohanka's "The Nuclear Catastrophe," the authors have looked into the future and it's not pretty. The premise is clear: the Cold War's long over, people assume nuclear powerplants aren't bad (to paraphrase one character: they don't put out any real radiation, do they?). Everything is going swimmingly -- with many on the drawing board -- until one of those "safe" plants near LA blows its top and no one knows what to do, not even the lead Nuclear Engineer who tries to get home, though he's contaminated and has about 72 hours before his clock winds up. It's clear that the characters in this hard-hitting, well-written book are naive to the point of being frightening (one woman worries about taking a tea set as they evacuate). It is assumed nothing really bad is happening, but it is. Maybe those of us born with the threat of nuclear missiles poised to blow up the planet 40 or 50 times understands. N-power, while clean, just isn't safe.

Compounding the situation, is LA's inversion layer that traps the radiation of the blown plant so it does not dissipate. No one seems to know what to do. I'm not going to give away much more than the info I have already given -- there's a nuclear catastophe, people are too naive and an overriding belief that "someone will fix it" is pure bunk. With nearly 500 of these ticking timebombs online, one has to wonder when it will happen again (Three-Mile Island, Chernobyl and Japan weren't imaginary).

3 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Excellent Description of a Nuclear Accident

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2013

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As with any book that focuses on the possible catastrophes of nuclear meltdown, this book definitely has a political ax to grind. Having said that, I cannot find fault with the author with regard to the accuracy of their science, the development of the main characters, the overall plot or the potential consequences of nuclear meltdown, even if I personally disagree with the conclusion expounded on in the book.

If you know nothing, or next to nothing, about the effects of nuclear meltdown/bombs this might be a very good place for you to begin learning about it. If you are from my generation and remember "fallout shelters" and have seen the pictures of Japan and/or know about the nuclear testing in the Sandwich Islands you will appreciate the reminder. If you are strongly anti-nuclear power plants, you will love this book. If you are solidly pro-nuclear energy, this book will give you a chance to balance your views with a bit of information.

This novel is well worth reading no matter what your political stance is on nuclear energy, just remember it is only half of the story.

2 people found this helpful

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Maru604

Nuclear catastrophe

Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2012

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This is one of the poorest books I've ever read. The characters are cardboard cutouts, the author clearly has zero knowledge of nuclear power plant operations, and the plot appears to be scare as many people as possible. Ignorant emotional junk. I am sorry I wasted my time and money on it.

15 people found this helpful

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Sean OCadhla

It's OK but don't expect to learn anything here.

Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2014

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Stated out well, but got lost somewhere between the explosion and the struggle to survive. Concentrates on four/five characters/ families at first then seems to forget most of them except for one main character. More detail of how/why people made the decisions they did, the consequences of their decision etc would have been good.

It was a bit generalised at times - 'the military and National Guard were waiting to go in', one of the characters was inveigled to go along, at one stage, there is a piece about a lot of cars stuck on the road out of town, no water, no plan, no food, no heat etc but we are not told how they got on......... having been a first responder for over three decades, it doesn't work like that.

Maybe I was expecting a bit much, it's not bad but no detail equals just two stars, being free to read bumps it up to three stars.

B

Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2012

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A riveting book on a significant subject. Radiation is insidious. Its effects are devastating and everywhere in today's world. But it is only obviously quantifiable after a catastrophe which is how the writers choose to make their point, propelling you from the start into the "when" of a disastrous meltdown, not the "what if." Expediency in the name of commerce and comfort exposes us all to danger. "The Nuclear Catastrophe" makes you face that fact. All things radiological have a consequence. Whether it be Fukushima or learning that dental x-rays are more hazardous than previously thought (something we all kinda suspected) or finding a new venue for spent fuel rods (Yucca is full up), one thing we know for sure is radiation, like life, finds a way... Read this book to experience one of the costs of its use so you can make a more informed decision on whether you believe nuclear energy is worth the price.

4 people found this helpful

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DenverBrian

Ultimately unsatisfying; written in 1977

Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2012

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Others have noted that the original date of this book is 1977. It's not apparent in the Amazon listing or in the first pages of the book, which notes a copyright date of 2011 and includes a foreword, obviously tacked on in 2011, with alleged "footnotes" justifying the book's "timeless" application.

But indeed, it was written in 1977, and apparently by an author that still lived in a 1950s world where the men did the work, the women were housewives, and divorce was a word hard to even utter.

There are aspects of the plot that, with some heavy updating to the 21st century, might make sense. Unfortunately, the only update applied to this book is an odd reference to California's population as forty million. Even today, it hasn't hit that mark yet; in 1977 it was far from forty million.

The book also takes the stance that, in the case of a nuclear plant meltdown and explosion, the entire local, state and federal governments would simply sit around and wait for the wind to blow. It was an attempt to create drama where, in real life, no such drama would exist.

As a nostalgic look back at how some authors depicted life in America in the 70s, I suppose it's kind of wistful. But any of the Airport movies did it better, more plausibly, and with more realistic situations.

Keep looking for good PA fiction at the 99 cent level - it's out there.

3 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Frog

Very Good

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 26, 2013

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I was riveted from the start and this was written in a style that flowed from one character to the next.

At times I forgot I was reading a novel as it was so plausible. A very good read.

Michael halsall

seams a accurate way of thinking

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 6, 2013

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enjoyable book with some interesting points. well wrote. follows the characters well. I would read another book by this author.

One person found this helpful

Audrey

Wrong choice for me

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 19, 2013

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I was expecting an end of the world type of read and instead appeared to have purchased a political anti-nuclear lobby interspersed with anecdotes. As soon as I started reading I realised that the story would be on the lines of the Yukushima incident. I did not find the novel particularly interesting - if the action had started earlier it would have been better instead of which we were treated to an explanation on how nuclear fission works. Had I wanted to read about this I would have bought a different type of book.

William Thomas

Disturbing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 5, 2014

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I've studied up a fair amount on the Chernobl accident, but this fictional story takes you into the hearts and lives of several people, something greatly missing from the true life stories.

lelly

THe Newclear Catasrophe

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 28, 2012

Verified Purchase

What a fantastic book! makes you wonder at times and how you would surrive in such a sistuation, keeps you turning the pages until the very end A++++++++++++++++++++++

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