What Happens After America?

Often mistakenly tucked away in the science-fiction and fantasy section of any bookstore or library, lies the wonderful genre of alternate universe fiction. This genre provides a writer and their readers with the ability to take a “what-if” scenario based on actual world history or the modern world, and explore it to its fullest. Australian author John Birmingham (He Died with a Felafel in His Hand, the Axis of Time trilogy) is one such writer, and has been steadily carving himself a strong reputation as a star in this area.

In the Axis of Time trilogy, Birmingham gave us a techno-thriller series about an early-21st century multinational peacekeeping force that is accidentally sent back through time to 1942, utterly and irrevocably changing the course of the Second World War and history as we know it. Originally penned as a fun diversion after completing the award-winning history of Sydney, Leviathan, the Axis of Time trilogy proved to be a success and established Birmingham as a mass-market novelist. Not resting on his laurels, he soon released Without Warning, the first book in a surprising and shocking new series.

The Wave trilogy, inspired by a comment overheard at a student riot, focuses on what would happen if the bulk of the United States’ population (along with Canada, Mexico, and Cuba) instantly disappeared as the result of a large energy field that becomes known as “The Wave”. This event occurs on the eve of Operation Iraqi Freedom, 14 March 2003, and Without Warning covers the immediate consequences of the disappearance of the world’s last super-power and its influence on the international community at a time of imminent war. The novel deals with the year of international chaos following the event, and closes with the inexplicable disappearance of The Wave.

After America takes up the story four years after The Wave’s disappearance, and the reader finds a world still recovering from the event itself and its subsequent aftermath. Countries have been annihilated in nuclear attacks, others have become more nationalist or have been overrun with religious fundamentalists, and all are attempting to recover from the total collapse of the global economy. America is slowly trying to rebuild, while struggling with secessionist factions, new political movements and motives, and limited resources. New York City has become a war zone with fighting between criminal gangs, international looters, and jihadists, with the US Military joining the fray to clear the city.

John Birmingham began his working life as a researcher for the Australian Defence Department, and still contributes to articles on national security topics. He also has a degree in international relations and has studied law. This pedigree gives Birmingham a good insight into how the world works, and this shows in his writing. A good techno-thriller needs to have a level of authenticity, and After America delivers in spades. Although a lot of the detail is conceptual, Birmingham has delivered it in a way that is utterly believable. But the novel (and its predecessor) is more than an exposition on a “what-if” scenario. It also provides a good action story, filled with black humour and battle scenes worthy of a summer-season blockbuster film.

Amongst all the gritty reality and anarchy lie the human stories, and Birmingham shows himself to be a good study of human nature. Whether it is the vaquero immigrant who has lost nearly everything, or the US President trying to rebuild against the odds, the characters all have good depth. There are a few characters that are a little over the top, but the bulk of the cast are realistic enough for the reader to relate to them and get attached to their stories that much more. Birmingham also writes Americans very well; the characters feel as if the book was actually written by an American with all the relative idiosyncrasies.

I only have two points of contention with the book, but they are minor and aren’t deal-breakers. As the book has a fairly large cast of characters spread over different parts of the world, the story does leap between them quite a bit to keep the reader up with their place in the narrative. This can be a bit disconcerting at the start, but the reader soon gets used to the rhythm. In addition, I find it a little hard to believe that the surviving Canadians in British Columbia wouldn’t either join or form an alliance with the new United States out of common interest. This, of course, may have happened, but it’s not referred to explicitly in the book.

In short, After America is a solidly good book. The author’s theories and concepts are well-presented, without getting bogged down in unnecessary detail. The narrative paints a stark picture, while the “airport thriller” dressing maintains a good story flow. The characters are, for the most part, relatable and their specific roles in the story are always clear. The only writer that I can think of who could write a novel in the same vein would be Tom Clancy; however, John Birmingham has clearly demonstrated that it’s time for Clancy to be put out to pasture.