“77 Days in September” by Ray Gorham – No Technology for the Wicked

It is no secret that the longer humanity goes on, the more we become reliant on electronic technology to survive and keep on going. As I see it, there are two main fears associated with technology: the fear of it gaining sentience and turning against us, and the fear of losing it completely. 

While it does seem outlandish at this point in the real world, I’m sure you've wondered more than once what would happen to the world if all electronic devices were to be disabled. 

Would we all revert to living in small tribes? 

Would we band together and try to rebuild? 

Would we go to war with each other over the little resources we have left for being unable to grow food and obtain water by ourselves? 

Would people care about money? 

Will there be anyone left to make alcohol? 

Well, it seems that these thoughts crossed the mind of Ray Gorham, and so he wrote about what he imagined would happen in his novel titled 77 Days in September.

To give you a brief overview of what it’s about, it basically follows the adventures of a simple man named Kyle Tait. As he was about to leave America, a nuclear bomb explodes in the air 300 miles above the center of America, sending an EMP (Electro-Magnetic Pulse) blast which kills every single electronic device in the country. Kyle’s place barely took off when the blast hit, allowing him to survive the impact.

However, a great journey awaits him as he now has to travel across the country to get back to find his family. So what does this seemingly-epic adventure have in store for you, the reader? Well, the narrative is actually split between Kyle’s journey and the hardships his family faces while trying to survive by any means possible. Needless to say, this book offers a very comprehensive look at how far human depravity can take us when each is left to fend for his or herself.

You get to witness how humans revert to an increasingly primal stage as their main focus isn't centered around making money or leisure… it’s centered around getting enough food and water to survive another day. However, it doesn't mean the world is completely deprived of kindness; as many people are trying their best to preserve their humanity, to preserve what little is left of their country.

All in all, 77 Days in September is more of a character study than a story-geared novel, as it theorizes how people would react in this type of scenario. Every character is well-defined and has characteristics that set him or her apart from the rest of the cast. 

Apart from the nuclear bomb part, the plot feels like it’s entirely grounded in reality; you get the impression that the events described within could definitely unfold in our world. The pace may be one of the best technical accomplishments in this book, as it seems to have hit the sweet spot, never going too fast but never dragging on either. 77 Days in September is an amazing piece of literature, one nobody should miss out on, at least in my opinion. 

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Ray Gorham Ray Gorham is a Canadian writer born in Calgary and living in Billings, Montana, who enjoys the simple life in the company of literature and his family. So far, he has one published work, 77 Days in September, which he co-authored with Joseph Morton.