“Nuclear Winter First Strike” by Bobby Akart – The Mother of All Conflicts
Bobby Akart Explores the Terror of Tomorrow
The end of the world is a topic which has preoccupied us since ancient times, even when we didn't have any particular reason for thinking about it. Today, it's a bigger problem than it has ever been, with over one hundred thousand armed hydrogen bombs existing on Earth (if not more). Nuclear Armageddon is a tomorrow we might very much face, as does Bobby Akart in the first novel of his new series, Nuclear Winter First Strike.
The story takes us into a relatively familiar modern setting, with one small exception: the entire world is on the verge of a global nuclear war. At this point, the issue seems to be more about which country is willing to take the first shot.
Enter Hank Albright, inn proprietor and widower, whose brother Mike is a homicide detective for the Monroe County Sheriff's department. The latter is investigating the crimes of a serial killer, with the help of his wife Jessica, a paramedic and a member of the water emergency team.
Hank's son, Peter, works as a news reporter in Washington, and his investigation into the State Department lands him smack-dab into the Middle Eastern conflict. Upon returning home, he starts to expose a conspiracy linking North Korea to the Secretary of State, and even the President of the United States.
As the drums of nuclear conflict beat louder and louder around the world, the question as to whether or not America will become embroiled in the conflict looms like Damocles' sword over the nation, and the threat of widespread devastation followed by nuclear winter is one none can ignore.
The True Nightmare of Nuclear Winter First Strike
When I read post-apocalyptic novels, I generally end up dividing them into two concrete groups: the plausible and implausible ones. Horrifyingly-enough, there are more ways for life on Earth to end than I could enumerate in this review, and the one presented in this first chapter of the Nuclear Winter series does seem to be one of the likelier ones, at least in my opinion.
One very important aspect of Bobby Akart's approach to the realization of his hypothesized Armageddon is the amount of detail he puts into it. Step by step, he carefully develops one political and military action after the next one, following a logical chain of events, one which could believably lead to the end of the world as we know it.
By making the crux of his story this convincing, Akart accomplishes two main things. First, the story becomes immensely more captivating, and starts to read more like a potential prediction for the future of mankind, rather than a simple novel meant to entertain and pass the time.
Second, it pushes you, the reader, to think about the issue, to form your own thoughts, questions, and conclusions where you see fit. I've always tremendously valued any book capable of making me work my brain cells rather than spoon-feeding a prearranged perspective, and Nuclear Winter First Strike is definitely cut from this cloth.
I think what really sells the concept is the gradual approach Akart takes to it, never making any giant leaps which would require us to suspend our disbelief. Naturally, we have an advantage over the characters by knowing the title of the book and therefore what will ultimately happen, and yet I could never stow away the hope it somehow wouldn't come to pass... specifically because it was so gradual.
Through the Emotions of Normal People
There is a whole other aspect to this novel which gives it an extra boost in terms of how believable and relatable it is: the characters and their development. Personally, this is my first time reading a Bobby Akart novel, but if I had to take a guess, I would say character development is one of his greatest strengths as an author.
For starters, all the characters we're introduced to feel completely real and grounded, giving you the impression you could go out on the streets and meet them, if you aren't acquainted with them already. They give off the distinct impression of being based on real people, and if they aren't, hats off the author for the illusion.
On top of this, the characters are seldom static, always either doing something, or undergoing some kind of internal process. They are ever-shifting and developing, and Akart takes us right along for the ride through even the more minute elements of their transformations.
If there is another thing the author absolutely excels at, it's the description of emotions and his ability to convey them onto the reader in their full might and impact. Whether the characters are elated by joy and love or suffering from fear and anger, we are made to feel it all as much as they are, creating the kind of relationship between them and the reader few authors can hope to achieve.
In its own right, it's quite thrilling to watch Hank and his family try to navigate something as seemingly insurmountable as global nuclear warfare, and as the title suggest, the many effects of the ensuing nuclear winter. The countless little things they are forced to deal with time and time again are nothing short of eye-opening, and if nothing else, a good argument for the world not to degenerate into nuclear war.
The Final Verdict
Nuclear Winter First Strike by Bobby Akart is an excellent start to a science-fiction series which, despite being a novel, dives profoundly and seriously into the idea of an American family surviving through a nuclear Armageddon, what it would take, how it could affect not only them, but the rest of the world as well.
If you're looking for an expertly-crafted post-apocalyptic science-fiction novel with plenty of detailed descriptions and absolutely phenomenal character development, then I highly recommend you add this book to your collection.
 | Bobby AkartPersonal site Bobby Akart is an American author specializing in science-fiction novels, as well as religious and post-apocalyptic thrillers. Some of his better-known works include Yellowstone Hellfire, New Madrid Earthquake, and 36 Hours, not to mention the numerous series he has been updating for years now, such as the Boston Brahmin, Blackout, Doomsday, Geostorm and Nuclear Winter series. |
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