After the Apocalypse

Book One - The Old ManAvailable at WWW.Booklocker.com...Hello Survivors – This is Chris from the future! Yes indeedy – I am speaking to you from Groundhog Day 2025 – with an update! If you are listening to The After the Apocalypse Podcast series and have gotten to this point that means you are at the end of season one. And I have teleported in from the future to let you know I have now published the novelization of season one. It's a real, 362 page book, with great writing and great story telling and the characters you love. This book covers the same narrative as What you have just listened to, but has been greatly refined. There are new chapters and new sequences and lots of filling in the blank where things were brushed over in the podcast. So if you are a reader of books, first of all congratulations, because you're part of the 5% who are, and second of all go buy and read a leave a review of my first book in this series, “After the Apocalypse, A Pandemic Survival Story, Book One – The Old Man. You can find it at any book seller but the best place is at my publisher's website www.booklocker.com.Or, if you want some special love, I have some physical copies and will gladly sign and inscribe one and send it to you, just reach out to me by email at cyktrussell@gmail.com.Thank you so much for your support, And as you lock and dead-bolt the bunker door and settle down to read your new book by the flickering candle light, don't forget to keep surviving! Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alien Schizoid - Episode one – “Head Bashing”The bathroom fan screamed a tired airplane sound that was entirely out of place for the lack of airflow it produced but entirely consistent with the dismal nature of this motel. He wiped blood from his face with a threadbare hotel towel and looked into the hollow, soulless pits where his eyes should have been. It was happening again. ...Links: Email List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7bePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> http://tee.pub/lic/8MubRv7yeAw...Song Rights – (I have no rights to this music)21st Century Schizoid Man (Radio Version) (In The Court Of The Crimson King (Expanded Edition), 10.10.1969)ArtistKing CrimsonAlbumIn The Court Of The Crimson King (Expanded Edition)WritersIan McDonald, Michael Giles, Greg Lake, Peter Sinfield, Robert FrippLicensed to YouTube byAviator Management GmbH; UMPG Publishing, UNIAO BRASILEIRA DE EDITORAS DE MUSICA - UBEM, CMRRA, UMPI, LatinAutorPerf, BMI - Broadcast Music Inc., LatinAutor, LatinAutor - UMPG, and 9 Music Rights Societies Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Chapter Sixteen – Burying the Past...Why hadn't she stayed with Grace and Teri? She could have. Janet probably should have stayed and maintained human contact. Built a tribe or a new family. Found a way. But she didn't. She couldn't.The wounds were too raw. It felt too soon. Too soon to let new people in. This new world of chaos and dying had systematically torn away everyone she loved. She wasn't sure she could take it anymore. She didn't know if she was strong enough to take that chance. An emotional shell was calcifying around her psyche, and she felt like a scared and angry child hiding in a closet from a terrible and unforgiving monster. So, she shut the world out....Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StorySeason two, Episode one “The Gathering Storm” “Geez-Us”, the old man swore, looking out the window. “Is this ever going stop?”Janet just looked at him. She didn't feel like beginning another conversation about the weather. It had been raining for at least five days straight. Some sort of late season not-so-tropical storm remnant had wheeled up the Gulf and parked over the Southeast. The weather was strange. Something about the abrupt cessation of human activity on the planet had thrown everything into chaos. Once again, Janet thought, the irony was thick and steady in the apocalypse. ...Outro – S1 E2 Stranger in a strange land. Hello survivors! And welcome back to the apocalypse. How was your time off? Did you miss us? I'm pleased to say that the show has been growing very well since we last talked. We are over 20,000 downloads and we are approaching about 1,000 downloads a week. That tells me a couple things. One is that more people are finding the show. I have not been doing any paid advertising for the show. All I've done is drop a couple updates in social media. So this growth is all organic. Meaning people are finding the show without me having to push it. So, that begs the question if I'm not pushing the show, how are people finding it organically? My guess would be it's a combination of things. It's what we would call a ‘virtuous cycle'. The more people download and listen, the more it gets recommended, both algorithmically in the podcasts apps and also by word of mouth. So – thank you, for recommending the show, we appreciate it. Thank you for Liking it and thank you for writing a review if you have. Anything you can do to help pay it forward helps us all survive. The second thing growth tells us is that the show is of a high enough quality and is compelling enough to have people recommend it. Which is great. If the quality is good, if we're adding value, there is more pull from the marketplace. I have an ask for those of you listening to this. With the growth of the show audience starting to climb up that hockey-stick curve and going exponential, does anyone have a great advertiser we could work with? Acast is putting ads in, but I could also read ad copy for the right company if you know a company or product that would be appropriate and ad value to our tribe here. I'll just leave that out there and see if the universe responds! It's also an Evergreen show. What I mean by that is you can start listening to season one today and get the same experience as those of us who started listening in January.  That being said, new content keeps those customers who start listening coming back. And that's what Season 2 is all about. We're taking that universe and those characters we developed in Season 1 and building on them. Like I said my intention is to do 5 seasons of the show. Each season will target 20 episodes. My schedule is to drop an episode every 2 weeks. The last season took us about 7 months. So, if we can continue with that fortnightly cadence that takes us out to March of 2022 to finish Season 2.  Buckle up! Here we go!We've got 36 members in our After the Apocalypse Facebook group – you can find it at “OldManApocalypse” https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypse.  The book manuscript from season one is done. I may go back and do some minor rewrites, just to make everything a bit more contiguous. I'm waiting on my book cover art. I'm not in a hurry, but if any of you have any publishing connections for this sort of stuff that you'd like to share, feel free. When I make progress on that front, I'll let you know. Join the Facebook group and watch for it. …While we were on our August break, I read a book called Astounding. The full title is “Astounding: John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Golden Age of Science Fiction” which pretty much sums up what the book was about. It was an interesting read for me because I am a science fiction fan. It talks about how John W. Campbell nurtured these writers and how they then progressed into their careers. For example, it talks about how Campbell gave Asimov the idea for the laws of robotics. Basically, they would bring a manuscript to Campbell and he would say “No, not that, write about this instead,” and that's where we got a lot of our classic science fiction from. Like the Foundation series. These guys didn't think they were writing science fiction per se. They thought they were inventing the future.  Campbell ended up taking credit for imagining the A-bomb before it was reality. They also had a very specific view of how the world worked. They believed hard science was the solution to every problem. They were smart guys but filled with hubris and lack of self—awareness. Those stories they wrote were about ideal supermen who could figure stuff out and beat the odds through their use of science and an independently minded drive. Their worlds were chauvinistic. One of the things that they were very concerned about was that mankind could invent the weapons technology of self-destruction but was not developed enough to control it. They saw things like politics and psychology as weaknesses because they were not hard science. That's were you start to get stories, like the foundation series, where they replace the soft cultural things with mathematical models of psychohistory and mathematical sociology. Science fiction in their hands became a sandbox to play with these ideas, and in this way science fiction became more than action stories. It became a modeling tool to think about and debate the future. That was what the golden age of science fiction was all about. Unfortunately, they began to believe their own tales and it bled over into the real world. First Campbell and Hubbard tried to rewrite psychology as a science. Unsurprisingly, this approach, captured in Dianetics, was rejected by the establishment. After he was rejected by the real scientists Hubbard turned Dianetics into a religion, which we now know as Scientology. Hubbard was a real piece of work, but I'll leave it at that and let you make your own judgments. I'm currently about to crack open Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land that chronicles the adventures of a human raised on Mars discovering Earth culture. Apparently it was very popular with the 60's counter culture. We'll see how it ages. That title, Stranger in a Strange Land is a quote from the bible. Or more specifically the King James bible created 1604-1611 in England from Exodus.  The King James bible leans heavily on the Tyndale translation from a hundred years earlier, which was an improvement over the original Wycliffe bible from the 1300's, where the same passage would have read “A comeling in an alien land”- which isn't so easy on the tongue. Anyhow, if you're a fan of the golden age of science fiction it might be worth a read for you. That age and those works influence everything from Star Wars to After the Apocalypse. What did you think of our first episode? Started right in with some action. I always like to start with some good action. Set the pace. Feel free to send me feedback. Love any suggestions or critiques. I'm a student of this effort and always learning. So far the most common feedback I get is “Don't you dare kill off the dog!” I get it. I love dogs too. I'm warming my foot on my border collie Ollie as we speak. But, yah know the apocalypse is a dangerous place…Even though our show is making progress, we are still running at a deficit. It would help greatly if you could go to the Patreon site and become a patron. We don't want to see Bill get hurt now, do we? Kidding! No hate mail please! That's it for me. Shoot me a note and say ‘hi'. Looking forward to Season two. And, above all else, keep surviving. Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StorySeason two, Episode two “Pursuit” KJ clutched the knife in one cold hand, lowering the heel of her other hand to the ground for support.She was in a full crouch now. Just a few yards away she could see the hooded man on the bench, under the portico, and he looked to be dozing.“If he's a guard, he isn't a very good one,” She thought. Something about him didn't fit. A moment ago, as she was sneaking along the wall, she had glanced into the window of the resort and saw some of the thugs. The King's soldiers were no better at guard duty. They lay sprawled and asleep on the lobby furniture, surrounded by trash and bottles, no doubt sleeping off another hard debauch.  ...Outro Episode 1 Season 2Hello my survivor friends, this is Chris, your host, how are things going this week in the apocalypse? I'll keep my commentary short this week because this was a long episode. We had a lot of action and narrative in episode 2 of the new season. I was out on vacation the week of Labor Day here in the states and I have been trying to catch up all week! I'm behind on my chores! I have to do mundane things like doing the laundry. Here's a question for you: Do people do the laundry in the apocalypse? Or do they just wear dirty clothes until they fall apart then swap them out for new stuff they can loot? Or are they washing their clothes in the river? Probably a little of both, right? I was hoping to get this one out to you Friday night, but I asked Robert to re-record some bits, because he was falling into his anchorman, commercial voice too much. His real job is reading commercial copy and that bleeds over into these reads. The tone we are going for here is much flatter, much darker, and a bit slower. When he hits it it's amazing. Thank you all for sticking with the show into season 2, we are going to have some fun. We continue to gain traction thanks to you all. I'll share some podcast milestones with you. First the show is now around 23,000 downloads and climbing at a 1-200 downloads per day. I would expect that to accelerate as we get into season two.   Thanks for helping to make the show successful. Next stop; one million downloads! Which brings us to our next bit of good news, which is I have finally gotten enough ad impressions to get paid by Acast.  Only took 9 months to get there, and it doesn't even cover the cost of a month's production, but it's a milestone nonetheless! Our little survivor group that has huddled together on Facebook is up over 40 people now. Come join us. You can find that at “OldManApocalypse” if you are so inclined. The main thing you can do for us to help is to share the show in social media with your friends. Something like this is a word-of-mouth fueled phenomena. You can help us find our tribe, or, more appropriately help our tribe find us!Every podcast listening app has a share button, just poke that button and share it. Of course you can also leave a comment or a review on your podcasting app of choice. And direct financial support through Patreon is appreciated as well.   This season we are raising the stakes on our little group of apocalypse survivors – the old man, Janet and Bill - and expanding the universe a bit. Introducing new characters, like Mags and Brad and a few red shirts as well. And new centers of gravity like the King and his army. I'm not giving any spoilers. You'll have to hang on and find out. A couple personal updates before I let you go. Some of you who know me form my other podcast know that I am a runner, more specifically a marathon runner. My minor claim to fame, among other things, is having run the Boston Marathon 20 times. I'm currently injured, because I'm an idiot, but will be run-walking the virtual version of that race this year in a few weeks. I've decided to collect money for Prostate cancer because I keep losing friends to this stupid disease. So my ask is 2 things. For all my listeners who have a prostate go get the blood test, if you catch it early it will save your life. And for those listeners who don't have a prostate, but are, perhaps married to a person with a prostate, please make their lives miserable until they go get a blood test. I'll put a link here and you can find it on facebook or shoot me a note and I'll send you the link. https://www.facebook.com/donate/575602816812657/1 in 8 men get prostrate cancer. Appreciate the help saving someone's life. …As I said, I'm reading my way through Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land. I'm a couple hundred pages in. I'm reading the original long version. The story is that when Heinlein went to publish the book the editors made him cut it down from 220K words to 150K words.  I never read the other, short version, so I can't compare, but I have come across some long diatribes and polemics that were a bit tiresome and if I were the editor I would have chopped those out.  It's a different book. It is science fiction, but also talks about religion, culture and politics. In much the same way that you see Star Trek talk about religion and politics through different alien cultures and ideas. This book was a best seller when it came out in 1961. It caught the wave of anti-establishment sentiment at that time and was synchronous with many of those same hippy sentiments. But, for all the free love and anti-establishment themes here, Heinlein was not a hippy, he was a conservative guy, more like our current libertarians, he thought everyone should be able to take care of themselves. It's anachronistic. It's chauvinistic. It's cringeworthy in places. But… It's an enjoyable read. Like I said, I'll keep my comment short this week. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any great ideas. And, above all else, keep surviving. Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StorySeason two, Episode three “The Hungry River”Janet glared through the sleet, up the hill, searching for the Humvees that she expected to appear over the crest at any moment.   “Persistent deadbeats…” She swore under her breath as the chain saw chattered in her hands. She knew if she could slow them down, even for a minute, it might give the bus enough time to escape....Outro S2 E3https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypse Hello and welcome back survivors. Here we are, episode 3 of season two and it feels like we're hitting our stride. This was a fun episode to construct. I love the visual of the river devouring the bridge.  Just a great picture in my mind's eye. The other thing that happened here, not to give you too much of the sausage-making, was a roller coaster ride. It's a series of tension builds and releases, where we are just letting you off the hook and we slap you again with a new shock wave.  I would be interested in your feedback on how all that worked for you. We are moving right along in season 2 and keeping up our production schedule. Which is great because I've been super-busy in my real job.  Last weekend was the Wasteland Weekend.  We'll have to ask Mike Darling how it all turned out this year with the actual apocalypse still going on in the US. It sounded like they had a full schedule out there in the desert and that attendance was going to be good. As a reminder that is a desert festival every year with an apocalypse theme. Which sounds scary and dangerous – but probably is just a lot of fun.  Imagine you're out for a hike in the desert and you come across a gang of folks dressed like Mad Max characters? Would you be scared? You probably shouldn't be. In my experience the folks that do this type of character playing aren't the dangerous types, they're the arty types. I‘ll tell you a story. A few years back I had to drive into Boston to pick up my daughter who was attending Anime Boston, one of the big regional conventions. I pull into the Marriott and the place is full of kids in bizarre costumes. Monsters, aliens, etc. you get it. And I asked the bellman who was standing there if this was a hard week for the hotel with all these crazy, costumed kids hanging about? And, he said, “No, they're just nice kids. No trouble at all. Last week we had the police convention, and they tore the place up.” That was a lesson for me. You can't judge a book by it's cover so to speak. Speaking of books and covers, I'm still stalled out on the season one manuscript. I've been super busy. But, I'll keep working on it. As long as I'm still creating new content the offering just keeps getting stronger. Sampled a couple new Apocalypse type media pieces this last week that I'll share. I watched Alita Battle Angel 2019 American cyberpunk action film based on Japanese manga artist Yukito Kishiro's 1990s series Battle Angel Alita. It is loosely a cyber-punk themed future Earth after some apocalyptic war with Mars.   But this only has a pasing cyber-punk content, it's more of an anime themed film. I have always loved the cyber-punk genre of science fiction. Neil Stephenson's Snow Crash was a revelation in 1992. It brought cool to tech. I wasn't that much of a comic book or anime kid.  Anyhow, what keeps this film from being the same as every other Anime-marshal-arts film is it's investment level and pedigree. It was produced by James Cameron, while he was making Avatar and you can see the Avatar influence. Especially that mildly creepy performance captured animation.  It was directed by Robert Rodriguez, yes that Robert Rodriguez of El Mariachi Fame and, by the way you should read his book Rebel without a crew if you haven't, it's a fantastic glimpse into the making of a director.  I bet Makeshift sleeps with a copy under his pillow. Alita is a decent story and a watchable movie. It's got some good acting and tries hard.  Worth a watch if you're decompressing after a long day in the salt mines. I also watched the original Ip Man movie. This is a Chinese martial arts movie dubbed in English with the subtitles. But, it's a Chinese marshal arts movie, so do you really need subtitles? Do you really need dialogue? It is just one big marshal art movie trope, but somehow it works. It think it's because the main character, played by Donnie Yen, is just so likable. So again, worth a watch if you've got time on your hands and is currently on Netflix. The protagonist, Ip Man, is based very loosely on the story of the kung fu master who trained Bruce Lee.  And if you don't know who Bruce Lee is then there is no hope for you. I am still working my way through Heinlein's Stranger in a strange land. I'll have more thoughts on it when I get to the end. It gets a bit slow in the middle. Next, our friend Dave, one of the editors here at Apocalypse HQ, tipped us off to an apocalypse podcast story. It is on a podcast named StarShipSofa – all one word and the story he tipped me to is episode 603. It is a story by Elad Haber titled “Number One Hit” read by Jonathan Danz. I listened to it on my long bike ride last weekend and it was outstanding. So my survivor friends, I hope you're enjoying Season two.  We are up over 25,000 downloads. As always you can leap over and join us at the Facebook group by searching for ‘oldmanapocalypse'. I've been informed by one of you that you can just search for “After the Apocalypse” in FaceBook and that will probably get you there. The URL is: https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYou can find these notes on ACast with all the links imbedded and you can help keep the show going on Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseAnd Do me a favor – Keep Surviving! Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StorySeason two, Episode four “Empty”Mags watched the old man slump into an overstuffed, coffee-stained chair in the teachers' lounge. It smelled like cigarettes and moth balls. Decades of stale smoke wrapped in tweed jackets with elbow patches. Undoubtedly, it had been the treasured refuge of some crusty old academic with only a few years left to retirement. This old chair his redoubt from the squalling of adolescent rage. That person was gone.  Their jaded, dusty dreams swept away with the apocalypse. Now this chair was empty. Now it made a good place to temporarily store this old man.  ...S2 E4 OutroHello survivors! Welcome back!  Picking up steam in Season 2 now. How do you like our new characters?  I like the Mags character. I hadn't pre-planned to write her this way but she just naturally turned into a strong person. The kind of person you need in the Apocalypse. I did have several people threaten to unfriend me over at the Facebook group after episode 3. Have patience. And, if you need to yell at me you can join us at the after the apocalypse Facebook group.  And, if you want to hire Robert for something, I don't know, maybe to record the message on your voicemail, you can find him at Command Voices.  Wouldn't that be great? “Welcome to the Apocalypse, We're tied up surviving at the moment. Please leave a message. We'll get back to you, if we survive…” …Our tribe is growing nicely. We are at 28XXX downloads and running between 100-400 per day.  Thank you to those of you who have subscribed in your apps. And thank you for sharing with you friends, enemies and total strangers. It looks like it's working. Keep it up! Just drop the link shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypse into Facebook, twitter, whatever. We are word of mouth so keep making words with you mouths in the direction of other people. Also thanks to new Patreon member Corby who threw me a couple bucks. I appreciate the help. …Feel free to reach out to me with any suggestions or comments. I am having a blast writing and producing this – and I hope you are too. If we have brightened your day even a little bit with our story telling it makes us happy. We appreciate all your help and attention – and whatever you do – keep surviving.  Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StorySeason two, Episode five “Forage”Janet braced herself against the doorway of an old brick mill building. She had worked her way through the back streets and vacant lots to the river's edge. From this vantage point, downriver, she could see the bridge and the river foaming around it. She held her breath as the shuttle bus punched into the water and bounced unsteadily across the span. Janet uttered a small prayer as the men in the Humvees arrived and started firing on the bus from the bridgehead. Adrenaline mixed with fear and anger as she searched her mind for any action she could take to help them. ...Outro S2 E5The patreon page -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseThe FaceBook Group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseThe Show on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypse10/29/ 2021 Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StorySeason two, Episode six “Scorpion”…Bill the dog was attuned to gunfire. It did not bother him as much as it heightened his senses to what was going on around him. Bill was trained to save lives. He was trained to sense danger and do what he could to protect the lives of his squad. He was a soldier first. He didn't think. He acted in accordance with his training. He had no sense of bravery or heroism – only a burning sense of duty.The safety of the squad was his first priority.  ...Outro S2 E6 – ScorpionThe patreon page -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseThe FaceBook Group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseThe Show on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypse11/10/2021Hello survivors. Here we are, Episode 6 of the 2nd season of After the Apocalypse a Pandemic Survival Story. And we have our friend Bill back in play, so you can stop with the angry messages. But, we're not out of the woods yet. We left you with a cliff-hanger! Or more like a grassy-knoll hanger. https://flashfictionmagazine.com/blog/2021/09/26/writing-tip-23-never-kill-the-dog/Learned a couple things this week. First, and I already knew this, but it was hammered home by some comments on our Facebook page, is that when you're reading or listening you create a picture in your head from what the author is telling you. That is the magic of reading or listening. That's the advantage of reading or listening over TV or movies. You get to create your own visuals.   Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StorySeason two, Episode Seven “Industrial”It was slippery and tough going in the industrial rubble by the river's edge. The old man pulled himself up over a concrete slab that blocked the trail. The slab had rebar sticking out of it like the broken bones of an old corpse that had been torn open by wolves.  ...Hello survivors. Happy Thanksgiving! Let me say, first of all, that I have been dying to use the phrase “Arms akimbo” in a story my whole life. Akimbo is an interesting English word that means "with the hands on the hips and the elbows bent outward at sharp angles". They think the word akimbo has some relation to the word ‘bow' like ‘bow and arrow' – because the arms are bent like a bow. The first recorded usage was by Chaucer in the Canterbury Tales in the 1400's. I'm going to stop right there before I start waxing poetically about Richard III and Henry IV and Iambic Pentameter. All in good time. Back to the story…  Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StorySeason two, Episode Eight “The King”The King's given name was Andre Bobette. No one called him that. No one had ever called him that.    When he was a kid his hard-drinking, white-trash father had called him ‘Bubba'. At least he had, as long as that miscreant loser was still living with them in the double-wide trailer.  ...S2 E8 The King – Outro  Hello my survivor friends. Welcome back. How's the apocalypse going for you these days? This was a long episode. 3500+ words. I thought about breaking it up into two episodes, but it seemed to hang together well enough, and it advances the story line in the right direction. I just listened to Roberts read of the King's backstory – OH MY GOD! It was terrifying! Great work. Why does Janet care so much about what these bad guys are doing?  Because she sees the bigger picture. She sees that this is one of those moments in the arc of time when direct action by a few individuals can determine or alter the broader outcome.  Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StorySeason two, Episode nine “Reunion”Bella watched as the big dog pushed his head into the old man's lap. The dog was wiggling its butt like a puppy and the old man was pretending to be mad. “No”, the old man said, looking away from the supplicant dog, who was vigorously nuzzling at him. “You didn't listen to me. You could have gotten yourself killed.” The dog gave a big push and the old man slipped out of the chair sprawling onto the linoleum floor. Bill pounced on the old man as he fell to the ground and licked at his face.  The old man put his hands up for protection and laughed despite himself. ...Outro S2 E9Hello my survivor friends. Welcome back to the apocalypse. In this episode I wanted to give all y'all a bit of a breather from all the tension and action. That last episode where KJ has to escape across the river was harrowing. Death, destruction, fear, tension, cats and dogs living together – real end-of-the-world stuff!My editors and I had a multi-day discussion as to whether she would bring her boots with her. Tim said to tie the boots around her neck. I just couldn't see how she could swim with the boots around her neck. I rewrote it 3 times. Tried a compromise. Long distance swimmers actually have these waterproof floaty bags they put stuff in and tie to their ankles. But it was getting to complex and awkward, so I sent them a text that read “I don't care about the @#$%@ boots!” It's running joke between us now. I figure in the Hollywood version of the story this scene will give them an excuse to have the heroine take her clothes off! Of course, by the time Hollywood is done with it there will be sea monsters, laser beams and aliens. So – I wanted to take it easy on you this week. And I gave you that tense reunion scene as a flashback so you would already know the outcome and it wouldn't require so much stress. Then we got them all together back at the school. A bit of a holiday gathering if you will. The security of the group. The gathering. Not the quickening. The gathering. It's odd how strangers can come together for a common purpose in times of crisis.  ... Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StorySeason two, Episode Ten “Logistics”Mags looked at the old man with a tiredness that belied the weight of the world on her shoulders. She hadn't been getting enough sleep. There was so much to do. There was always too much to do. She had to stay on top of the details. They couldn't afford to lose any more people to this chaotic world.  How had she been thrust into the leadership role of this small and broken tribe? She didn't know if she was up to the task, but she would keep working to make something out of this and out of them.  If humans were to survive and move forward, it would take groups of people working collaboratively. She thought that, just maybe, this group could be the start of something good.She wasn't going to let that die on her watch. ...Outro S2 E10Hello my survivor friends. Had some interesting irony this week. I started reading ‘The Stand' by Steven King. I'm 2 weeks and 700+ pages in. It's a big book and takes a long time to build. I'll have more thoughts on it when I'm finished. If I ever finish. The ironic part is that I picked up a cold over Christmas from my 87-year-old Mom. Which is ironic in itself because we've been trying so hard to protect her from the actual pandemic and she turns around and gives us all a bad cold. I was hoping to get a lot done in my week off – and that statement right there tells you a lot about me and my neuroses – but I was sick and spent a lot of time reading and resting, which was good timing to tackle the oversized tome that is The Stand. Here's the ironic part; I'm lying in bed reading about all these characters who think they only have a cold actually having a superflu that wipes out humanity.  At the same time I'm writing a story about a pandemic apocalypse where everyone dies from a virus and listening to the news about a raging pandemic. Talk about meta! I'm a character with a sore throat and a runny nose during a global pandemic, reading about a global pandemic apocalypse and writing about a global pandemic apocalypse. That was my week.  Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StorySeason two, Episode Eleven “John Tasker”The old man grabbed Brad's arm and hissed, “Let me do the talking.” Brad felt the strong grip on his arm and watched, mystified, as the old man transformed. He hunched over and assumed the guise and deportment of a completely different man than he was, an aged and feeble man. With the old man shuffling and supported on his arm, they emerged into the daylight....https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsehttps://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypsehttps://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypsehttps://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHhttps://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypseEnjoy your week, spring is coming, the days are getting longer, (at least on my side of the planet) and Keep surviving.   Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason two, Episode twelve, “Trust”Brad looked at the steaming pile of eggs on his plate and didn't know what to think. ‘Eggs for dinner?'He loved eggs. His mom used to make them for him. And did the concept of ‘dinner time' even mean anything anymore?John Tasker noticed his hesitation and said with a smile, “Go ahead, boy, dig in!”. We got plenty.” Brad did as he was told, bringing a greasy, savory forkful to his mouth. There was a time he wouldn't have even thought about the taste of his food. But now, this mouthful of scrambled eggs felt like a warm explosion of joy in his mouth. His whole body shuddered.  ...Podcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> http://tee.pub/lic/8MubRv7yeAw Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason two, Episode thirteen, “Dead Man in a Chair”KJ felt her hand hit hard against something under the water. Not so much felt as sensed the impact. The cold water had numbed and sucked the sensation from her extremities. She swam on muscle memory now. She trusted her technique, long tuned by hours in the pool, to keep her afloat on the swollen river and move her forward.To the far bank. Her only chance was to make it to the other side....Outro S2 E13OK my survivor friends. Nice to see you all again this week, although some of you look like you haven't got a good night's sleep in weeks. That's what the apocalypse does to you. Apocalypse Post Link TreeDo us a favor and like the podcast, leave a review, forward it to a friend so we can all Keep Surviving. Podcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> http://tee.pub/lic/8MubRv7yeAw  Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason two, Episode Fourteen, “No Good Choice”Mags knelt on the gravely tar roof of the building and surveyed down the road. This was where the dog was leading her, but she didn't like being so exposed. She had climbed the rusty fire escape of this place to take a look. ...Podcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypsKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> http://tee.pub/lic/8MubRv7yeAw…Anyhow, hope everyone's hanging in there. “May you live in interesting times” is a phrase that is commonly attributed to a Chinese curse when used ironically. That is most likely apocryphal, i.e. made up by the British fairly recently. We probably don't get to choose the nature of our times, interesting or not. Our job is to take it day by day and keep surviving.  Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason two, Episode Fifteen, “Breakout”Mags could see the distribution center buildings stretching off into the horizon in neat, rectangular rows of asphalt and metal. From her perch on the hill overlooking the port authority complex it was like looking down on the map of an old board game. The mid-morning sun had chased the fog away. Its warm rays now glinted off shiny, metal, man-made objects in the panorama. She squinted at the ‘glass menagerie' effect that created prisms of light in her scope as she scanned.  Outro S2E15Hello my survivor friends! I liked this episode. I tried to take a little extra time and make sure we got the characters and the scenes right. I thought it came out well and I liked Robert's read. By the way, if you have any audio projects you can reach Robert at CommandVoices.com.  He doesn't just do the gravely old man voice – that is an affectation just for me. He does full on commercials and voice overs. I kicked off a contest on the facebook page. I want to have one of you be a guest reader for one of my stories – not this story but something standalone I'll write – All you have to do to play along is send me an audio recording to cyktrussell At Gmail – and I'll have my panel of judges listen to them all and select a winner. Then that person can perform a story and we'll drop it on the feed. The other thing I need help with is some proofreaders. This is deeper than typo hunting. If I'm going to turn these seasons into proper books I need to flesh them out a bit. And I'll be looking for help from you to do it. So reach out to me in any of these haunts if your interested in joining the editorial board. Other than that Everything is on track and wonderful. Hope you all are well, links in the show notes and don't forget to keep surviving!Podcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> http://tee.pub/lic/8MubRv7yeAw Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason two, Episode Sixteen, “Ghosts”John tasker lifted his head to the sounds of hurried footsteps approaching the door. He was in the middle of a meeting with Karl and Michael in the improvised gym-office. They were going through the week's schedule.  John Tasker liked to stay on top of things. A man dashed into the room breathless. “We're being attacked!” he shouted, cramming the words together in a frenzied effort to get them all out quickly, turning the three separate words into a single interjection. “Calm down, Kevin!” Tasker said, “Take a breath and tell us what's happening. Let's not ‘hurry up and screw up'.” ...Links -> cyktrussellPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> http://tee.pub/lic/8MubRv7yeAw...Outro S2 E16Hello my survivor friends. Here we are at the end of Season 2 Episode 16. Glad you could join us. For you time travelers it's the end of March 2022. We are running at about 10,000 downloads a month. It leveled off a bit in February. So that means it's time for you to earn your keep again and go rate and review an episode for us. Tell your friends! Help us help you! Lots to talk about this week.  We're up over 130 folks in our Facebook group. So at least I have some people to talk to! We've created a couple fun events for the team. You can find our TeePublic store to buy some of those cool stickers at teepublic all one word forward slash aftertheapocalypse. We've got a Patreon page as well if you'd like to support independent podcasting with a monetary donation. The most helpful thing is rating us and posting a positive review, or sharing the show with your networks. All the links to these things are here in the show notes.  Have a great weekend and whatever you do – Keep Surviving!  Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason two, Episode Seventeen, “Change of Management”...It was like a scene from an old western. Close ups of scared faces. The smell of fear pheromones thick in the air. The momentary stillness of the confrontation was punctuated by the susurration of a dusty wind in the parking lot. Crows cried complaints from the trees.  There was the brushing crinkle of clothes and shoe leather as the men shifted nervously. The mood was broken by Tasker, moaning, half mumbling, his confident swagger erased by the gun in his ear.  ...Outro S2 E17Greetings my survivor friends.  How are we all doing in this weird and wonderful apocalypse? I was reading some of the iTunes and Audible reviews – thanks for those by the way – and there was one grumbling about having to listen through these outros. Here is your simple solution my friends. As soon as you hear Robert's narration stop and the outro music play, you can hit that “skip to the end” button and you're not going to miss anything except a commercial from Acast and my ramblings. Feel free. I won't be offended. ...You can reach me directly at cyktrussell at Gmail. Have a greats weekend everyone and until next time… Keep Surviving. Survey -> https://us14.list-manage.com/survey?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=7cbbbaa490&attribution=falseEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7bePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> http://tee.pub/lic/8MubRv7yeAw Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason two, Episode Eighteen, “Crossroads”The Old Man crouched behind a parked van with Bill and surveyed the building. It was the same van he and Brad had crouched behind only a few, short days earlier. A wave of déjà vu passed through him and the little hairs on the nape of his neck tingled. The human mind was a funny thing. What did it see in these echoes of the past that made it bridle with physical manifestation?  ‘Déjà vu'…the old man thought, wasn't that a Steely Dan album his wife had played over and over in their New York apartment? No, that was “Aja” ...S2 E18 OutroHello my survivor friends – are there airplanes in the apocalypse? I just got off one last night, didn't get home until 1:00 in the morning – so if my voice sounds like a sexy overnight DJ, that's why. And kids, I don't mean a DJ like the ones that spin beats at a rave while you stumble around high on ecstasy with a manic smile on your face, bouncing around to flashing lights – although that would be a good setting for a zombie apocalypse – not a good one, but like a direct-to-cable one – we could call it “Death at the Disco” – except that that is already the name of a franchised murder mystery theater…But I digress…Email List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7bePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> http://tee.pub/lic/8MubRv7yeAw Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason two, Episode Nineteen, “Teutoburg”A cold, dry, wind swept dust and bits of trash from the parking lot. It danced in the distribution center entrance like a tiny tornado. Bert checked over his M4 and decided he should probably clean it at some point. As near as he could figure it had been a week since he'd done so. He was leaning against a squat cement pillar that, he supposed, was meant to keep vehicles from crashing into the building. There was a line of them planted in front of the glass doors.  ...Email List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7bePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> http://tee.pub/lic/8MubRv7yeAw...Hello my survivor friends. How are you doing? Ollie the Collie and I are doing well. Summer has arrived up here in New England with its long days and warm weather. Finally. I feel like I'm emerging from a hole. This is episode 19 of the second season. For you chronologically-challenged this episode will drop on May 13th 2022. A little bit more than 2 years since the idea occurred to me on a drizzly run down by the banks of the Chattahoochee at the start of a global pandemic that, at the time, seemed like it might actually be the end of the world. But we're still here. Why? Because we're survivors!   Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason two, Episode Twenty, “Overwatch” A pair of sparrows made indignant noises in the tree overhead and a grey squirrel chittered from a low branch as Mags settled into a prone position on the hill overlooking the DC. She leveled the rifle and squinted through the scope. According to her calculation, it was less than two hundred yards from her position, across the slope, the road, and then across the parking lot. She spun the ocular and a lean, rat-faced, man came into focus. He was reclined against a cement pillar smoking. “You look pretty relaxed for a man in your situation…,” she thought to herself as she turned the elevation knob on the scope.  An inch or two in either direction could make a difference in the upcoming action. She wished she had a couple practice rounds, but this wasn't practice. But it wasn't her first time at the range.She slowly scanned left and right and up and down and checked the whole area. There was another man by the entrance and another two on the roof. She sighed, “Let's hope they have sense.”...Email List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7bePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> http://tee.pub/lic/8MubRv7yeAw...Outro s2 e20Welcome back my survivor friends. This is your host Maddog comin' at you from the pollen-soaked hills of early summer in in New England. The Pollen Apocalypse – good name for a flower-power punk band. This, my friends, has been episode 20, the final episode of season 2. I know, we have some loose ends in the narrative, but not too many. I've always operated under the assumption that you folks are smart enough to live with a certain amount of uncertainty. – And as I'll talk about below, that uncertainty actually has a payoff.  It is designed in. It's a feature, not a flaw.   Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hello my survivor friends. What follows is an interview I did for a podcast called “Living the Dream with Curveball”. It's shortish, 17 minutes. https://rss.com/podcasts/livingthedream/I'll include it here in its entirety. Again, this is one of a series of interviews and other content that I'm producing during our break between seasons two and three. If you have no interest in this type of content, feel free to skip forward to the next season. I will clearly identify these types of shows in the title so you can sort them out quickly. Let me give you a little inside baseball on interviewing and this interview. The interviewer is a guy named Curtis and his DJ sobriquet is “Curveball”. He does a lot of these types of interviews on his podcast. It was good practice for me. I have been interviewing people for my other podcast for over a decade. At this point I've done more than 475 interviews. I'm used to the interview format, although I'm not as often on the other side of the mic .The challenge is to make the interview interesting and entertaining for the audience. To do this you either need a great topic, or an entertaining dynamic between the interviewee and the guest. I'm used to more of a back and forth than Curtis' style. More of a conversation. His style is to ask the question and sit back for the interviewee to expound on the answer. You can hear me trying to engage him in conversation by asking questions. Which he gives me one- or two-word answers to. The other thing you can hear is me, in the beginning trying to set an energetic tone, but by the end I'm adjusting to match his lower energy level. I honestly think this topic might have been outside his zone of interest. But, I'm grateful for the opportunity to wax poetically about the apocalypse and hopefully we'll find a few more survivors to join our little enclave as a result. Anyhow, hope you pick up a few tidbits from the interview. I'll post the link up on the Facebook Group and you can comment there. All the links will be here in the show notes. Email List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7bePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> http://tee.pub/lic/8MubRv7yeAwHave a great summer, and Keep Surviving. Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Interview – Jeff Brackett and Preppers in the ApocalypseHello my survivor friends! This is another one of the interview segments that we are doing to keep you interested and engaged between seasons. In this case I'm interviewing Jeff Brackett who is an indie writer, who is one of the members of our Apocalypse support group. ...www.patreon.com/jlbrackett www.amazon.com/author/jeffbrackett https://www.facebook.com/JeffBrackett.author/ https://www.facebook.com/JLBrackett.author https://jlbrackett.com/Jeff Brackett is creating novels, novellas, and other stories. | Patreon...Jeff Brackett is the author of the "Half Past Midnight" tales, the "Amber Payne" series, "Chucklers, Volume 1...", "Pangaea: Exiles", and a variety of other stories and novellas published in magazines and anthologies. After having lived almost his entire life in and around Houston, 2014 presented several life changes that brought him, his wife, and their dogs to Claremore, Oklahoma. There they found a nice little house with a much larger yard, and are all adjusting to the new lifestyle quite well. Jeff has even begun learning to garden.His writing has won Honorable Mention in the action / adventure category of the "Golden Triangle Unpublished Writer's Contest", first place in the novel category of the "Bay Area Writers League Manuscript Competition", and was a finalist in the science fiction / fantasy / horror category of the "Houston Writer's Conference" manuscript contest.His proudest achievement, though, is in having fooled his wife into marrying him more than thirty years ago and in helping her to raise three wonderful children. He is now a grandfather five times over.And his gardening? Well, let's just say he still has a bit to learn in that area. Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hello survivors – this is Chris, Heads up – what follows is episode 19 of the GeekZip podcast that contains an interview of me about the After the Apocalypse podcast that starts about 32 minutes in. So if that is NOT something you're interested in get off the bus now. We'll be back with Season 3 of the narrative in September. The GeekZip podcast is a show where two guys from West Virginia talk about Comic books and wrestling. I had a blast talking to these guys. Fair warning there is also some cussing and off-color humor. I started podcasting in 2007. Back then you had to explain to people what podcasting was! There are many shows like this, where a couple of friends get together and talk about some shared passion. There are a couple movie review podcasts that I listen to that are like that. I think it's the defining characteristic of independent podcasting is that you can find a couple hundred people who share your hobby and talk to them. Anyhow, I'm still doing interviews to see if we can't expand the podcast's reach. Don't forget to write a review in whatever the podcast app is that you use to listen and tell a few friends! And keep surviving! Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the Apocalypse, A Pandemic Survival Story Presents, Episode 2 of the Alien Schizoid story narrated by Mike Darling.  https://theapocalypsepost.podbean.com/...Outro Hello my survivor friends. Thanks for listening through the 2nd chapter of the alien schizoid story. First some quick announcements and then I'll talk a little bit about just what the heck we mean when we say ‘noir'. Thanks Mike. The links to Mike's podcast “Tales from the Wasteland” on the “Apocalypse Post” feed are in the show notes. And Wasteland Weekend is coming up soon – so go check that survival fun out. Season Three of our After the Apocalypse narrative with the old man will start again at the end of this month, which for you time travelers is August 2022. I've got the first episode written and in production with Robert as we speak. I'm creating an ad-free and early release subscription option on Acast. More details on how this will work mechanically are forthcoming, but this will allow you to get the shows without the annoying insurance ads from Acast AND get the shows a week earlier than the general public. I'm just setting this option up because it's a new feature from Acast and I'll have instructions soon. There should be a link inserted into the show notes for the landing page to take advantage of it. This should make it easier for you survivors to binge listen. Thank you for letting me take the summer off to explore some other stuff and I'm excited to get back to it. …Let's talk about ‘noir'. Noir is French for black. When people refer to a book or film as ‘noir' they are generally referring to the style or tone. That style is a ‘dark' tone. “Film Noir” is where the film has a black, or dark atmosphere. This originally was applied to hard-boiled detective and gangster dramas in the 30's and 40's but the approach is broader than that. It generally describes narratives where the atmosphere is more important than the plot. In a noir novel that atmosphere is created by detailed description and characters. In a film it is created by detailed and immersive cinematography. For example think of a long dark close up of a brooding character's face with no other dialogue. If you think about it this way, many of the films you love are done in a film noir style.Think about the dark atmosphere of a Blade Runner film. Many if not all apocalypse stories and films have a noir aspect to them to set that dark atmosphere. After the Apocalypse sets that dark atmosphere through the descriptive language and use of dark vocabulary. A good way of thinking about noir is the mood the piece creates. For my homework this summer I read the two most famous books of this genre. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler 1939. The Maltese Falcon by Dashell Hammett 1930Think about all the films you've seen and where the ‘noir' element of atmosphere setting and descriptive camera work come to the fore. I love the noir style. In this Alien Schizoid series I'm writing it in a full-on noir style on purpose and for fun. I hope you enjoy it. Talk to you soon, And keep surviving.  Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason three, Episode one – “Bones” The old man rolled over and brushed his head against the side of the nylon tent. It took a moment to shake off the velvet fog of a good night's sleep and remember where he was. He shook the sleeping bag off and curled forward, grabbing clumsily at the zippered entrance. His stiff hands and knees protested as he crawled out to where he was clear enough to stand. He unfolded upright with a customary grunt and grinding of joints. He stretched his arms over his head to lengthen his spine, inhaled deeply of the cool morning air and looked at Bill the dog. “It's not the Marriott,” he said to the dog, who was eying him from a guard position outside the tent, “but it beats sleeping in the mud with the chiggers.” ...Outro S3 E2https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypseHello my survivor friends. Welcome back to season 3 of after the apocalypse. Did you enjoy your vacations? Did you miss me? Have seen the new subscription option on Acast plus?  You can pay me a pittance to get the shows early and/or ad-free now.  Email List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7bePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> http://tee.pub/lic/8MubRv7yeAw Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason three, Episode two – “Ossuary” ...The afternoon sun pulsed orange behind distant clouds as it sank toward the horizon like blood draining from a wound. There was an earthy, sickly-sweet smell that lingered across the plaza, chased by a lackluster breeze.  “Yeah, we got some strange shit here,” the old man said, as he examined the bone monument in front of the town courthouse. “Agreed,” Janet confirmed as she stole glances around at the quiet buildings. “Something doesn't feel right.” ...Subscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> http://tee.pub/lic/8MubRv7yeAwMy Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7be Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason three, Episode three – “Rabbit” ...Bill stood guard over a cowering bundle of misery. The man had greasy, shoulder-length hair that hid his face in dangling matts like a dinghy washed up on the shore by storms, buried in seaweed, forlorn and abandoned. He wore dirty and frayed workpants that looked like they had not been changed since the apocalypse began.  Out of these pants jutted scuffed boots with worn heels. A loose, tattered winter jacket capped off his sartorial splendor. It fit like a trash bag and hung open to reveal a stained black sweatshirt with a picture of a cartoon rabbit that might have been the March Hare from Alice in Wonderland....Subscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7be Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason three, Episode four – “Hoodies” ...A rider in black stops hard on the gravel road.A well-used, flat-bottom Vans shoe slaps the ground and takes his weight.The big, knobby back tire bites and slides before grinding to a halt.Dust rises.He dismounts from the bike with the fluidity and grace of an athlete, lays it down gently on the shoulder and stands up straight. He is hard and lean from both his youth and his months of riding....Links...Subscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7be Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason three, Episode five – “Stealth” ...The old man sat on the metal grating of the water tower walkway. His feet dangled over the edge. He stared out into the morning landscape, lost in thought, like a medieval gargoyle brooding over a Paris bawdy house. ...Subscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7beCyktrussell at gmail dot com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason three, Episode six – “Trap” (Janet thinking) “Damn that old man is a machine!”(One breath pause)Janet took a deep breath in through her nose and blew it out her mouth. She was struggling and the old man was pulling ahead. She straightened up and pushed her hips forward into the hill. She pulled another large breath in through her nose so that it filled her lungs and expanded her abdominal cavity. She blew it out and focused, squaring her shoulders and bringing her hands up higher towards her ears and relaxing into the effort. They were running hard towards that opening in the woods they had seen from the water tower. Moving fast to gain an advantage over the person on the bike. LinksSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7be Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason three, Episode seven – “The Chaos Outside the Walls”...Two more suicides.  (One breath pause)The small, electric lamp cast a dull, industrial, patch of light across the desk blotter where Mags worked on paperwork.  The desk was cluttered.  She was very tired.  She lifted her hands and rubbed her tired eyes with balled fists. She was feeling worn out and knew she should probably get some sleep.  ...Subscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7be Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason three, Episode eight – “Desecration”...Wili parked the hybrid behind the library in a secluded spot screened by trees. She smiled because she had an affinity for libraries. From all the times she used the library as her refuge growing up in the city.Libraries were her safe spot. Her sanctuary. She wanted to look inside. She was drawn to go inside. Even though there wasn't much to be cleared from a locked-up library. It was in her nature. Her job, the job of her crew, was not to reminisce in libraries. It was to systematically clear the residences and commercial buildings, to find any survivors and to take inventory of what was still there.  ...Subscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7be Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StorySeason 3 Episode 9 – “Exit Wounds”A warm, bright, morning sun lit up the parking lot. Becca looked at the ragged group of five that had just arrived. There was a middle-aged man, a young woman, and three children. They were like something out of a Victorian slum – Ragged, dirty clothes, long matted hair, and faces smeared with filth. In a previous world they might have been a family, or at least that would have been Becca's default assumption.  But, in these times, a closer inspection would reveal that there was no family resemblance among them.  They were not a family in the traditional sense – those had been mostly destroyed by the sickness. They were the new version of ‘family' created in this desperate new world of isolated survivors who were driven into small communal groups by the chaos. The apocalypse had shaken the world apart and now it was beginning to settle into these small clumps of humanity. To Becca they were all starting to look the same.  ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Subscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7be Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StorySeason 3 Episode 10 – “Panic Attack”...A bell rang out.It was calling all residents of the Distribution Center to assembly. Like a ship's bell, it tolled a sharp, bright clang with every crank of the handle. The citizens were starting to gather in the courtyard behind the administration building. Michael turned away from the office window and let the red curtain fall back into place. In a few minutes he'd have to address the community. They had a right to know what was going on. He would need their support when he responded to whatever happened next. He had to get himself under control. He couldn't let them see his worry and anxiety.The future of the DC hinged on his ability to demonstrate leadership and make the right decisions in the coming hours.  ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7be Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StorySeason 3 Episode 11 – “The Zoo”...Bill the dog sniffed and licked Zane's face but got no response. He continued working his nose down the length of Zane's form, lingering at the upturned Vans sneakers. Satisfied for now, the big dog collapsed with a thump to watch the proceedings. A cloud of dust rose and settled onto his curly fur. Janet looked over the old man's shoulder as he examined the kid on the ground. “So, did you kill him?” The old man grumbled something under his breath that she didn't quite catch, and then something she could. “No, he's not dead.  And you're the killer, I'm the doctor.  Remember?” ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7be Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StorySeason 3 Episode 12 – “The Patrol”...Mac dismounted his ATV like a cowboy jumping off an energetic pony, and examined Zane's abandoned mountain bike.  The handlebars were bent. The sandy ground around the trail was scuffed up from activity. There was a confusion of animal tracks intermixed with footprints. Mac fumed.  ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7be Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StorySeason 3 Episode 13 – “Loose Ends”...It was the day after the escape. Tasker squinted into the large mirror on the driver's side of the work truck they had taken from the DC. This truck was bigger than a standard pickup. But it was smaller than a dump truck. It was one of those trucks that crews of workmen might have driven out to fix downed power lines before the apocalypse. The back and sides were wrapped in sheet metal lockers and there was a large, predatory bull-bar mounted on the nose like the bronze ram of an ancient trireme. “They're a ways back now. We should be able to make it across the bridge without having to deal with them.”  ...Links Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7be Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StorySeason 3 Episode 14 – “The Kaiju”...The Kaiju sat hunched over a laptop on a workbench staring intently at the screen. Luminous green letters and numbers played across the lenses of his glasses. He paused to push the glasses higher as the reflected characters scrolled across them like mini-versions of the computer screen. It created the impression that the glasses were alive and animated with the rising code. That he was somehow the extension of the programming. He would not have been able to tell you exactly when they had started calling him ‘The Kaiju'. It was a label borrowed from Japanese. Literally translated, it meant ‘strange monster'.  ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7be Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StoryS3 E15 – “The Rat Nest”...The utility truck rattled as Tasker drove over a section of rough road. In the absence of regular traffic and maintenance weeds were beginning to heave up from the cracks and broken spots.A piece of the truck grill had broken loose and was dragging. The errant strip of chrome was tapping out an intermittent metal buzz as it dragged and bounced along the road surface. A Morse code signal from the underworld. ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7be Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StoryS3 E16 – “Detente”...The college dining hall was dimly lit by the dying afternoon sun. Dust motes circled listlessly above a stack of dormant red plastic serving trays. An awkward silence hung in the air between them like a plate of old glass, smoky, cracked and fragile to the touch. The old man looked at the tile floor and thought about what to say. He hadn't thought this part through and was unexpectedly adrift. Maybe, unconsciously, the old man had been afraid to acknowledge the chance of Paul's survival so as not to tempt fate.But here they were. ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7be Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StorySeason 3, Episode 17 – “Grind”...Mags stood on the porch of a two-story house on a small rise. It wasn't her house, but it was somehow familiar. The air was heavy with moisture. The atmosphere had the oppressive weight it gets just before a storm. As if a ripe fruit is about to burst. A smooth, blue-green lawn sloped away to the tree line. There was a white, lank fence around the periphery which reminded her of horse farms in Kentucky.The leaves in the trees rustled with a leavening wind. Black and violent clouds rapidly approached.  ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7be Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StorySeason 3, Episode 18 – “Rally”…For a big dog, Bill could move very fast when he wanted to. And, right now, he really wanted to. Paul was the first to see the furry apparition appear from around the corner of a building, ears pinned back, tongue lolling, and making a beeline for the two men on the path. Paul simultaneously prepared to run and looked around for a stick or rock to fight with.  But the big…dog?...it looked like a dog but could be a wolf?...nothing would surprise Paul in this wasted world…Whatever it was, it had no interest in Paul. Instead, without hesitation, it launched itself at the old man. ...LinksWebsite -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7be Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StorySeason 3, Episode 19 – “Clash”...Michael had trouble hiding his surprise and fear when the pickets radioed in that a convoy of vehicles was moving in their direction. He thought they were about to get caught with their pants down. What had gone wrong? There were lookouts by the river crossings just for this reason, but this approaching force appeared from nowhere. Was this an example of the ‘fog of war' creating surprise and chaos, and nullifying their hasty, but well-made plans?...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7be Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA Pandemic Survival StorySeason 3, Episode 20 – “Legacy”...“Move them out of that goddam trap!” The King shouted angrily at Harlan. “Up the left! Get around that strong point!”  His men had run straight into an ambush on their first approach. Instead of the ‘cake walk' they had assumed. The King was angry. This fight wasn't going to be the pushover he had expected. He still had the guns and the numbers but didn't like the feeling that he was being made a fool of. Not outfought but outthought.  ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7be Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

~…and the darkness and decay…held illimitable dominion over all~                                                                                  ~ Edgar Allan Poe THE BLACKENING OF RENN Renn steadied himself…and breathed.  His lungs expelled their contents in heavy bursts, but despite the distinct cold that had settled over the city, Renn noticed no trace of condensation....Duane's Links:·      https://www.instagram.com/duaneswerld/ -   Mostly posts on my acting and endurance adventures but would love to hear from any listeners.·      https://www.facebook.com/duane.hespell·      duanehes at yahoo dot com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason four, Episode one – “Resurrection” ...  The smell of gunfire lingered in the air. The storm had passed. Black clouds, heavy with wind and water pushed east trailing rain like a dirty bridal veil dragging in the muddy grass. Mags stood on a shipping container and surveyed the area where the battle had taken place. It was at the rear of the Distribution Center complex where the rows of metal buildings terminated at a weathered, eight-foot, chain-link fence.  When the storm passed, the smoke and haze settled into the low areas around the buildings and barricades.Something inside one of the adjacent buildings had caught and smoke was rising out of the vent pipes. Could be bad if not addressed. Mags made a mental note to get a fire control team on that immediately before it spread. They had lost enough on this day.  ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7behttps://fundraisers.hakuapp.com/christopher-russell Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason four, Episode two – “Vestiges” ...The brake lights on the lead vehicle flashed bright red. Brent was pulled from his doze by the grab of the seatbelt. He slid his hands down his thighs smoothing the creases of his khaki pants the best he could and craned his neck to look around the black Suburban for what the delay might be now.  The tinted windows made it hard to see much.  ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7behttps://fundraisers.hakuapp.com/christopher-russell Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason four, Episode three – “Purpose”…It was a warm day, but it was cool in the shade. He sat in a grotto behind the campus infirmary. A light breeze swayed the hanging branches of a large Weeping Willow tree. The dancing greenery filtered the sunlight into splashes of illumination on the patio and long grass.  It smelled like summer. Bill the dog lay on his back in the grass, in a patch of sun, with his legs splayed, head to one side, tongue lolling, snoring softly - no cares in the world. The old man watched the movement of the willow from his chair in the dappled shade. The flecks of sunlight caused him to squint when the kaleidoscope sun broke through the shifting of the draped branches....Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7behttps://fundraisers.hakuapp.com/christopher-russell Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason four, Episode four – “A Fool's Errand”...It was a grey day without rain.A slight wind ruffled the trees.Heavy gray clouds pressed down on the river valley. Even without the rain, the atmospheric pressure drained color from the surrounding forest and made it feel like they were driving through an evil forest tunnel, like something from a Grimms Fairy Tale or a Tolkien saga. ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7behttps://fundraisers.hakuapp.com/christopher-russell Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason four, Episode five – “Government”…Brad was exhausted. (pause)He had spent the morning supervising the construction of the trench around the perimeter. They were making good progress, but never enough and never fast enough. He knew Rome wasn't built in a day but that would be cold comfort when the next storm came. He could not remember the last time he had gotten a good night's sleep. Since the battle, he had been busy inventorying what had been used, what was damaged, and what was left. In the heat of the action against the King there hadn't been much focus on controlling the check-out of items and materials.  Now he would be the one to clean up the inventory records.  ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason four, Episode six – “Hivemind”...The old man was eager to talk to his son, Paul. Dr. Pannageorgio had confined the old man to his recovery room at the campus, but the old man was feeling better and chafing at the restrictions. Since his conversation with Jen, he felt motivated. He felt some of the old fire in his belly. He felt an urgency to get back to the business of living....Our Amazon Affiliate Code -> runic00-20Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason four, Episode seven – “Starve”...Their thoughtful walk and conversation was interrupted by the echo of nearby gunshots and muted shouting - sounds that bounced their way through the campus off the walls of the empty dormitories and old classrooms. The sounds were out of place and jarring, like derisive curses overheard at an elegant dinner party. Paul and the Old Man, and Bill the Dog – the three of them - stopped on a dime and locked eyes with each other, instantly, wordlessly communicating the reality of the life-or-death tension that, here in the apocalypse, seemed to perpetually hang in the air at every turn....Our Amazon Affiliate Code -> runic00-20Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason four, Episode eight – “Post-Natal”...The mid-afternoon sun slanted through the dining hall windows and illuminated the two boys, Petey and Warren, hunched over large bowls of rice and beans, shoveling food into their mouths like it was some sort of carnival eating contest. Paul looked beyond the ‘kids' at the bullet holes in the glass panels of the front door and immediately began thinking about how to fix them. One of those boomers at the zoo probably knew how to fix and re-mortar a window. But should he bother? Was it even worth it now? ...Our Amazon Affiliate Code -> runic00-20Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason four, Episode nine – “the General”...“I can do all things through him who gives me strength.” The General finished his morning prayer, lifted his hands from the well-worn leather-bound bible, and felt the peace of that practice in his soul. The bible was a gift from his wife when they first got married. Sometimes they prayed together in the mornings. The practice cemented their partnership. It got them through the hard times. And there were plenty of hard times to be gotten through in a soldier's life. ...Our Amazon Affiliate Code -> runic00-20Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason four, Episode ten – “The New State”…“I don't care who you were!” The General began. “I don't care what you've done!” He continued. He looked out at the newcomers like an eagle eyeing a field full of rats trying to decide which one to eat first. His audience was the assembled remnants of The King's men which Brent had brought back from the DC. Numbering a dozen, they stood uneasily in their dirty clothes. The wounded sat in wheelchairs. Some stared at the floor or off into empty space, exhausted and defeated and depleted. Others glowered like defiant teenagers....Our Amazon Affiliate Code -> runic00-20Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason four, Episode eleven – “Embers”…Bill the Dog could sense concern. He could smell worry, tinged with the need for action. It was time to move. His right hip ached a bit from the effort of chasing down and disarming the kids. The pain was new to Bill. It started after climbing through that window. Bill was made for action, but windows and hard tile floors were not in his training.Bill wasn't a puppy anymore. Like all good dogs, he had little concept of time and no concept of ‘getting old'. His experiences yesterday just made him a better dog for today. There was no sense of tomorrow.  There was only now.If there was anything that men could learn from dogs, it was to live in the moment. Carpe Diem....Our Amazon Affiliate Code -> runic00-20Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason four, Episode twelve – “Coffee”...Coffee.It wasn't great coffee.  But at this point, who complained about coffee?  It reminded Brent of that horrid, watery instant coffee the British drank on his deployment in the UK. Nescafe polluted so heavily with petrochemical derived creamers and sugar that it was more of a science project than a coffee.  He relaxed into the cafeteria chair and dreamed about good coffee. “Ahhh… But the good stuff…” He reminisced, leaning back in the sun of the window, closing his eyes, and feeling the gentle heat of the sun through the glass on his face.  “Dark espresso pressed in small cups and so strong it made your tongue curl around your teeth.” He smiled....Our Amazon Affiliate Code -> runic00-20Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason four, Episode thirteen – “Tracks”…They hiked up a twisting two lane back road with no shoulders. They were a half-day walk south of the campus now. The narrow road scaled a bluff on the west side of the river. Tangled vegetation leaned in on the uphill side. The land dropped away precipitously on the downhill side behind a rusted metal traffic barrier. It felt constricting and dangerous. Before the apocalypse, traffic alone would have made this a dangerous place for pedestrians. If a vehicle came, the only escape was to dive into the harsh landscape on either side. There was no place to hide....Our Amazon Affiliate Code -> runic00-20Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason four, Episode fourteen – “Island”…The Old Man and Bill the dog trailed Stevey down a pine needle carpeted path. There were handmade wooden signs with yellow inlaid arrows and labels nailed to trees at trail intersections. There were names like “Tuckaleechee Path; and Sequatchie climb. Some called out local features, like Dinosaur Rock, or Little Falls. “What is this place?” The Old Man asked Stevey.  ...Our Amazon Affiliate Code -> runic00-20Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason four, Episode fifteen – “Clues”…The old man stood in the shadow of the cabin doorway watching the summer rain drip-drip-drip from the overhanging pine boughs. A dark, wet cloud sat over the island, pregnant with moisture. It seemed to grasp and squeeze everything, as if the whole lake was locked tightly in a grey tomb. The water of the lake beaded up in a thousand ripples as the rain fell. There was no wind.  The air hung heavy with the wet smell of moss and decomposing pine needles. It felt oppressive. He squinted at the sky. Its darkness echoing his own thoughts.  ...Links -> Our Amazon Affiliate Code -> runic00-20Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason four, Episode sixteen – “Duplicity”The General was talking about duty…“But what exactly does that mean?” Brent thought. Duty to what? Duty to whom? As far as Brent knew most of the ‘whoms' were dead husks, greasy piles of bones in expensive suits moldering on the floors of Georgetown row houses. Brent's sense of duty was as strong, probably stronger than most men's. He'd fought and bled for his country. Now he wondered what the General was fighting for. Dead men? Ghosts? Shadows? Was he fighting for himself? Or was he striving for something bigger?Was he fighting for an idea?The idea of ‘America'?  ...Our Amazon Affiliate Code -> runic00-20Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason four, Episode seventeen – “Close” ...“How much farther are we going tonight?” Brittany asked. She was carrying the baby in a sling on the front. It was hot. Her face was red with the effort of hiking and her hair stuck in sweaty clumps to her forehead.“We should at least be able to make it up to the road tonight.” The old man responded. “Then we can get up early and push through to the campus tomorrow. It can't be more than a couple miles – another hour tops and we'll be there.” He could tell the kids were tired. He was pushing them, but they needed to keep going. He was in a hurry now that he thought he might have a lead on the virus. He wanted to get back to the campus so he could take his research to the next step. As long as they were out on the trail, in gang country, there was danger. He couldn't afford to lose them now. ...LinksOur Amazon Affiliate Code -> runic00-20Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason four, Episode eighteen – “Turn” ...It was dark and Brent was feeling his age. These 5AM morning runs weren't as easy as they used to be. But it was his habit and he cherished it despite the discomfort. Every morning.  Since boot camp. He'd rolled out of his rack and put in his 5 miles. Part of his routine. Like brushing his teeth. It set him up for a successful day. ‘Win the morning and win the day!'  Is what the drill sergeant said as the recruits moaned in their sleep deprivation. Brent had embraced the discipline....Our Amazon Affiliate Code -> runic00-20Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason four, Episode nineteen – “Escape” ...“Yes, I suppose the virus trigger could have been the result of genetic engineering - that could explain things....” The old man responded in disbelief. He looked bug-eyed and disoriented in this new revelation. The General sized the old man up. He looked at Janet too. There was a long silence. Like someone had said something unspeakable at a cocktail party and the gathering was trying to decide how to respond.What was he going to do with these two?  ... Links Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friday Night FeelsHello my long suffering survivor friends, this is Chris, and this is not a new episode, it is an announcement. Life got in the way and I'm unable to release Season 4, Episode 20 today on schedule. If you were one of the 483 members of our Facebook Group you would know this already, but I figured I'd do the respectful thing and drop an audio notice here as well. This is not something I take lightly. One of my strongest, most heartfelt, commitments is keeping to the publishing schedule for the podcast. I may be wrong, but I'm assuming there is a cadre of you who download and listen each week as they are dropped and for those people, I am violating a trust. I'm honored to serve you; I don't take it lightly and I apologize deeply. Then there will be others of you who are binge listening through the series and hit this point and think to yourselves, “What the heck is this dope talking about?”  For those time travelers I'll leave this notice here as a token. A token to the fact that this is a human enterprise. Pause in your fast forwarding and consider that. A human enterprise. With all the frailty and baggage. With all the enthusiasm and love. With all the untidy things that bundle all human enterprises. Were that we were machines and could not break down. But we are human, and that is sublime. So, I am working on it and will get it out shortly. But, the lesson here, because if you're curious there is always a lesson, the lesson is to not be so damn hard on yourself. Friends, you are doing the best you can. Give yourself a Mulligan every now and then. You have my permission. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason four, Episode twenty – “Future Shock” …Normal pace even tone to start.Brent stopped the Humvee at the barrier. Not that he had a choice.He wasn't going to get through unless the defenders let him through. Janet was driving the second Humvee. She came to a stop with two or three vehicle lengths space between them. Habits die hard in the apocalypse, and she had learned to always leave enough room for escape. Don't' get boxed in.... Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason four, Episode twenty one – “The End Days” ...The next day the old man made it to the campus. He watched Zane attempt to skip stones across the campus pond with Wili. She still couldn't get it right and, instead, turned to shove Zane from behind towards the water. Zane caught his balance, laughed, and pushed back. The shoving devolved into a giggling wrestling match. The old man turned to his son Paul and said, “Someone's going to need to have the talk with those two or you're going to be up to your armpits in babies around here.” ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Second pass AMN Epi1 IntroductionHello Survivors! We are on our break between seasons. As is my habit, I over you some different stories and interviews to hold you interest while I'm working on the next season. Today I'm going to replay the first chapter in a story I'm writing called “Alien McGuffin Noir”, read by Mike Darling, AKA ‘Makeshift' from the Wasteland. So, if you're a time traveler bingeing in from the past you need to skip ahead for new episodes of Season 5 of After the Apocalypse. If you are a loyal survivor playing along in real time give this story a listen and send me some feedback.  ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Interview Roger Smith - Robotics and SciFihttps://www.rddsmith.comHello my apocalypse friends, Hope you are doing well. In this episode we treat you to an interview with Robert Smith where we talk about robotics and AI. For those of you time traveling in from the future, it is June of 2024 and we are between seasons 4 and 5 of the narrative. As is my habit I take a break from the main narrative over the summer months, but fill the airwaves, or I guess that would be internet-waves with other things. For this summer I'm going to run a number of interviews. Some where I am the interviewer, like this one, and some where I am even the interviewee. So – if you're not interested in that, feel free to skip ahead to season 5.  ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Richard Anderson Interview – Evolution to Islands in the VoidHello my survivor friends. Hope you are doing well and your summer is progressing nicely. Today I interview Richard Anderson who is a scientist and writer With a career in the biological sciences. Again – these interviews I do are special episodes while you are waiting for the main narrative of After the Apocalypse to restart at the end of the summer. ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Stoned Genius InterviewHello my survivor friends. Today I present a far-ranging, long form interview that I did for the Stoned Genius Podcast. The TLDNR is a) If you are looking for the main narrative this is not that. Season 5 will start up again at the end of the summer.  And b) this is me being interviewed on another podcast and is over an hour and a half long – so you have been warned and c) I'll drop the full interview here and will not put in any outro comments. The interviewer is Rodney – “the Stoned Genius”. He produces the eponymous podcast and interviews all kinds of different and interesting people. I enjoyed having a conversation with him. I don't get enough opportunities to interact with interesting people. I used to travel more and could scratch that itch. These days I'm felling a bit of cabin fever. I need to find a way to get out more and interact. Send me suggestions on groups I should join. This interview covers a lot of ground. Rodney was more interested in my long-distance running exploits than my writing and podcasting. So, get ready to learn some things about me that you probably didn't know. Rodney's a curious soul. That's what I love about podcasting. Any curious soul can find and connect with their tribe. If like what he's doing you can find more at the Stoned Genius Podcast.…Show description: The Stoned Genius" is a podcast that blends humor and cannabis culture, exploring a wide range of topics through the lens of genius enjoying marijuana. Hosted by Ro Martin the show features discussions, interviews, and even comedic skits, all infused with a lighthearted and often irreverent tone.Like I said – I'll skip the outro comments on this episode because the interview is lengthy. Here are my updates: You can find everything you need at my website oldmanapocalypse.com.  I post all the links to everything I talk about there. We are now at 493 members in our Facebook group. ·      Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com ·      Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussell·      Subscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse·      Podcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypse·      Facebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypse·      Patreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKeep Surviving! Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

George Allen Miller Interview – Our Favorite Sci-Fi IntroductionHello my apocalypse survivors. This week we present to you the penultimate in the series of interviews from our summer break between seasons. I'd love to be on your podcast! What days/time works for you? I put together a media kit on my website, www.georgeallenmiller.com, with details about me, the book, and areas we can talk about. https://georgeallenmiller.com/eugene-mcgillicuddys-alien-detective-agency/ Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode one – “Oracles” ...Pure, animal terror gripped the Old Man as he struggled to climb. Every time he reached to grab, to pull himself up and away from the encroaching pursuer, his arms and legs would become tangled in torn shreds of clothing and dead flesh. He was trapped between the gibbering aberration of fetid death grasping from below and the decayed ornaments of human detritus crumbling in his hands above.  ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode two – “Alliance” …“The Plant” – was how locals referred to it. You didn't need to specify which plant. It was the largest automobile production facility within 100 miles. The Plant employed over 1,500 union workers and pumped out 1,000 new trucks and SUVs a day at peak production. The whole complex covered over 2,100 acres, with 2 million square feet of manufacturing. 150 truckloads of materials a day fed the production lines.  A continuous line of barges, full of raw materials, were pushed up the river to its intake docks.  At a dedicated rail spur loaded trains with new vehicles waited to be distributed to happy bourgeoise across the country. The Plant was its own little city. An industrial metropolis driving the beating heart of the great American manufacturing machine.  ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode 3 – “Barn Storm” …Janet sat off to one side scratching Bill the dog behind his ear and watching the leadership group assemble. She suppressed a smile, thinking to herself that in the new barn it felt like an odd ho-down or square dance might bust out. Bill's hind leg twitched, and he leaned into her hand insistently with his big shaggy head, pushing closer. The barn was a statement, some might say a ‘testament' to what Mag's and crew were building. The distribution center, because of its original purpose, had rows of long metal buildings, administrative offices and an equipment maintenance garage, but it was not designed, nor was it ever intended, to support a farming community. So, they got together and built a barn. It was a place to keep their growing stock of animals and equipment. A new place. And a place that was, at the end of the day, a symbol. Evidence that they were working together to build something for the future.  ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode four – “Search for the Cure” ...The small, yellowish, bones were strung on a piece of fishing line. They dangled from the man's clutched fingers. “Take another step and I end you man!” He threatened. The muscles of his neck stood out taut like cords and he seemed to vibrate with malignant energy. His eyes were narrowed with defiance. His fists clenched. He was like a cornered wild animal. The Corporal glared in response. It was a standoff. ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode five – “Entrance” ...The Defender Bioceuticals building sat back from the road behind a large, well-manicured lawn like a nouveau-riche idiot's version of corporate Versailles. The whole facility was surrounded by a large masonry wall topped with a robust combination of security fencing, tastefully screened by landscape plantings. The expansive lawn was carved into a faux Victorian formal garden. “There's no way over that wall.” Zane observed. “Place is buttoned up like Fort Knox.” The old man agreed. “Seems like overkill for a pimple cream factory.” He was referring to Defender's number one consumer product, a wonder treatment for adolescent acne. It wasn't, however, a cream, NeoSpront was a daily regimen of pills that cost over two hundred dollars a month. ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode six – “Conceit” ...Dr. Shuck -> http://www.drshuck.com/scifiThe corpse by the door didn't shock anyone. They were used to the dead. At this point, nine months into the apocalypse, even the most reclusive of them had seen dozens of corpses. It was a corpse world, inhabited by corpses. They, the living, were the strangers in this world. “It looks like he was trying to get out.” Chester, one of the boomers on the team observed. “Made it this far.” The old man added, stooping over the corpse which was face-down and reasonably well preserved in the dry, air-conditioned environment of the Defender HQ. ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode seven – “Convoy” ...It took a long three days for Brent and his small convoy to go the 150 miles to get to Fort Manning.The roads were bad. Abandoned vehicles blocked the highways. It was like this everywhere. Pathetic human chaos frozen in time. As the virus struck and panic overcame the populace, they took to the roads trying to get away. Or maybe to get somewhere else. People run from disaster. They run from fear. But they often don't realize that the place they are headed is no better than the place they started....Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode eight – “Fort” …The active, angry cawing of crows fighting over carrion broke Brent from his morning sleep. At first, he was disoriented but quickly came to the present. The truck roof. The dim light of a new day. Fort Manning.It felt like there were more crows now. The old joke was that rats and cockroaches would survive any apocalypse. Brent thought crows might give them a run for their money. Maybe the crows were just better at surviving in this new world where humans had been pushed back by the plague.Filling the void. Taking advantage.  ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode nine – “Screech” …Some kind of animal shot out from behind the lab cages and leapt at the old man.And then chaos!The old man fell on his back, and rolled on the floor, with his arms up trying to protect his face and head from the frenzied attacker. A whirlwind of vicious blows assaulted him as he rolled across the floor trying to find cover. Someone shouted, then there were screams. ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Buy a book -> https://booklocker.com/books/13731.html...After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode ten – “Razor” ...Brent did not know how long he had been sitting in the chair. He had been focused on staying relaxed and using the time to calm his mind, but he was starting to get unsettled.  Unwanted thoughts crowded into his composure. He had to go to the bathroom, and as much as he pushed the thought away, he knew he'd need to make an uncomfortable decision soon. His breath under the hood smelled garlicky and unpleasant, and hard to ignore. ....Buy a book -> https://booklocker.com/books/13731.htmlWebsite -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode eleven – “Politics” …Congressman Alvingham looked out of his office window. There was some sort of interaction going on at the fence. His guards were turning yet another group of refugees away. There was a scuffle, and a shoving match started. They were shouting and angry and the guards needed to draw their weapons. One refugee was a bedraggled older woman. His guards pushed her to the ground. When she recovered her feet, they shooed her away from the fence. It looked like she was weeping. The congressman rubbed his eyes. Running this new world wasn't always easy. But the important things never were. ...Buy a book -> https://booklocker.com/books/13731.htmlWebsite -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode twelve – “Burn” ...An animated 3D Defender Bioceutical logo rotated slowly on the screen. The old man's crew had managed to get a generator running, and with it, the backup power to the facility.  At least enough to get the main systems back online.“ Developing a Better Future” scrolled slowly, left to right, as a reminder. A reminder of the vague and poetic aspirations of corporations that were often an apologia for malfeasance.  The computer was in the office of Roger Updike, Chief Information Officer, better known to all present as ‘Rabbit'.  The password to access the machine, they had discovered, was, of course, “Jonah”. ...Buy a book -> https://booklocker.com/books/13731.htmlWebsite -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode thirteen – “Whirlwind” ...General Ottweiler was worried in a way that he hadn't been since before everyone died from the sickness. This felt like the old, pre-apocalypse days when there was a change in administration.  He'd lived through it. The new overlords in Washington DC would have ‘new' priorities. Often with a radical shift in priorities and policy that would dramatically affect the armed forces. Since the great dying, and up until now, he had been master of his own domain and he'd nearly forgotten the headaches that come from dealing with politics and politicians....Buy a book -> https://booklocker.com/books/13731.htmlWebsite -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode fourteen – “Barrage” … Although it was still a few hours before dawn, the room felt stifling and warm. This time of year, the late summer heat that accumulated during the day never really cleared out during the night. Like an old family home, the distribution center had seen much. The cafeteria sat in benevolent judgment of the people now gathered in it for yet another convocation of conflict. The room had a familiar, lived in feel to it. The carpets were worn and stained, as were the ceiling tiles, as water from the storms leaked brown through the sun-cracked asphalt roof. There were messy piles of boxes stacked against the walls. Many of the fluorescent bulbs were burned out or blinked a feeble yellow on their way to death. It seemed like years, but it had only been a few months since the fastidious force of John Tasker, the original DC manager, had kept everything spic and span. Mags' people were too busy trying to stay alive and working to build a new future for the niceties of scrubbing the carpets. ...Buy a book -> https://booklocker.com/books/13731.htmlAmazon -> https://www.amazon.com/After-Apocalypse-Story-Pandemic-Survival/dp/0977234207Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse RunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode fifteen – “Cuckoo” … The sun was beginning to push its light into the sky in the east. Mags knew by the feel of it that it was going to be another hot and humid summer day. The air was thick, and it felt like breathing through a wet towel. On normal days she would be glad to greet the dawn. Today the brightening sky reminded her of the awful deadline she faced. The new barn smelled of hay, animals, fertilizer and tractor grease, as she entered and made her way to the front. The barn was a symbol of what they were building as a community. Only in cooperation and with a common vision of the future could such a barn be raised.  It was a triumph of her leadership, proof that real, physical progress could be made when they pulled together. That anything was possible. But now it felt more like a mocking tribute to her failure as a leader. ...Buy a book -> https://booklocker.com/books/13731.htmlWebsite -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode Sixteen – “Exodus” … The Corporal angled behind an oak tree and rolled prone into the tall grass. He came to rest with the barrel of his rifle pointing uphill towards the command tent where The King had just executed Ottweiller. Far enough to be out of sight, close enough to shoot pursuers. He had just been witness to a brazen coup d'etat. ‘What a cluster..' He thought, as he waited there in the grass and slowed his breathing and watched to see if he would be followed, “Totally SNAFU'ed”...Buy a book -> https://booklocker.com/books/13731.htmlWebsite -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive   Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Interview: Fran TaborHello my survivor friends. Today we present a 25 minute interview of science fiction author and all-around interesting thinker, Fran Tabor. Don't worry, we are getting close to the end of our summer vacation. Soon, you and I, and countless others, will be walking hand in hand towards the blinding sunlight of Season 5. I am working on the script for season 5. And by ‘working on' I mean running out of time and worrying with intense apprehension at how we are going to extract ourselves from the story. We need to give our characters compelling finality to their arcs, we need to resolve a number of tensions, we need to answer several questions and do it all in an entertaining and fulfilling way. A world class way. I always get it done. I will power through and I'm sure we'll all be satisfied.  Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.