The year the lights went out?

[DeltaSunrise]

Or something of a similar name.

Can anyone recall it. It is a fictional story set out like a blog. It was linked to on a preppers thread I was on before we got our own topic (in chat iirc)

I really want to read it again but can't find it.

Power is now so basic to our existence that most people simply can't conceive of its long term absence. And given that a continued outage - for any one of a host of reasons - is a strong possibility, that is ..........unfortunate.

OMG ITS BEING PUBLISHED!!!!

I read this the other day. I quite enjoyed it but it painted a very unrealistic view of what life would be like for the vast majority, even those of us living rurally.

I mean how many of us have chickens (I can at least tick that box), a flock of sheep with a friendly neighbour who happens to be a sheep farmer keeping his sheep right next to our house, a pig in the garden, a seemingly never ending larder/store cupboard, a shotgun with a limitless supply of bullets, and the ability to very easily hunt pheasants, deer and rabbits plus four spare cans of fuel which seemed to magically top themselves up since that vehicle lasted 10 months and was still going strong. And a box of maltesers uneaten in a house for over a year - now that really is fiction

There will be a few but not many who fall into this category. Mainly farmers I would have thought.

It did make me top up my larder though with a few essentials more chocolate

Oops I'm sorry I didn't RTFT and didn't realise the author was on here

I did enjoy it, don't get me wrong, I just think most of us, even those of us who prep on some level, wouldn't have this sort of set up.

Im the same really Redhat but as the author says, its not a prepping guide, more a musing in writing

Whilst it isnt the way most of us live, it does raise a few good points. Water? Washing? Food?

I thought it was interesting to read. It was certainly more positive than normal in terms of speculation on how people would pull together rather than acting selfishly.

I've enjoyed it. As SideChip said, it's more of a musing than a 'guide' and for me at any rate, it's been quite stimulating. I have a tendency to be a doom and gloom merchant anyway - one of those 'My idea of prepping is to find the best whisky to quickly wash down the pills' types - so it's good to have something a little more positive as well as dealing with the everyday details that can so easily be overlooked.

I'll report on reactions to the forthcoming weekend gift in due course.

I feel I should apologise to anyone who wanted an accurate guide to prepping and offer a degree of explanation. Powerless began when my writers group started a blog site two years ago. I didn't at that time want to serialise a full novel ( although I am now posting The Way We Lied twice a week), so I decided to write a fictional blog, after having a dream about trying to cope with a long term power cut. I based it on the house where we were living at the time, making myself respond to the real weather conditions as they occurred every day - and yes, we were lucky to live in a rural area with a lot of wild life, although only 30 miles from London. I did a little research into what impact the power cut would have ( ie no mains water), growing seasons and edible wild plants, but other than that I largely tried to imagine how it would feel. I didn't want to write an apocalyptic account of such an event, having read The Road, and I know conditions in cities would be dire, but I always wanted it to have a spirit of resilience and determination.
I'm thrilled Powerless has been enjoyed by many people and many of the events described in it really happened during our time in our old house - including the long forgotten Maltesers!
And by the way, I started posting on this thread as Powerless2015, then had a computer disaster and had to 'borrow' another laptop for a time - hence the confusing name change! I think that suggests I can cope with power cuts and deprivation but not technology!

Don't apologise suesteph (just expect us all round at yours for free lamb if ever the power does go out)

No need to apologise at all! It's clearly not a guide - and for my own part, the more useful for that. Guides can be put in the bookcase and ignored but reading something that I may not always feel in tune with - although I generally do - helps me (at any rate) to think for myself about such matters.

The ability to think is going to be pretty necessary in any Troubles I suspect.

I enjoyed it as a read and whilst not and never pretending to be a Preppers guide we have since bought a mangle after reading it

That really made me laugh! Didn't realise Powerless would have that much influence! But if it really came to it and it was a toss-up between chickens or a mangle, I'd go for the chickens every time. Eggs, chicken and more chickens ( if you keep a cockerel) - win win!

annoyingly you can't buy a mangle on amazon

No. eBay is your best place for that at the moment.

Our mangle came from ebay

Think the guy I got it from was gutted it didn't fetch more than the £5 starting bid, I on the other hand was quite happy as the others I had watched all went for nearer £50

Just finished it - what a great read!

It felt very authentic, with life reduced to concentrating on the repetitive need for meals, heat and endless laundry

I felt very sorry for the people who died in the cities though - I hope in real life, they would be more hardy than that.

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

So pleased you enjoyed it. I think cities would be very dangerous - if there is looting and violence just because the weather is hot and people are disgruntled, imagine what could happen if there was a real disaster. Think I'll stay in the country with the chickens!

I have just finished the book and really enjoyed it. We are looking to buy our forever house at the minute and I am insisting on one with a garden big enough for chickens and a veg patch!

Well the book was finished by the recipient who voluntarily pronounced it a 'good read' - high praise in this instance.

I understand that it will be heading out across the pond shortly. (That copy.)

Thrilled to hear it was enjoyed. Hope it goes down well across the water - there might be a run on mangles and chickens there too!

I'll ask (gently) whether it was appreciated and let people know.