In the midst of the current health crisis, prepping for disasters has become more pertinent than ever.
Even so, when author Andrew R. Adams, a Santa Clarita Valley resident, wrote his book, “The Macro Event: America’s Survival,” he never imagined it’d be released months before a global pandemic.
The work of fiction, which Adams describes as a survivalist Doomsday book, is the first in a trilogy and follows the story of Lee Andrew Garrett, as a fictional electromagnetic pulse attack is conducted on the U.S. by Iran and North Korea, taking out the power for the entire western U.S.
“It’s so timely right now, and the survivalist (idea) works for anything,” Adams said. “I’ve been a prepper for a long time, and now everybody’s running to Costco and buying water and toilet paper. I’ve got enough toilet paper to last four years. So, the timing of the book for being a survivalist is really good.”
In the book, which takes place primarily in the SCV, Garrett prepares for the worst — something which Adams believes is useful for all types of disasters.
“What the story has in common with our current pandemic situation is the need for everyone to be prepared for events which may befall us,” Adams said via email. “Having supplies of food and other things, such as toilet paper, is something all people should make every attempt to build up.”
Garrett’s “Bug Out Bag,” or emergency bag, is vital to his survival as he must make his way home to Agua Dulce from Las Vegas after the attack.
“In the back of the book, I included an addendum of the Bug Out Bag, which matches the one in my car,” Adams said, adding that it even includes N95 masks.
Adams is the pen name of Ron Griffin, CEO of The Attraction Services Co., a special effects company based in Valencia.
“At first, I thought I would just keep a little anonymity, but really, I don’t see how that’s gonna work because it’s so connected (to me), and I liked the name better,” Griffin said, chuckling. “My middle name is Andrew, and my mom’s maiden name is Adams, so it’s not completely made up.”
Though not easy, as it took about three years from start to finish to produce, Griffin says writing the book was a fun process.
“You just can’t be afraid to do something, and you’ve got to be willing to take risks, so the book was a neat thing to do,” he said.
For Griffin, the book was a great way to showcase some of his hobbies.
“I get a lot of people that read the book that go, ‘This is like reading about you.’ Well, yes, it is because it’s easier to write a book about a character fashioned after myself,” Griffin added, “because then I would know exactly how the character would behave, so that’s why I did that.”
As soon as the current situation improves, it’s Griffin’s intention to do local book signings, along with Bug Out Bag classes.
