THE RIDDLE OF STEEL

I started reading S.M. Stirling's "Dies the Fire" yesterday and I am very intrigued by the progress so far. What I know is the following: There was an unexplained flash of light that occurred simultaneously all over the world, and in it's wake nothing electronic works anymore, no lights, no phones, no circuits are functional. In addition, the physics of the world have changed and things like gunpowder and dynamite no longer work. So all the guns and modern weapons are now useless, and the technology has been knocked effectively back 400 years or more.

The story so far is following two main sets of characters, one an ex-Marine pilot who was ferrying a family when his plane crashed due to the Change, and a female Celtic musician who also happens to be a high priestess in the Wiccan religion. Both are witnessing the beginning of the decay of civilization as the power may be gone for good, and most people are not prepared to deal with the reality of 1600's lifestyles thrust on them in a microsecond.

I have read most of the post-apocalyptic fiction out there, and this does not seem to be the same retread of "Alas, Babylon" or worse, survivalist pulp fiction with steely-jawed men who never run out of ammo for their automatic rifles. The fact that they cannot use explosives or guns and that the Renaissance Festival folks seem best prepared to deal with this brave new world is an interesting and refreshing take on the question of what happens when the lights go out for good.