About After the Fall - Post-Apocalyptic Fiction, Science and Survival
After the Fall explores post-apocalyptic fiction, real-world collapse scenarios, and the science behind how systems fail—and what comes next.
Hosted by author John Michael Layne (Seasons of Ash), the show blends storytelling, expert interviews, and practical survival insights to examine the fragile systems that shape our world.
From grid failures and pandemics to super volcanoes and societal breakdown, each episode asks the same question:
What happens after everything falls apart—and who are we when it does?
Rooted in Appalachian perspective and grounded in realism, After the Fall is where fiction, science, and survival meet.
What does military service teach you about leadership, survival, and the decisions people make when the world falls apart? In this episode of After the Fall, I sit down with U.S. Army Reserve veteran and author Eric Smith, creator of The Last Regiment series. Eric shares how his military background influences his post-apocalyptic fiction, from realistic tactics and crisis leadership to the human cost of conflict and the resilience of ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. We disc...
18 May 2026
Preparedness Starts With Training
What does real preparedness actually look like when things go wrong? In this episode of After the Fall, I sit down with firefighter, EMS responder, rescue instructor, and TacMed1 founder Jon Bajek to talk about the reality behind emergency response, survival, and training. With nearly two decades of experience responding to fires, rescues, medical emergencies, and high-stress incidents, Jon breaks down the difference between preparedness fantasy and real-world capability. We discuss why minds...
9 May 2026
The Last Generation That Knew How to Survive
Before “prepping” became a trend, survival was simply part of everyday life. In this episode of After the Fall, John Michael Layne sits down for a conversation about growing up in rural West Virginia during the Great Depression and the practical skills that once defined ordinary American life. Hunting wasn’t recreation. Gardening wasn’t a hobby. Families preserved food, repaired what they owned, and learned to survive without depending on fragile modern systems. The conversation explores the ...
7 Apr 2026
"We Thought We'd Be Fine": Surviving Hurricane Katrina | Wes Gabb
What does real collapse actually look like? In 2005, Hurricane Katrina turned New Orleans into something unrecognizable. Power failed. Communication broke down. And for a period of time, people were left to figure things out on their own. In this episode of After the Fall, John Michael Layne sits down with Wes Gabb—a New Orleans native who lived through Hurricane Katrina as a teenager. Wes shares what it was like as the storm approached, the chaos of evacuating under pressure, and the moment ...
31 Mar 2026
The Shackleton Mindset: How to Stay Calm When Everything Falls Apart
When things go wrong, most people don’t rise to the occasion—they fall to the level of their mindset. In this episode, I break down what I call The Shackleton Mindset—a way of thinking built on clarity, responsibility, discipline, and calm under pressure. Drawing from the real-world leadership of Ernest Shackleton and connecting it to modern life, we walk through the mental framework that actually determines how people respond when systems fail, uncertainty rises, and pressure hits. This isn’...
26 Mar 2026
Garrett Holt: From Navy Intelligence to Post-Apocalyptic Author
In this episode of After the Fall, I sit down with Garrett Holt—an indie author and U.S. Navy professional whose background in intelligence, history, and political science brings a unique level of realism to his writing. Garrett is the author of Siege of the Forgotten Order, a post-apocalyptic novel that blends military strategy, dark science fiction, and elements of horror. We talk about how his real-world experience shapes his storytelling, what it’s like building a book and audience at the...
24 Mar 2026
Top 10 Ways the World Might Actually End (No Zombies)
Everyone talks about the end of the world—but what are the real risks? In this episode, we break down the ten most likely ways civilization could collapse based on science, history, and the systems we rely on every day. From global pandemics and nuclear war to super volcanoes, solar superstorms, and cascading system failures driven by artificial intelligence, this is a grounded look at how fragile modern life can be. This isn’t about Hollywood scenarios or worst-case speculation. It’s a...
21 Mar 2026
What Survival Training Really Teaches You (with Stuart Buchanan)
What does real survival training actually teach you? In this episode of After the Fall, I sit down with Stuart Buchanan—former Australian Army infantryman, SERE instructor, and author of Dragon Rising—to explore what survival really looks like when systems begin to break down. We discuss the mental and physical realities of survival, the biggest mistakes people make in the early stages of a crisis, and why preparedness is about far more than just gear. Stuart shares insights from his military...
19 Mar 2026
What Does “Apocalypse” Really Mean? (It Doesn’t Mean What You Think)
What does the word apocalypse actually mean? Most of us associate it with destruction—collapse, catastrophe, the end of the world. But the original meaning of the word tells a very different story. In this first episode of After the Fall, we explore the origins of the word apocalypse, how its meaning changed over time, and what that shift reveals about how humans think about the end of the world. From ancient myths like Ragnarök to modern fears of pandemics, climate collapse, and technologica...
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