In W. R. Flynn's apocalyptic novel, "Shut Down," we discovered that the worldwide economic catastrophe brought about by peak oil, the overuse of scarce resources, wars, government deficit spending and overpopulation has left human civilization decimated and in ruins. Most survivors across North America have banded together in isolated farming communities closed to outsiders. This is the story of Corbett, Oregon, one of the larger self-sustaining colonies, two years after the collapse. This novel introduces a severely wounded outsider, Michael "Buck" Baccellieri, who is discovered unconscious...

"First Journey: After the Shut Down" is the third in W. R. Flynn's series of novels depicting life in the small surviving Corbett, Oregon, colony following the abrupt catastrophic worldwide collapse of civilization. It is set mid-winter during the fourth year of Corbett's struggle to survive intact under conditions both radically changed and unforeseen. The community sends a small group on an exploratory journey into the ruins of Portland, Oregon. On the outskirts of downtown they encounter a well-armed band of men led by a Marine, Jeff Cowley. They are members of a collection of families who...