Where to Start: The Core Survivalist Saga
If you are new to the work of A. American (the pen name of Chris Weatherman), there is only one logical place to start: the flagship Survivalist Series (often called the Going Home series). This series is a continuous narrative that follows Morgan Carter, a practical and well-prepared survivalist who is far from home when an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) strike completely collapses the American power grid. To experience Morgan's grueling 250-mile journey back to his family in Florida, and the subsequent efforts to rebuild society, you must read the books in chronological order, which matches their publication order.
The Survivalist (Going Home) Series in Reading Order
- Going Home (2012): The book that started it all. Morgan Carter must hike 250 miles through the Florida wilderness to reach his family after a massive EMP shuts down the nation.
- Surviving Home (2013): Morgan makes it back to his family, but the real struggle begins as they attempt to protect their community from growing lawlessness and desperate marauders.
- Escaping Home (2013): The local security situation deteriorates further, forcing Morgan and his neighbors to make hard choices about staying or fleeing.
- Forsaking Home (2014): Society continues to fracture, and the shadow of authoritarian control begins to emerge as military forces attempt to establish order.
- Resurrecting Home (2014): Morgan and his community struggle to rebuild a semblance of normal life amidst the ruins, balancing hope with brutal defensive realities.
- Enforcing Home (2015): Tensions rise as local factions clash, and Morgan must step up to enforce safety and rule of law in a lawless landscape.
- Avenging Home (2016): Personal losses and external threats push Morgan and his allies to go on the offensive against their enemies.
- Home Invasion (2017): The community faces their most direct threat yet as organized raiders attempt to breach their defenses.
- Conflicted Home (2017): Internal politics and differing visions for the future threaten to tear Morgan's survival group apart from the inside.
- Home Coming (2018): A turning point in the series where long-standing conflicts come to a head and the survivors must lay down permanent roots.
- Engineering Home (2022): Set over a year after the collapse, the community undertakes major infrastructure projects to secure their long-term future, under the watchful eye of the US Army.
- Exploring Home (2023): Morgan deals with the pressures of expansion, new pregnancies, and maintaining basic power utilities while navigating complex relations with military authorities.
The Expanded Universe: Charlie's Requiem
Once you have read the core Survivalist books, you can expand your journey with the Charlie's Requiem series. Co-authored by A. American and Walt Browning, this series takes place in the exact same post-apocalyptic universe following the same EMP event, but shifts the location to Orlando, Florida.
Unlike Morgan Carter, who is an experienced prepper, the protagonist Charlie starts as a completely unprepared city dweller. The series follows her evolution into a battle-hardened insurgent fighting against Russian Spetsnaz occupation forces and government collaborators. While it exists in the same world, it functions as a standalone narrative thread that can be read separately or alongside the main series.
Charlie's Requiem Series in Reading Order
- Charlie's Requiem (2015)
- Democide (2016)
- Resistance (2017)
- Retribution (2018)
- Contagion (2023)
- Resurgence (2026)
Standalone Post-Apocalyptic Fiction
In addition to his long-running series, A. American has authored or co-authored several standalone novels that explore similar themes of collapse, resourcefulness, and human resilience under extreme pressure:
- Hope (2016): A post-apocalyptic standalone co-authored with G. Michael Hopf (author of The New World series). The book explores the immediate, chaotic aftermath of a global catastrophe.
- Cry Havoc (2016): A gritty, action-oriented survivalist novel focusing on a different set of survivors trying to navigate the onset of a societal breakdown.
- Ramblin' Man (2020): A shorter novella following a mysterious wanderer navigating a highly fractured and dangerous post-apocalyptic landscape.
Practical Prepping: Non-Fiction
For readers who enjoy the highly realistic survival tips woven throughout Morgan Carter's adventures, A. American collaborated with Alan Kay to release a non-fiction survival guide:
- Decline and Decay: Strategies for Surviving the Coming Unpleasantness (2020): This book translates the off-grid living, foraging, and defensive strategies featured in his fiction into practical, real-world advice for modern preparedness.
What to Know Before You Start
The defining characteristic of A. American's writing is its extreme authenticity. As Chris Weatherman, the author spent over two decades living in survivalist communities, mastering plant-based medicine, primitive navigation, and off-grid homesteading. Because of this, his novels often double as practical guides; characters will explicitly detail how to purify water, forage for wild edibles, and construct shelters. The tone is direct, practical, and highly focused on the logistics of daily survival. For the best experience, start with Going Home to understand the rules of this powerless world before exploring the occupied city streets in Charlie's Requiem.