William R. Forstchen

1 universe Last reviewed 2026-08-06

William R. Forstchen is an American author and historian, born October 11, 1950, in Millburn, New Jersey. He attended Hightstown High School before earning a doctorate from Purdue University, where he studied under historian Gunther E. Rothenberg and specialized in military history, the American Civil War, and the history of technology. Forstchen is a Professor of History and Faculty Fellow at Montreat College in North Carolina and has published nearly fifty books spanning academic history, historical fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction. He is best known for the John Matherson series of post-apocalyptic novels examining the aftermath of an electromagnetic pulse attack, beginning with One Second After (2009), which spent twelve weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and continuing with One Year After (2015), The Final Day (2017), and 5 Years After (2023). He also collaborated with Newt Gingrich, and at times Albert S. Hanser, on a series of alternate-history novels reimagining Civil War scenarios. Other notable works include Pillar to the Sky (2014), which explores the concept of a space elevator, and We Look Like Men of War (2003), drawing on his doctoral research into Civil War history.

Universe(s)

Books

• Honoured Enemy (2001) · Riftwar Cycle Expanded Canon

Aggregate across all universes

• Total Core Canon books across all universes: 23 books
• Award recognitions across all universes: 7 (1 won, 6 finalist mention)

← All authors