Podcast - John Michael Layne

Latest Episode

In this episode of After the Fall, I sit down with Garrett Holt—an indie author and U.S. Navy professional with a background in intelligence, history, and political science—to explore how real-world experience shapes post-apocalyptic storytelling. We talk about the reality of building a book and an audience from scratch, what it takes to write fiction grounded in strategy and leadership, and why stories about collapse resonate so strongly right now. From survival mindset to the challenges of launching a first novel, this conversation goes beyond fiction and into what it actually looks like to create—and endure—when systems start to break down.

Where Post Apocalyptic Fiction, Science and Survival Collide

Welcome to the PODCAST

After the Fall is a podcast that explores the stories, science, and survival realities behind the end of the world — and what comes after.
Hosted by post-apocalyptic author John Michael Layne, the show blends fiction, real-world science, and lived experience to examine how civilization could collapse — and how people endure when it does. From super volcanoes and solar storms to grid failure and societal breakdown, each episode takes a closer look at the forces that could reshape the modern world.
But After the Fall isn’t just about how things end.
It’s about what remains.
Drawing from the same grounded, Appalachian realism that shapes the Seasons of Ash series, the podcast explores resilience, adaptation, and the quiet, often overlooked skills that matter most when systems fail. Along the way, conversations with authors, survivalists, scientists, and thinkers help bridge the gap between imagination and reality.
Because the idea of an apocalypse has always carried two things:
A warning — that the systems we depend on are more fragile than we’d like to believe.
And a promise — that even in collapse, there is the possibility of rebuilding something simpler, more honest, and more human.
This is After the Fall.

Be a Guest

Interested in being a guest on After the Fall?
I’m always looking for authors, scientists, and survival-minded thinkers to talk about post-apocalyptic fiction, real-world collapse scenarios, and what it actually takes to survive.
If that’s you, reach out—I’d love to connect. Click Here to learn apply today.

All Episodes

Sign up to receive exclusive content

Join the Tambora Network for early access to new writing, exclusive bonus stories, podcast updates, and behind-the-scenes content from the After the Fall universe.

The form has been submitted successfully!

There has been some error while submitting the form. Please verify all form fields again.