Podcast - John Michael Layne

Latest Episode

What does a real disaster actually feel like when you’re living through it—not watching it on the news?

In this episode, John Michael Layne sits down with Wes Gabb, a Hurricane Katrina survivor who experienced the chaos firsthand. From the false sense of security before the storm to the brutal reality of a 15-hour evacuation gridlock, Wes shares what most people get wrong about preparedness—and how quickly normal life can collapse.

They dive into the critical mistakes people make when they wait too long, the breakdown of communication when systems fail, and the mindset shift that comes from surviving a true crisis. It’s a grounded, real-world look at disaster preparedness through the lens of lived experience—exactly the kind of perspective that separates fiction from reality.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re truly prepared…this conversation might change your answer.

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.

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