Jerry Ahern
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Jerry Ahern (born in 1946) is a science fiction author best known for his post apocalyptic series The Survivalist. The books in this series are heavy with descriptions of the weapons the protagonists use to survive and prosecute a seemingly never ending war amongst the remnants of the superpowers from pre-apocalypse times. The series centres around the attempts of Dr. John Thomas Rourke, ex-CIA agent to preserve his family. In the first book, a nuclear war begins while Rourke is returning from a business trip. After surviving the crash of an airliner in the Southwest U.S., Rourke fights his way across the chaotic horror of the post-war United States to his retreat in Georgia, where he eventually reunites with his family. Survivalist #23 begins a new phase - it takes place after Earth's atmosphere has been destroyed and Rourke and his family have been in cryogenic sleep for 500 years.
Ahern is also a firearms writer, who has published numerous articles in such magazines as Guns & Ammo, and Handguns. One of his recognized areas of expertise is holsters and leather gear for firearms, and he produces a line of holsters. John Thomas Rourke's choices in firearms and equipment reflected Ahern's own: the character's main weapons were a pair of compact Detonics CombatMaster .45 pistols in a custom double shoulder holster by famous maker Lou Alessi. Rourke's other tools included a Colt Pyton, a Colt CAR-15 with telescopic sight, and a Detonics ScoreMaster full-size .45 pistol. His primary knife was an A.G. Russell Sting 1A boot dagger.
Jerry Ahern is now the president of Detonics USA, based in Pendergrass, Georgia.
Some of his books are collaborations with his wife Sharon Ahern.
Bibliography (incomplete)
- The Takers (1984)
- The Takers: River of Gold (1985)
- The Takers: Summon the Demon (2001)
The Survivalist series
- The Survivalist No.1 Total War (1981)
- The Survivalist No.2 The Nightmare Begins (1981)
- The Survivalist No.3 The Quest (1981)
- The Survivalist No.4 The Doomsayer (1981)
- The Survivalist No.5 The Web (1983)
- The Survivalist No.6 The Savage Horde (1983)
- The Survivalist No.7 The Prophet (1984)
- The Survivalist No.8 The End is Coming (1984)
- The Survivalist No.9 Earth Fire (1984)
- The Survivalist No.10 The Awakening (1984)
- The Survivalist No.11 The Reprisal (1985)
- The Survivalist No.12 The Rebellion (1985)
- The Survivalist No.13 Pusuit (1986)
- The Survivalist No.14 The Terror (1987)
- The Survivalist No.15 Overlord (1987)
- The Survivalist No.16 The Arsenal (1988)
- The Survivalist No.17 The Ordeal (1988)
- The Survivalist No.18 Mid-Wake (1988)
- The Survivalist No.19 The Struggle (1989)
- The Survivalist No.20 Final Rain (?)
- The Survivalist No.21 Firestorm (1989)
- The Survivalist No.22 To End all War (1990)
- The Survivalist No.23 The Legend (1991)
- The Survivalist No.24 Call to Battle (1992)