In 2009, author William R. Forstchen wrote and published One Second After, a speculative novel about the immediate aftermath of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack on the United States. Esquire has the first look at One Second After, which you can see below. MPI Famke Janssen costars as the mayor of Black Mountain, North Carolina, a real place where author William R. Forstchen lives. One Second After takes place in Black Mountain, North Carolina, which is where William R. Forstchen really lives. Production took place in Bulgaria, which impressed both Holloway and author William R. Forstchen.