Dark Texas

Dark Texas - Paperback

$24.79
Sale price  $24.79 Regular price 
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Dark Texas

Dark Texas - Paperback

by Charles J. Jr. Petrie
$24.79
Sale price  $24.79 Regular price 

Book Overview

What happens when the grid goes down--and it's not coming back up anytime soon?

In a chillingly realistic tale inspired by actual events, Dark Texas unfolds the moment when a brutal winter storm overwhelms the Lone Star State, triggering a cascading failure of its energy infrastructure. As oil and gas wellheads freeze, wind turbines seize, and the power grid buckles under the pressure, ordinary people must navigate extraordinary circumstances.

Mac is a retired teacher with a wood stove, solar panels, and an old diesel generator--and just enough grit to outlast the cold. Laurie, a straight-talking yoga teacher and educator, believes in preparedness and love in equal measure, but even she can't predict what's coming. Jake, newly widowed and raising a toddler, faces his greatest test yet as supplies dwindle and systems fail. And Chas, a young analyst at a local power company, begins to see the truth behind Texas's fragile energy market--and what happens when the free market can't keep the lights on.

Across cities and fields slick with ice, these characters confront not only freezing weather but the deeper question: What holds a civilization together when modern conveniences unravel overnight?

With evocative prose and a quiet urgency, Dark Texas blends intimate character-driven storytelling with real-world insight into energy, policy, and resilience. This isn't just a disaster novel--it's a wake-up call.

Dark Texas is ideal for readers who devoured books like Station Eleven, The Road, or One Second After. It's a gripping portrait of interconnection, vulnerability, and the many kinds of strength that flicker to life when the grid goes dark.

This nearly happened.

ISBN9781965766385
Author Charles J. Jr. Petrie
PublisherStoney Creek Publishing Group
GenreLiterature
FormatPaperback
PublishedMarch 2026
LanguageENG- English
Pages314
Weight1.0 lb
Target AudienceAdults
Print SizeStandard Print

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About Charles J. Jr. Petrie

Charles J Petrie, Jr. holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from UT Austin and is retired from Stanford University where he had been an Associate Professor and Senior Research Scientist. He then built an off-grid home on his property in Texas. He also did consulting and guest professorships in Europe until the pandemic. In addition, he worked at Burning Man, retiring as manager of their airport. Now he lives with his new pit bull pup, Toby, in the woods, occasionally venturing to travel back to California and Germany where he keeps motorcycles and friends. Dark Texas is his first novel.

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