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One Is None
"Two is one and one is none.”That wisdom had guided Doug as he prepped the family bunker. If only he had thought more about all that it implied.
When the long-awaited apocalypse finally arrives, billions of people are lost and the world is reduced to a lifeless desert. But Doug celebrates. He and his family have survived. That’s all that matters.
Yet, the bunker he worked so hard to build can no longer protect them. First divided by their choice to leave, an epic storm splits his family even more. On their increasingly fractured odysseys, each of them must navigate around all those who paranoid survivalists, self-annihilation cults, skull-faced militias, and worse.
Doug had been certain the world could only get better once it was destroyed. What he had not prepared for, however, were people just like him.
An ironic twist on post-apocalyptic fiction, ONE IS NONE refutes the short-sighted obsession with doomsday prepping—a brutal cautionary tale exposing the selfish loneliness at the heart of end-of-the-world fantasies.
When the long-awaited apocalypse finally arrives, billions of people are lost and the world is reduced to a lifeless desert. But Doug celebrates. He and his family have survived. That’s all that matters.
Yet, the bunker he worked so hard to build can no longer protect them. First divided by their choice to leave, an epic storm splits his family even more. On their increasingly fractured odysseys, each of them must navigate around all those who paranoid survivalists, self-annihilation cults, skull-faced militias, and worse.
Doug had been certain the world could only get better once it was destroyed. What he had not prepared for, however, were people just like him.
An ironic twist on post-apocalyptic fiction, ONE IS NONE refutes the short-sighted obsession with doomsday prepping—a brutal cautionary tale exposing the selfish loneliness at the heart of end-of-the-world fantasies.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 17, 2024
43 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Mark Nihlean
1 book2 followersMark Nihlean is a long-time Arizonan currently living abroad with his wife and two children. He is an MFA graduate whose short fiction and poetry have been published in literary journals throughout the US and UK. ONE IS NONE is his first novel.
You can contact him at marknihlean@gmail.com and follow him on most social networks @marknihlean.
You can contact him at marknihlean@gmail.com and follow him on most social networks @marknihlean.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 26, 2024
Dystopian novels are not generally my preferred genre; however, the premise of "One is None" promised to challenge some of the typical themes and tropes of other post-apocalyptic adventures.
The novel begins and you learn that everyone on the planet (save for a few who managed to steal themselves away underground) has disappeared without a trace--no clear sign of war or plague or alien invasion--just gone. The characters Dough, Dolores, Ben, Amy, and Junior emerge from their desert bunker into a Phoenix that has been abandoned, left to a handful of meandering survivalists, aspiring cultists, and Christian nationalists. Shortly after returning to the surface, the characters are gradually exposed in different ways and to varied extents as they journey farther from their bunker and into this new, thoroughly unpleasant world.
The world of "One is None" is not one anyone would (or should) reasonably dream of inheriting. On their best days, Ben, Amy, and Junior suffer the emotional (sometimes physical) abuse of Doug or the unavailability of Dolores. From there, their odyssey of turmoil devolves into an examination of the personalities that have survived and leaves the reader to wonder even more about whatever force was responsible for the apocalypse--a question never contemplated by many of the survivors.
By the end (and it is a testament to Mark's writing), I was relieved to put the novel down for the last time. I found so much of the imagery of "One is None" to be deeply unsettling that I often found myself uncomfortable but trudged on. While "One is None" has not radically altered my perception of the genre, I must say that it succeeds in poking holes in the absurdity of so-called survivalists who long for the day when nations disappear and leave behind nothing but unbridled anarchy.
The novel begins and you learn that everyone on the planet (save for a few who managed to steal themselves away underground) has disappeared without a trace--no clear sign of war or plague or alien invasion--just gone. The characters Dough, Dolores, Ben, Amy, and Junior emerge from their desert bunker into a Phoenix that has been abandoned, left to a handful of meandering survivalists, aspiring cultists, and Christian nationalists. Shortly after returning to the surface, the characters are gradually exposed in different ways and to varied extents as they journey farther from their bunker and into this new, thoroughly unpleasant world.
The world of "One is None" is not one anyone would (or should) reasonably dream of inheriting. On their best days, Ben, Amy, and Junior suffer the emotional (sometimes physical) abuse of Doug or the unavailability of Dolores. From there, their odyssey of turmoil devolves into an examination of the personalities that have survived and leaves the reader to wonder even more about whatever force was responsible for the apocalypse--a question never contemplated by many of the survivors.
By the end (and it is a testament to Mark's writing), I was relieved to put the novel down for the last time. I found so much of the imagery of "One is None" to be deeply unsettling that I often found myself uncomfortable but trudged on. While "One is None" has not radically altered my perception of the genre, I must say that it succeeds in poking holes in the absurdity of so-called survivalists who long for the day when nations disappear and leave behind nothing but unbridled anarchy.
January 13, 2025
Dystopian novels are arguably my favorite subsection of speculative fiction. There's hardly a larger fire that characters can be thrown into than the end of the world or its aftermath. Unlike many in the genre, One Is None focuses almost exclusively on the aftermath. Only a few well-placed flashbacks feature anything that came before. What also makes author Mark Nihlean's novel unique is that he isn't afraid to make his main characters unlikable.
Most of the adult cast are what I'd describe as being on the fringes of society. Radicals, conspiracy theorists, and "believers" make up large portions of the new population. Not something I often see in literature, this makes sense in reality. The swaths of people most likely to hunker underground for 100+ days without warning and have a place to do so aren't considerably mainstream. That devotion to realism stretches from characters to settings and situations as well, all described remarkably well.
As much as I did enjoy the storylines of the younger members of the main family we follow, I felt there was a disconnect between purported ages and how the characters read. I think the age was kept artificially lower for one character in particular to increase the shock value of certain elements. However, the writing was both visceral and compelling enough throughout most of the novel that such a tactic wasn't really needed.
I fully admit that I was the donkey chasing the carrot throughout One Is None. Hooked in by the premise and the spectacle, I was ravenous for answers to questions many dystopian novels resolve from the beginning. Although I personally would have liked to see more of those questions have answers, I'd still very willingly follow that carrot into a sequel if the author chose to write one.
The author provides trigger warnings for a reason. This isn't a sanitized theme park type of dystopian. But if you think you'll enjoy a darker look at what life would look like after the restrictions of civilization fall and the type of people most likely to survive, I suggest reading One Is None.
Most of the adult cast are what I'd describe as being on the fringes of society. Radicals, conspiracy theorists, and "believers" make up large portions of the new population. Not something I often see in literature, this makes sense in reality. The swaths of people most likely to hunker underground for 100+ days without warning and have a place to do so aren't considerably mainstream. That devotion to realism stretches from characters to settings and situations as well, all described remarkably well.
As much as I did enjoy the storylines of the younger members of the main family we follow, I felt there was a disconnect between purported ages and how the characters read. I think the age was kept artificially lower for one character in particular to increase the shock value of certain elements. However, the writing was both visceral and compelling enough throughout most of the novel that such a tactic wasn't really needed.
I fully admit that I was the donkey chasing the carrot throughout One Is None. Hooked in by the premise and the spectacle, I was ravenous for answers to questions many dystopian novels resolve from the beginning. Although I personally would have liked to see more of those questions have answers, I'd still very willingly follow that carrot into a sequel if the author chose to write one.
The author provides trigger warnings for a reason. This isn't a sanitized theme park type of dystopian. But if you think you'll enjoy a darker look at what life would look like after the restrictions of civilization fall and the type of people most likely to survive, I suggest reading One Is None.
December 22, 2024
I enjoy dystopian, apocalyptic stories as a rule.
While "Two is One.." falls in that category, it almost felt like I was reading a history - little interior chatter from the characters, and characters who are so human as to be wholly unlikeable.
The plot moves from bad to worse, hopeless and lonely. All this to say that I really liked this book. There was no hero to step in and end suffering - just more learning how to deal with a new reality. I found the setting and characters unique, and their choices were made based on their flawed perspectives.
I recommend "Two is One, and One is None" as interesting reading for a possible way through a differently imagined future.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
While "Two is One.." falls in that category, it almost felt like I was reading a history - little interior chatter from the characters, and characters who are so human as to be wholly unlikeable.
The plot moves from bad to worse, hopeless and lonely. All this to say that I really liked this book. There was no hero to step in and end suffering - just more learning how to deal with a new reality. I found the setting and characters unique, and their choices were made based on their flawed perspectives.
I recommend "Two is One, and One is None" as interesting reading for a possible way through a differently imagined future.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 28, 2024
I really enjoyed this book particularly because of the amazing job the author did of capturing the characteristics and mannerisms of the villains in the story. The scariest part of this book is the fact that many of us will recognize these villains in the real world.
I had no idea how the book would end so it was a captivating read in the sense that anything could happen. I enjoyed that there were multiple storylines throughout that had me hooked.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thought provoking reads or books about a post-apocalyptic world.
I had no idea how the book would end so it was a captivating read in the sense that anything could happen. I enjoyed that there were multiple storylines throughout that had me hooked.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thought provoking reads or books about a post-apocalyptic world.
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March 9, 2025I did enjoy this story but it does need the content warnings to be noted. There is a lot of sexual abuse, rape, child abuse & just generally awful things in the story which for me is a little too on the dark side & I found at moments I did not really want to read more due to the content. I do love an apocalyptic story but this was a little too much for me on that side of things. Otherwise it is a well written story.
January 18, 2025
He had prepared for the end of the world with getting a bunker all set up. It works well when it does happen and billions of lives are lost while his family survived. They leave the bunker but things are not going to be easy as they face the dangers of their new reality. See how they will survive it all
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and loved where they all took me
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and loved where they all took me
February 22, 2025
This gripping book is a real page turner. There are vivid, unique characters and watching all their stories unfold is a true pleasure, even if the subject matter is not. It’s not for the faint of heart. It paints a hard world filled with what you might expect from post apocalyptic tomes, but in a way I’ve never read before. Can’t wait to see what else this author has up their sleeve next.
January 11, 2025
I tried
I wanted to like this book (which is well written) but genuinely disliked or loathed the characters
As a person who loves to read-and in many genres-this was unacceptable for me
It was desolate, grim and unenjoyable
I wanted to like this book (which is well written) but genuinely disliked or loathed the characters
As a person who loves to read-and in many genres-this was unacceptable for me
It was desolate, grim and unenjoyable
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews