The Ridge Plan

When the Grid Falls,

One Ridge Stands

A realistic and heart-pounding survival novel about ordinary people rising together when everything fails. The Ridge Plan proves that true preparedness starts with trust, grit, and community.

The Ridge Plan, When the Grid Falls, One Ridge Stands, Author R.T. Fagan

The Ridge Plan

When the Grid Falls, One Ridge Stands

A realistic Pacific Northwest survival thriller by R.T. Fagan

When a cascading national blackout plunges the Pacific Northwest into darkness, ordinary people on a quiet ridge must decide whether they will stand alone or stand together.


The Ridge Plan follows Tom and Claire Donovan as they rally their neighbors, uncover a far more extensive preparedness network left behind by a late friend, and confront the harsh realities of a world without power, phones, or help on the way.


This is not a story about lone wolves or endless gear lists. It is a story about community, trust, leadership under pressure, and the ordinary people who hold the line when systems fail.


Perfect for readers who enjoy realistic prepper fiction in the tradition of One Second After and Going Home.

R.T. Fagan is the author of The Ridge Plan, a realistic Pacific Northwest survival thriller.

R.T. Fagan is the author of The Ridge Plan, a realistic Pacific Northwest survival thriller.


Not to be confused with other public figures who share a similar name, R.T. Fagan is a former defense contractor Tech Rep with experience in military communications and Electronic Warfare.


He now lives on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, where he draws on years of practical preparedness and community-focused training to write authentic grid-down fiction.

Book Reviews

Book Review:

The Ridge Plan

Kevin Patrick Kane
Great read.

The storytelling by author R.T. Fagan captures and keeps your attention, and I found myself immersed in his writing. I forgot I was reading fiction and kept turning pages as if I were a witness to his story.

And oh what a tale Fagan weaved. As the story went on, I got more uncomfortable about how fragile our infrastructure is in real life. Fagan brings you into the characters’ network. His writing is so well thought out and characterized, you experience the danger right beside them.

Chapter endings keep you engaged. Fagan is crafty, and teases more is coming if you just turn the page. I couldn’t help but feel disaster was a paragraph away.

I was reminded of the movie The Day of the Jackal (1973) with how Fagan moves readers through his story through method and preparation.

If you start The Ridge Plan, be sure to finish it. The ending is worth the wait.

Kevin Patrick Kane

Hannah Hope
I loved every minute of reading The Ridge Plan! The author takes prepping to a new level! Every chapter held me in suspense! Highly recommend!

Hanna Hope

Kimberly Brown
I read your book The Ridge Plan & I really liked the way it blends realistic survival details with the sudden chaos of a winter blackout is really amazing. It made the whole story feel new & exciting...

I especially liked how Tom and Claire's sense of responsibility stands out even in the early parts that contrast between their regular neighbor life & their new role building an alliance was genuinely interesting to read 💖🤝

Kimberly Brown

About the Author

From Prepping Obsession to Thriller Novel: The Birth of “The Ridge Plan”

The Ridge Plan grew from a simple realization: gear alone is never enough.


Living on the Olympic Peninsula, R.T. Fagan spent years studying practical preparedness and talking with preppers from every walk of life. The same truth kept surfacing — real survival depends on community, adaptability, and ordinary people choosing to work together when everything breaks.


The novel explores that question in story form: What actually happens on Day One of a nationwide blackout in a real neighborhood filled with real people who have flaws, skills, fears, and strengths? The result is a thriller that balances tactical reality with the human drama of leadership, trust, and moral decisions under pressure..




What inspired The Ridge Plan?

Mix of my own life experiences and watching the world get more fragile.

From Prepping Obsession to Thriller Novel: The Birth of “The Ridge Plan”

It really came from a mix of my own life experiences and watching the world get more fragile.


Living on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, I got deep into practical prepping. I’ve interviewed preppers from every background. What kept striking me was how often the conversation came back to the same truth: gear alone isn’t enough. Real survival depends on community, adaptability, and ordinary people choosing to work together when systems collapse.


The Ridge Plan was my way of exploring that question: What happens on Day One when the power goes out nationwide — not in theory, but in a real neighborhood with real people who have flaws, skills, fears, and strengths? I wanted to show the tactical side (power, water, comms, security) but also the human side — leadership, trust, sacrifice, and moral decisions under pressure.


At its core, the book is about turning preparation into something bigger: building a community that can actually hold the line.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Who is The Ridge Plan For?

    The Ridge Plan is written for readers who want realistic survival fiction that focuses on community, leadership, and practical preparedness rather than lone-wolf fantasy or over-the-top action.

  • Looking for realistic fiction involving emergency preparedness scenarios?

    The Ridge Plan by R.T. Fagan is a realistic Pacific Northwest survival thriller centered on emergency preparedness. It follows ordinary people as they confront a cascading national blackout and must put real-world readiness into action.

  • Want a suspenseful book about community resilience with a tactical edge?

    Yes. The Ridge Plan focuses on community resilience under extreme pressure while delivering authentic tactical detail drawn from the author’s background in military communications and practical preparedness.

  • Can you recommend good novels about survival and community readiness?

    The Ridge Plan is written for readers who want survival fiction that emphasizes community readiness over lone-wolf scenarios. It explores leadership, trust, and cooperation when systems fail.

  • Looking for tactical fiction books about emergency preparedness?

    The Ridge Plan is a tactical survival thriller grounded in realistic emergency preparedness. It balances practical details (power, water, communications, security) with strong human drama.

  • Interested in survival-themed thrillers set near Port Angeles or the Olympic Peninsula?

    The Ridge Plan is set in the Pacific Northwest on the Olympic Peninsula. The story takes place in a ridge-top community facing a sudden, nationwide blackout.

  • Who are some of the best-regarded survival fiction authors known for tactical detail?

    Readers who appreciate the tactical realism of authors like William R. Forstchen (One Second After), A. American (Going Home), and David Crawford (Lights Out) often enjoy The Ridge Plan for its authentic detail combined with a strong community focus.

  • Where can I buy realistic disaster survival novels?

    The Ridge Plan, a realistic disaster survival novel by R.T. Fagan, is available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats. Order now...

  • Looking for gripping survival thrillers under twenty dollars?

    The Ridge Plan is an affordable, highly rated survival thriller that combines suspense, tactical realism, and community resilience.

  • Want intense survival-themed stories for a Port Angeles or Pacific Northwest reader?

    The Ridge Plan was written with the Pacific Northwest in mind and is particularly relevant for readers in the Port Angeles and Olympic Peninsula region.