AFTER THE BEFORE: A Post-Apocalyptic Novel

Ernie Gammage

May 2025 · Gambini Global

About this ebook

No one can open the box.

Three hundred years after the fall of civilization, scavengers Sophie and Markus uncover a sealed, translucent box buried deep in the ruins of The Before. What’s inside might hold answers to the apocalyptic origins of The After and a path to a safer future—if it can be opened.

Hoping for help, they set out for the faraway City where a reclusive historian may have the knowledge they need. The trek takes them across the cratered plain, bombed almost into oblivion, and infested with unstoppable humanoid machines hungry for human flesh.

When a religious fanatic derails their mission, Sophie and the box disappear. Markus enlists unexpected allies to help find her, pushing into the heart of his worst fears and opening bitter wounds and testing loyalties.

What’s in the box may lead to a better future—but it just might cost them each other.

Ratings and reviews

After the Before left me thinking about where we’re headed and what we choose to remember. It’s not a flashy book, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s thoughtful and full of grit. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes post-collapse fiction that isn’t just about survival but about what it means to live with a past you barely understand. Fans of Station Eleven or The Road will feel right at home here.

Ernie Gammage captures a post-apocalyptic story with such imagination and creativity that you feel the sense of reality. Gammage creates an 'on the edge of your seat' feeling when Sophie and the box disappears . After all they've gone through you just feel compelled to keep reading in hope that they find each other again, and hope that the box contents helps create a better future. Thank you for selecting me to read this book Gammage. I look forward to reading your future creations.

Dusty, dangerous, and quietly hopeful. This isn’t your glittery dystopia. It’s raw survival mixed with a whisper of what-if redemption. Think: rusted cities, haunted memories, and characters who may or may not know what they’re doing—but they keep trying anyway.

About the author

Ernie Gammage is a speculative fiction author whose work explores the strange, the thoughtful, and the unexpected. An award-winning songwriter, professional musician, and accomplished visual artist, Ernie has spent his life in creative pursuit across multiple disciplines. Now 80, he brings decades of artistic insight to the written word, weaving the same emotional resonance and inventive spirit that have defined his music and artwork. Whether he’s building new worlds or bending reality, his stories reflect a deep curiosity about what it means to live, dream, and evolve. Ernie continues to write and create from his home studio, where the music never really stops—and the stories never quite end. Visit him at ernies-artmusic.com or follow @erniegammage3.