In Dark Texas, a gripping and hauntingly plausible near-future thriller, a historic winter storm plunges Texas into chaos as critical energy infrastructure fails, and the electric grid teeters on the edge of collapse. Told through the eyes of everyday Texans—Mac, a self-reliant old-timer; Laurie, a wise yoga teacher; Jake, a grieving father; and Chas, a young energy analyst—this novel explores human resilience, the fragility of modern civilization, and the moral choices people face when the lights go out. Inspired by real events, Dark Texas is a chilling yet hopeful portrait of community, survival, and the power of preparedness in a world that thought it couldn’t fail.
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…
Category: Science Fiction
Publication Date: February 10, 2026
ISBN (Paper): 978-1-965766-38-5
ISBN (Ebook): 978-1-965766-39-2
Pages: 314
Trim size: 5.5 x 8.5
Robert Mace, executive director, The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, Texas State University"I laughed! I cried! I bought a back-up generator! If you were in Texas in February of 2021, you know the terror of having no power, no heat, no water, and no idea when the world would return to normal. As bad as it was, it could have easily been worse. Much worse. Petrie's novel conjures a future that almost was and still could be when bad weather and bad policy collide."
Frances Silversmith, writer and software engineer"Terrifyingly plausible. Terrifically entertaining."
Georg Rute, CEO, Gridraven"A chilling reminder of civility's dependence on fragile foundations."
Robert Mace, executive director, The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, Texas State University"I laughed! I cried! I bought a back-up generator! If you were in Texas in February of 2021, you know the terror of having no power, no heat, no water, and no idea when the world would return to normal. As bad as it was, it could have easily been worse. Much worse. Petrie's novel conjures a future that almost was and still could be when bad weather and bad policy collide."
Frances Silversmith, writer and software engineer"Terrifyingly plausible. Terrifically entertaining."
Georg Rute, CEO, Gridraven"A chilling reminder of civility's dependence on fragile foundations."
Suzanne Paschall, award-winning author and musician“Dark Texas blends fact and fiction in a responsible, current and entertaining way that truly gave me pause about the impact of political decisions on our environment and our futures.”
Meredith Angwin, Author of Shorting the Grid: the Hidden Fragility of Our Electric Grid.“In Dark Texas, Charles Petrie shows the devastating effects of a lengthy and extensive electricity outage. Texas had a near-miss with winter story Uri. In his book, Petrie describes the consequences for Texas if Uri had led to a full disaster. A sobering and necessary read.”
A Sci-Fi Satire of Alien Espionage, Southern Charm & Chaos on Earth! Debut novelist Paul McGrath delivers a sharp, witty, and wildly entertaining sci-fi satire that asks: What if an alien held up a mirror to America—and we didn’t like what we saw?
What if the mission was never just about the planet? A pair of alien operatives from the planet Xylodon, now fugitives on two worlds, find themselves drawn into the orbit of nationalist militias and human trafficking. This second genre-blending installment in the Terran Icognita series fuses satire, sci-fi, and social commentary into a wildly original tale of identity, rebellion, and connection. What happens when your mission changes, but your heart won’t follow orders?
