The Effects of Nuclear War

The Effects of Nuclear War is a 1978 book commissioned by the United States Office of Technology Assessment to support civilian preparation for nuclear warfare.[1] The book argued that the social effects of a nuclear attack would be unpredictable, and also, that the welfare of society would worsen for years after the attack.[2]

The book contains a short story titled Charlottesville as an addendum.[3] The fictional story describes a nuclear attack on the United States and describes Charlottesville, Virginia as a typical American town far from the attack where the people react to the news.[3] The short story came to be popular on its own, separated from the full government report.[3] The story was an inspiration for the 1983 movie, The Day After.[3][4] The story is in the public domain.[3]