Forget This
To Survive
by Rick Foerster
“Holy crap… a serious page turner.” — Noah
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No one knows why the world went Wild.
One boy does…
He's just terrified to remember it.
A POST-APOCALYPTIC SURVIVAL STORY WITH A PSYCHOLOGICAL BITE
“I woke up still thinking about it.”
— Brian
FORGET. SURVIVE. THEN, REMEMBER AGAIN.
Years after the world broke, an orphan knows better than to learn a name. Names become friends. Friends become memories. And memories are the first way to bleed.
Every morning, a camp sends a truckload of orphans into a ruined city to scavenge—and face the once-human Wild who lurk inside the buildings. Their mission is simple: come back with a full pack or don’t come back at all.
Today, a new arrival joins them. But he knows this world—what it thinks of a nothing like him. So he follows the rules that were drilled into him long before the camp found him. Don’t watch the Wild. Always know a way out. And above all, Forget this to survive.
Tomorrow, there’ll be more than his own life to lose. A scavenger who won’t shut up decides they’re friends. A girl who’s afraid of everything plans for everything. One by one, the orphans he tries not to care about begin looking to him for the impossible: escape.
The problem is, he already knows the way out—except it’s buried inside yesterday. To escape, he’ll have to do the one thing that terrifies him most of all:
Remember.
“Strong themes that are profound and engaging.”
— Celia
FOR READERS WHO LOVE
Genres: Post-apocalypse, psychological thriller, dystopian, coming-of-age
Brutal, yet tender connection
Dark, with
existential weight
High-stakes coming of age & found family
NOT FOR READERS WHO…
▸ Are sensitive to bleakness and overwhelming despair
▸ Believe certain characters should be protected
▸ Want a cozy, comfort read
▸ Can’t handle any suspense, violence, monsters, or profanity
Content note: This novel contains violence, trauma, and death involving minors.
WHAT IT EXPLORES
Memory as Weapon & Salvation
Should we let go or hold onto the past?
The Cost of Being Erased
“They say you die twice. One time when you stop breathing and a second time, a bit later on, when somebody says your name for the last time.” -unattributed quote
The Seduction of Withdrawal
When the world becomes overwhelming, how do we respond?
The Apocalypse Within
Most post-apocalypse stories ask, “How do we survive?”
This one asks, “What does survival cost?”
ADVANCE PRAISE
FROM EARLY READERS
“I wanted to come back to it each night.”
— KATE
“I don’t usually read books this fast.”
— AUSTIN
“Hard to put down, so I didn’t.”
— MARK
“Had me crying [from a book] for the first time since high school.”
— DIEGO
“Asks us who we truly are and what we hide away.”
— SARA
“Fun, fast paced ride.”
— DAVE
About the Author
“His explorations about life remain terrifically interesting.” — Sara Pendergast, Artist
Rick Foerster is a recovering startup executive who walked away from a successful career to write about meaning, identity, and the terrifying risk of feeling anything at all. His fiction blends propulsive action with psychological and philosophical depth. He also writes essays on work, reinvention, and modern ambition at The Way of Work.
He wrote Forget This To Survive out of a long obsession with our need for belonging in a world that feels indifferent, and the internal battle to stay human when the world, and your own mind, want you to disappear.
FAQs
1
What is Forget This To Survive about?
Forget This To Survive follows Torin West (nicknamed “Shep”) a 17-year-old memory-haunted orphan trained to “forget this to survive.” He’s forced on deadly supply runs into a ruined city, but to escape the camp that exploits him, he must scavenge the one place he refuses to look: yesterday.
Forget This To Survive is a pulse-pounding post-apocalyptic thriller and dark coming-of-age story about identity, found family, and the stories we tell ourselves to keep going. For fans of The Last of Us, Silo, and Chaos Walking.
What age is Forget This To Survive appropriate for?
2
Forget This To Survive is an upper-young adult novel with adult crossover appeal, best for readers 14 and up. It contains violence, peril, and death, handled with restraint rather than gore. Adult fans of character-driven post-apocalyptic fiction will find enjoy its psychological and philosophical depth. In general, it will resonate with readers who’ve felt the weight of systematic failures, the impulse to numb themselves to reality, and the desire to deceive themselves (and others) when it comes to harsh truths.
Content note: This novel contains violence, trauma, and death involving minors.
Not exactly. The monsters (“the Wild”) have zombie-adjacent features, but… you know what? I’m just gonna leave it there. If you’re expecting a pure “zombie slasher” (e.g. The Walking Dead), you may be disappointed. Readers who want a fresh take on post-apocalyptic fiction (e.g. The Last of Us) will feel at home.
3
Is Forget This To Survive a “zombie” book?
Is there a love triangle in Forget This To Survive?
4
If there was one, I guarantee you at least two of them would die very quickly. The relationships that drive the story are friendship, found family, loyalty, and betrayal.
Is there a hidden political message in Forget This To Survive?
5
Yes: how to manage a child labor camp in a post-apocalyptic economy.
How dark or violent is Forget This To Survive?
6
The book has suspenseful scenes, but it’s not as scary as most horror. And there’s some violence, but the gore (mostly) happens off page. It’s heavy, but funny in places and earns its hope instead of handing it to you.
How long is Forget This To Survive?
7
The book is intentionally short-ish at approximately 72,000 words — about 300 pages. Early readers consistently said it’s a fast-moving read told in propulsive chapters.
Is Forget This To Survive part of a series?
8
Forget This To Survive works as a standalone book, but may evolve into a series (I already have 4 books planned). The book ends with a few open threads… let me know if you want to see them continued!
Did AI write Forget This To Survive?
9
No. Every sentence of Forget This To Survive was written by me (Rick talking here). I did not use AI to generate prose (i.e. “write”). I did use some AI as a light editor during revision, such as identifying grammatical issues or continuity issues. In the development of the book, I also hired 2 coaches, 2 editors, 1 cover designer, and worked with 12 beta readers. I’m pretty sure they’re all human.
Since I was curious, I ran my manuscript through Pangram (AI detection software) and scored “99.3% Human.” Apparently, I’m 0.7% not human, which, if you were to ask my wife, probably feels generous.
Where and when can I buy Forget This To Survive?
10
Forget This To Survive is coming soon at online retailers, like Amazon. It will be available in print (hardcover and paperback) and ebook.
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