The premise of “Without Warning” is, to put it mildly, far-fetched: a curtain of energy of unknown origin descends around most of the United States, and, within it, everyone disappears. From this beginning, John Birmingham tells a compelling story of what happens to the remaining US citizens, military forces, and the rest of the world. I had feared this would be a right-wing screed to show how important the US is, but I was pleasantly surprised. This is a good read, reminiscent of the best of Stephen King’s work. I’m looking forward to the sequels.