The Last Day concludes the series of post-apocalyptic stories A Second After and A Year After. It's been more than two years since an electromagnetic pulse attack left the United States without electricity and brought darkness, hunger and death. The community of a mountain town in North Carolina, led by John Matherson, begins to put ancient technologies to work and restore social order. The military forces left over from the government army suppress all rebellions. John's former commander, General Bob Scales, has his friend arrested. Will John submit to the new autocratic regime? Or will there be a coup that tears the nascent nation apart at the seams?