All I’ve got for you

I have witnessed police act like thugs and bullies to the citizens they were sworn to protect. Last night, two NYPD police SUVs rammed into a crowd of peaceful protesters behind a barrier. Ordinary citizens are having to step up to protect their neighborhoods. To be perfectly honest, I don’t have a lot of hope at the moment.

The murder of George Floyd was a horrific act, but of course it is not isolated. Sandra Bland, Amaud Arbery, Tamir Rice, Breonna Taylor, and Eric Garner come to mind first, but that’s just off the top of my head. (Here’s more if you need reminding.)

Over and over, through the night and across the country, we saw more video of the kind of actions that are being protested. Although Seattle police were ordered to turn off their body cams, there is ample evidence that many bad actors have no fear of being filmed while they commit criminal acts. They aren’t helping their cause. They’re often making things worse. They’ve discarded their oaths. They are neither serving nor protecting. Remember when we used to call them peace officers? Instead, they’re often militarized and failing to deescalate.

Don’t tell me policing is a hard job. Surely they knew that when they signed up. You know what’s hard? Being an unarmed black man, woman, or child trying to live and get by without harassment, fear and subjugation.

There have been a few bright spots. One senior police official told those under his command that if they’re okay with the mistreatment and murder of George Floyd, they must turn in their badges immediately. The police chief in Louisville marched with the protesters. That’s a good way to go, but there’s a lot of distance between what ought to be and what is.

It’s frustrating to watch America dissemble and disassemble, but this was all too predictable. Rebellion comes from a perfect storm of several variables and systemic racism is only one component. Health care failures, failure of leadership, the coronavirus, the rent crisis, tossing Americans $1200 that was supposed to somehow last ten weeks. Many Americans didn’t even get that $1200 and no more relief is in sight. There are more Americans unemployed than there are Canadians on Earth. You can’t demand the oppressed to be patient forever without offering some hope of real change.

For your consideration:

Mike Schmidt’s latest podcast episode is called I’m in the Club. It’s about what’s happening to his country right now. Mike’s great at articulating frustration. I recommend it. It’s NSFW, but neither is America.

A while back, I recommended the podcast called It Could Happen Here, a thoughtful take on the potential for America falling into rebellion and ruin. Here’s the link:

And here’s the link to my most recent recording, “The Face of Victory.”

Taken from one of my anthologies, All Empires Fall, this audio short story was meant to be near-future science fiction about a peaceful protest that goes very wrong. Today it feels all too prescient.

For a longer read and a deeper dive:

For a novel about the gap between rich and poor and what it means for the soul of America, check out Citizen Second Class. It’s about what happens when the rich press the poor down for so long and so hard that, in desperation, they are forced to rise up.

I take no pleasure in watching what is happening in the United States. I have so many friends and readers who live there and I am worried for them. Future historians will spend their entire careers and write many books about the Trump era generally and 2020 in particular.

Frustrated and helpless, I can offer my best wishes for their safety, but what is that worth, really? It’s a civil war and a horror. It’s a rebellion. Thoughts and prayers are insufficient. Only change will do, but I see no path forward at the moment.

I can offer podcasts to articulate the crisis. I can offer fiction to provide distraction and stress relief. I’m so sorry that’s all I’ve got.

The Face of Victory



mybook.to/AllEmpiresFall


mybook.to/AllEmpiresFall

People are starving for food and equality across the United States. Jennifer Charles worked in a food bank and puts up posters to call people to demonstrate against her government’s ineptitude and callousness. Her defiance makes her a target.

Listen to this story now, read by the author.

The Face of Victory is a story about how revolutions begin. You’ll find it in my collection, All Empires Fall, Signals from the Apocalypse.

Gifts for My Readers

Whether your love is crime thrillers or doomsday sci-fi, I have something to entertain you.

Sometime Soon Somewhere Close allows you to enter the minds of several criminals in this collection of dark crimes. Some will succeed. Some will fail. They’re all interesting, though I have a special affinity for the tales of revenge. Free now!

Explore several compelling doomsday scenarios in All Empires Fall. How do you think the end of the world will come? Meteor strike? Pandemic? Check out these possibilities, choose your hero, and see if your avatar survives.

Both these books are free for you right now (but the giveaway won’t last long). Grab your ebooks now!

For more details on all my books, here’s your universal Amazon link: author.to/RobertChazzChute

All Empires Fall: New Cover Reveal

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JNSRJT4/

Note: This anthology will be fan-priced this Sunday, January 20. (Hint: that means free.)

The new cover reflects my favorite story of the collection: a planet-killing meteor striking the Earth. This new design take reminds me of a bunch of SF covers so -4 for originality, +8 for SF reader appeal. (Numbers are approximate.)

I liked the old cover very much but it wasn’t as clear as it could be as a thumbnail image. Also, it reflected multiple disasters befalling Earth instead of one big one. This new one should have more punch and attract SF readers.

The story behind the stories

I’ve written several big apocalyptic epics with long story arcs. Here’s the weirdo rundown:

This Plague of Days is a paranormal on the spectrum zombie/vampire/good versus evil apocalypse.

AFTER Life is the nanotech-zombie apocalypse/invasion of America from Canada.

Robot Planet is the humans versus the Singularity war.

The Dimension War is a New Adult alien invasion/ghost fantasy series written with Holly Papandreas.

For a while there, I swore off writing shorter fiction. Then my friend Armand Rosamilia asked for a short story as part of a promotion for the Project Entertainment Network. When Armand said short, he meant just 750 words. I figured I could accomplish that, no problem. It didn’t quite work out that way. I knocked out a story that was much longer than what Armand was looking for. Then I wrote another, and another, and…suddenly I had a little anthology.

It
occured to me then that I’d been a little too precious about writing shorter fiction. I remembered that I loved a format where anybody could have a quick read they could enjoy on a long commute or over their lunch hour. All Empires Fall hits on several apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic scenarios and I had a really good time writing it.


~ RCC