In 1971, Glen Cook, an author known for his gritty fantasy novels, wrote the short story, "Song from a Forgotten Hill." Recently included in a short story collect, Winter's Dreams, "Song" is not your normal science fiction, though it is a dystopian view of a broken American landscape where the country has been through three "fires." The first is from Russian nuclear strikes on major American cities. The second is "when (black) militants burned remnants of Whiteys' cities." The third occurs when the US military's return from the war (presumably with Russia) leads to a civil contest "between whites and blacks."

In the anarchy following nuclear holocaust, Cook depicts the worst of humanity as sides are formed on American soil. Black militants strike at governmental infrastructure and then white rednecks turn back the hands of time to revisit the atrocity of slavery. In the midst of the aftermath, we find a a black protagonist, a veteran of the Vietnam war, attempting to keep his remaining family, "Four kids, the oldest fifteen, and no wife," safe and free in the wilderness: "The war killed most of the good folks. They lived where the bombs fell. The rednecks and the militants seem to be the only survivors. And now the rednecks, who had waited so long for their chance, are 'putting 'em back in their place.' There are very few of us out here in the hills. We're hunted, and running, but free."

43 years after first publishing, Cook's view of human psychology fits with modern events. While America is unlikely to return to slavery, his story points out how quickly and easily wickedness preys on naiveté, poverty, greed, and especially chaos. Recent events in Nigeria, with the kidnapping of more than 300 schoolgirls, emphasize the latter and how strong it can grow in the shadow of apathy.

_____

While will not allow linking to stolen IP on this site, I will mention that 'Song from a Forgotten Hill' is 43 years old and a quick Google search for the title will present many sites where you can read it online - none of them legitimate. And you should. At the very least, it is a good reminder that no matter how advanced our cultures have matured, we live in a world among humans who have burned each other's cities and enslaved other humans too many times throughout the brief time we've claimed to be "civilized."