Freehold

2004 Williamson, Michael Z. (b. 1967). Freehold. New York: Baen.

Dystopia and eutopia describing an authoritarian government and a libertarian enclave. The stories in Forged in Blood. Ed. Michael Z. Williamson, New York: Baen, 2017 trace the history of a single sword from its original forging in medieval Japan into the future world of Williamson. The stories, in chronological order, with the last nine set in the future, are: “The Tachi” by Zachary Hill (3-20); “Musings of a Hermit” by Larry Correia (23-34); “Stronger than Steel” by Michael D. Massa (37-71); “He Who Lives Wins” by Sergeant First Class (Ret.) John F. Holmes (75-94); “Souvenirs” by Rob Reed (97-109); “Broken Spirit” by Michael Z. Williamson and Dale C. Flowers (113-120); “Okoyyūki” by Tom Kratman (125-44); “The Day the Tide Rolled In” by Michael Z. Williamson and Leo Champion (147-64); “Ripper” by Peter Grant (167-91); “Case Hardened” by Christopher L. Smith (195-216); “Magnum Opus” by Jason Cordova 219-32); “Lovers” by Tony Daniel (235-77); “The Reluctant Heroine” by Michael Z. Williamson (281-301); “The Thin Green Line” by Michael Z. Williamson (305-50); “Family Over Blood” by Kacey Ezell (353-72) and ; “Choices and Consequences” by Michael Z. Williamson (375-85). Before the first story and between all the stories are reflections by the sword, mostly a paragraph or two but with two substantially longer.  The author was born in England and has lived in the U.S. since 1978.