The Precedent: A Near-Future Fantasy

By John Walters

When his mother sues him for his wasted life, a homeless man becomes a national phenomenon.

• Language: English
• Publisher: John Walters
• Release date: Oct 12, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301637614

John Walters

John Walters recently returned to the United States after thirty-five years abroad. He lives in Seattle, Washington. He attended the 1973 Clarion West science fiction writing workshop and is a member of Science Fiction Writers of America. He writes mainstream fiction, science fiction and fantasy, and memoirs of his wanderings around the world.

Book preview

The Precedent

By

John Walters

Published by Astaria Books at Smashwords

Copyright 2013 by John Walters

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold reproduced, or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons places or events - except those in the public domain - is purely coincidental.

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The Precedent

Stuart lived under a freeway entrance near downtown Seattle in an empty refrigerator carton. The officer showed up at seven o'clock in the morning, moving from one makeshift shelter to the next until he found Stuart and served him the papers.

Is this a joke?

No joke, insisted the officer, and Stuart had twenty days to respond.

The lawsuit was full of legal garble, but as best as he could interpret it, his mother claimed that he had lived an absolutely worthless life, had never amounted to anything and had no intention of trying to do so;