It is 2028.

The President has just finished his third term and is about to be elected to a fourth. 

America has become increasingly isolationist and xenophobic. 

Emboldened by the President’s support, the New American Party has gained power and become a controlling minority.  Cloaking its policies in the increasing need for national security, the President and his new party work to remake America in the image they desire, focusing their efforts on personal freedoms and immigration.

St. Louis police officer Ryan Derrick struggles to remain true to his ideals as he sees the best of his country seeming to slip away. His wife Nathalie is a frequent target for the subtle machinations of the party, since she is both a journalist and a foreigner.  When tragedy strikes the family, their battle for freedom becomes even more urgent.

Alexander Derrick is a California state senator caught up in the midst of an anti-federalist movement and trying desperately to ride the line of balance between remaining true to his country and to his own integrity. Leaned on heavily by the Governor, he becomes instrumental in guiding the state on its path toward reconciliation or secession.

An Unlikely Phoenix follows both brothers in their journey during a perilous alternative near-future. The story is punctuated by excerpts from a history book penned in 2081, giving glimpses of the prevailing view from the more distant future.

This novel is part near-future, sci-fi alternate history, part action, political crime thriller, part social and political commentary, and part satire,  all the while exploring an alternative future in which white nationalism rises from the ashes of history in the most unlikely of places – the United States of America.

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Reviews

Coming Soon (see author’s note)


Author’s Note: The more discerning of readers will recognize the fact that this novel was originally published as authored by Frank Zafiro, which is my pen name for crime fiction. It was a Zafiro novel for about four years (2018-22), but I never felt like it was quite right for that catalog. Yes, one of the main characters was a police officer, and yes, it did explore law enforcment issues in the greater context of all that is happening in the novel as a whole… but it just didn’t seem to fit. Given that my Frank Scalise catalog was far more eclectic, ranging from hockey to historical fiction, literary to comedy, I decided that An Unlikely Phoenix worked better as a Frank Scalise novel. So, in May 2022, I transitioned it over to that authorship. Eventually, however, I realized this wasn’t a great fit, either. As my science fiction work came into the marketplace, I knew that this piece of alternative history fit best as a Frank Saverio novel.

You may still be able to find or buy print versions with the Zafiro or Scalise name on them. I’m not saying they are collectibles exactly, but… well, they might be.