The Next Logical Step

by Ben Bova

Ordinarily the military least wants to have the others know the final details of their war plans. But, logically, there would be times--

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, War, 20th Century

24 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1962

About the author

Ben Bova was born on November 8, 1932 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1953, while attending Temple University, he married Rosa Cucinotta, they had a son and a daughter. He would later divorce Rosa in 1974. In that same year he married Barbara Berson Rose.

Bova was an avid fencer and organized Avco Everett's fencing club. He was an environmentalist, but rejected Luddism.

Bova was a technical writer for Project Vanguard and later for Avco Everett in the 1960s when they did research in lasers and fluid dynamics. It was there that he met Arthur R. Kantrowitz later of the Foresight Institute.

In 1971 he became editor of Analog Science Fiction after John W. Campbell's death. After leaving Analog, he went on to edit Omni during 1978-1982.

In 1974 he wrote the screenplay for an episode of the children's science fiction television series Land of the Lost entitled "The Search".

Bova was the science advisor for the failed television series The Starlost, leaving in disgust after the airing of the first episode. His novel The Starcrossed was loosely based on his experiences and featured a thinly veiled characterization of his friend and colleague Harlan Ellison. He dedicated the novel to "Cordwainer Bird", the pen name Harlan Ellison uses when he does not want to be associated with a television or film project.

Bova was the President Emeritus of the National Space Society and a past President of Science-fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA).

Bova went back to school in the 1980s, earning an M.A. in communications in 1987 and a Ph.D. in 1996.

Bova has drawn on these meetings and experiences to create fact and fiction writings rich with references to spaceflight, lasers, artificial hearts, nanotechnology, environmentalism, fencing and martial arts, photography and artists.

Bova was the author of over a hundred and fifteen books, non-fiction as well as science fiction. In 2000, he was the Author Guest of Honor at the 58th World Science Fiction Convention (Chicon 2000).

Hollywood has started to take an interest in Bova's works once again, in addition to his wealth of knowledge about science and what the future may look like. In 2007, he was hired as a consultant by both Stuber/Parent Productions to provide insight into what the world is to look like in the near future for their upcoming film "Repossession Mambo" (released as "Repo Men") starring Jude Law and Forest Whitaker and by Silver Pictures in which he provided consulting services on the feature adaptation of Richard Morgan's "Altered Carbon".

http://us.macmillan.com/author/benbova

Reviews

[Teemu Öhman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A third early 1960s dystopian short story by Ben Bova that I've read in a row. This one was published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact (that he would later be the famous editor-in-chief of) in May 1962. The story is about a building-size super computer playing a war game, and I quite liked it. The illustrator was again George Schelling.

I'm getting the feeling that Bova was equally good in writing pulp short stories and massive planetary novels.

4/5

[Viji (Bookish endeavors) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another war-criticism.. A supercomputer made to simulate war and using EEG in reverse to give the realtime visualization to the the person using it. And what do you think those persons become.? Strategists.?! Politicians.?!! Diplomats.?!! Wrong,wrong,wrong. Those with a bit of humanity left in them go nuts. I liked the ending of the story especially. You've got something that makes you nuts.? Why think much.?? Give it to the enemies.!!

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Army has a new secret weapon. They want the CIA involved in the deployment of this weapon. Why is that? Another short short for quick entertainment in the middle of a bout of insomnia.

[Joseph Inzirillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some quick anti-war nighttime reading. Super short but with a huge point. The end is both funny and disturbing.
Pretty awesome for a short one.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a classic , published 1962. Short and to the point. The ending reminds me of Sting's 80's song "I hope the Russians love their children too" which was just as profound.

Free at gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/28063/...

[Jason Corfman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought-provoking short story about the use of computer simulations to plan for wars. It was written decades ago, so the technology is a little dated, but that doesn't stop the power of the message.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent story albeit very short with an interesting punchline. Personally I am not sure that, in real life, the punchline would help as segments of humanity will probably not care about the outcome.

[Alex Shrugged · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good short story about computer simulations of war and why it might be better if your enemy knew exactly what total nuclear war really means.

I am also reviewing the Librivox audiobook. The narration was excellent.

I might read this short story again.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining listening 🔰😮

Another will written fantasy war adventure thriller short story by Ben Bova about scientists and the CIA using computers to simulate war. I would recommend this novella for a quick read. Enjoy the adventure of novels 🔰 and books 📚. 🏡🔰⏰😡2022

[Zen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually....The Next Logical Step would be to get this Computer Simulation thing packaged and into the Theaters in time for the Holiday Season.

The Kids would love it and you'd make a fortune.

Look at the bundle "Avengers: Endgame" made.

[Chris Aldridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of LibriVox Short Science Fiction Collection 013. Standard warning about the Cold War Games scenario. Read by Bill Ruhsam 14:27

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short war is terrible tale

[Phil Giunta · Rating 3 out of 5]

A virtual reality scenario created by the U.S. Army gives a new meaning to war without end.

[Zdravko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super short with a fun ending.

[Tony Ciak · Rating 5 out of 5]

SciFi, short story by a master,with Great Narration!

[Artur Coelho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mais um para a colecção de antevisões da realidade virtual. Neste conto de Ben Bova cientistas criam uma máquina capaz de simular com detalhe e na perfeição uma guerra, desde os primeiros desacatos diplomáticos à troca de mísseis atómicos, colapso da sociedade e sobreviventes que se arrastam selvaticamente através das paisagens em ruínas, combatendo uma guerra já sem sentido. A máquina funciona por indução de imagens no cérebro, e estas são tão horripilantes que o plot twist do conto é deixar cair esta arma secreta nas mãos soviéticas por causa dos efeitos pacifistas da exposição a esta virtualidade. Uma temática típica da guerra fria, publicada originalmente na Analog em 1962.

""And you also know, I suppose, that it was built to simulate actual war situations. We fight wars in this computer ... wars with missiles and bombs and gas. Real wars, complete down to the tiniest detail. The computer tells us what will actually happen to every missile, every city, every man ... who dies, how many planes are lost, how many trucks will fail to start on a cold morning, whether a battle is won or lost ..."

General LeRoy took over. "You sit at the machine's control console. A helmet is placed over your head. You set the machine in operation. You see the results.""

""Yes," Ford went on. "Instead of reading rows of figures from the computer's printer ... you actually see the war being fought. Complete visual and auditory hallucinations. You can watch the progress of the battles, and as you change strategy and tactics you can see the results before your eyes.""

"He was poised incredibly somewhere in space, and he could see it all in a funny, blurry-double-sighted, dream-like way. He seemed to be seeing several pictures and hearing many voices, all at once. It was all mixed up, and yet it made a weird kind of sense.

For a panicked instant he wanted to rip the helmet off his head. It's only an illusion, he told himself, forcing calm on his unwilling nerves. Only an illusion.

But it seemed strangely real."

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cold War anti-war read complete with computers. How could Analog resist? The story is solid SF though nothing special. Good magazine filler.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

The CIA man has been invited to inspect the new immersive war-game computer, though, as he tells Ford the physicist and General LeRoy, he’s not sure what the problem has to do with him. And he really has more important things to do. All the officers who have seen it have either resigned their commission or gone insane.

This ends in a single punchline, but the CIA man realized his relevance. It is a short but telling anti-nuke tale, a Cold War echo that still speaks today.

[Ralph McEwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

War games taken to the ultimate version. Might just be worth looking into. The story is told in a fast paced fashion,in a conversational style.
The narrators voice is clear and easy to listen to.
The recording quality is clean with out any background noises and has plenty of volume. The editing has some minor noticeable clipping between sessions.

[Wampuscat · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 2100 word short story about a computer that can illustrate the outcome of all the WWIII scenarios an show it to the mind of a person. Reminds me of War Games and the WHOPPER/Joshua. Cool little read. And it's a freebie from Project Gutenberg. Link.

[alansplace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and to the point. Enjoyable

[Dustin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The end (the next logical step) makes this short story worth reading and leaves me feeling hopeful.

[jimsgravitas · Rating 3 out of 5]

short but sweet.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short science fiction story tells of a virtual war between Earth and aliens. Each is watching the other before any move is made. While this might be fantasy, it does speak to Mankind's attitude - in general - towards Mankind. I liked this tale, in