Killjoys at NASA cancel Doomsday

[james_davis_nicoll]

"Using updated information, NASA scientists have recalculated the path of a large asteroid. The refined path indicates a significantly reduced likelihood of a hazardous encounter with Earth in 2036."

Fools! Have they never read those books where by creating some false crisis, the steely-eyed rocket men get the money to properly develop manned (and girled) spaceflight for the betterment of Man?

Comments

[burger-eater.livejournal.com]

You're totally not joking, are you? That's a real plot, isn't it?

Of course it is.

I'm tempted to write a story about scattered bands of peaceful, sheep-herding orcs who discover that the odd, hairless creatures crouching in that lonely fort down the way have been justifying the ore, engineers, work crews and gold coins to build their new-fangled steam cannons and self-propelled carts by sending reports of marauding orc hordes back to the Imperium.

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

Similar to the one about the fake alien invasion concocted to unite warring humanity. That was a pretty good Outer Limits episode, actually.

[thesaucernews.livejournal.com]

I'm a sucker for "it turns out the monsters are really us (da dummmmm)" stories, and yeah, that one was wild. Imagine what one could do the black budgets and genetic engineering ten years into the future. But would there be any reason to create a monstrous bogeyman for the world to rally against?

[(Anonymous)]

The idea of an alien menace uniting mankind and forestalling war predates the "one world or no world" fears of the Atomic Age. Note Andre Maurois's "The War Against the Moon", dating from 1928.

Bruce

[(Anonymous)]

The Outer Limits did Watchmen?

tlönista

[matthewwdaly.livejournal.com]

Moore was shocked to find out only after publishing ten issues of the comic, too. He gave a shout-out at the end (Sally is watching "The Architects of Fear" when Dan and Laurie visit her), but he claims that he came up with the idea independently.

[agharta75.livejournal.com]

Someone needs to use that plot again.