Two Words: Extremist Sharks
September 12, 2012 7:43 PM   Subscribe

"To aid the national security community in imagining contemporary threats, the Australian Security Research Centre (ASRC) is organising Australia’s Security Nightmares: The National Security Short Story Competition. The competition aims to produce a set of short stories that will contribute to a better conception of possible future threats and help defence, intelligence services, emergency managers, health agencies and other public, private and non-government organisations to be better prepared." (via)
posted by vidur (42 comments total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
CITIZENS ! WE NEED YOUR PARANOIA ! MORE PARANOIA PLEASE !
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:50 PM on September 12, 2012 [10 favorites]


Once upon a time there was a spider / snake / jellyfish / shark / crocodile / malignant melanoma...
posted by NailsTheCat at 7:52 PM on September 12, 2012


Fools.

Why do entries close right on the eve of NaNoWriMo?
posted by dumbland at 7:52 PM on September 12, 2012


All contestants should have to read Bruce Schneier's Beyond Fear first.
posted by neuron at 7:55 PM on September 12, 2012


this is just going to lead to National Security slashfic
posted by The Whelk at 7:55 PM on September 12, 2012 [1 favorite]


this is just going to lead to National Security slashfic

Christopher Pyne is kidnapped from his Adelaide home by a band of radical Sudanese latex fetishists.
posted by Jimbob at 8:03 PM on September 12, 2012 [4 favorites]


All contestants should have to read Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons first.
posted by Phssthpok at 8:07 PM on September 12, 2012


*buys Old Earth*
posted by curious nu at 8:10 PM on September 12, 2012


That's a question I have, actually, and related to the subject at hand; is Linebarger's Psychological Warfare still "the" text in the subject? The about-the-author blurbs in the Instrumentality/Norstrilia books mention it, but I've never read PW (library doesn't have it, keep forgetting to ILL it).
posted by curious nu at 8:14 PM on September 12, 2012


Christopher Pyne is kidnapped from his Adelaide home by a band of radical Sudanese latex fetishists.

Well, there goes any interest I once had in latex.
posted by Mezentian at 8:36 PM on September 12, 2012 [1 favorite]


If only America had done something like this pre 9/11.
If only someone had considered the fact people could hijack a plane and crash it into the towers.

If only.
posted by Mezentian at 8:38 PM on September 12, 2012


I remember a B-Grade (shot in Vancouver, probably) science fiction thriller tv series from the 90's about a convict who is sent back through time through a wormhole or something (he wears a bright orange spacesuit) to stop terrorists from crashing a plane into the White House...
posted by KokuRyu at 8:42 PM on September 12, 2012


One day, a well-meaning and gregarious Aussie told the government a scary story about brown people, and then got into his car after two drinks and didn't wear his seatbelt.

DUN DUN DUNNNNN
posted by mhoye at 8:55 PM on September 12, 2012


Um.... literally the worst idea ever.
posted by crackingdes at 8:56 PM on September 12, 2012


KokuRyu - Seven Days.
posted by djb at 8:57 PM on September 12, 2012 [1 favorite]


Dropbears and/or killer wombats.
posted by acb at 8:59 PM on September 12, 2012 [2 favorites]


A boatload of refugees?

No, wait. Tim Minchin.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 9:05 PM on September 12, 2012


I'm sure I've read some Canadian security prediction stories, but I'm not finding anything on Google - anyone know what I'm talking about?
posted by jacalata at 9:05 PM on September 12, 2012


KokuRyu - Seven Days.

Heh, that Wikipedia entry is pretty funny - an amazing focus on the trivial details of some sort of half-baked plot device.
posted by KokuRyu at 9:18 PM on September 12, 2012


I'm sure I've read some Canadian security prediction stories, but I'm not finding anything on Google - anyone know what I'm talking about?

The Last Canadian?
posted by KokuRyu at 9:19 PM on September 12, 2012


I imagine some security adviser learned that there was a Tom Clancy book out there which sort of contained a prescient 9/11 jet crash scenario, and decided to put out a call to get all of those integrated into the official plans so that if anything did happen, at least he wouldn't have to sit opposite a pulp author on the news panel afterwards.
posted by ceribus peribus at 9:21 PM on September 12, 2012


I love their "Why Are We Doing It" section, which says something like: Because the Americans did it.
posted by pompomtom at 9:29 PM on September 12, 2012


jacalata, could it be Canada in 2020: Identity Politics and Security Future Scenarios from the University of Ottawa?
posted by Harald74 at 11:32 PM on September 12, 2012


Instrumentality/Norstrilia books mention it
thank you, my teacher in primary school was reading this book in 1978, and I've been trying to figure out what it was ever since..

posted by compound eye at 11:57 PM on September 12, 2012


'Stop fighting the last attack. Next time it'll be different. This is security theater.'
'Yeah, idiots. People in Hollywood predicted this, and so did I with 20/20 hindsight. Here's a link.'
'Those are great ideas! Let's use future scenarios from the creative community to test our preparedness. You can help if you like!'
'HERP DERP AMERICAN TARDS'
posted by obiwanwasabi at 1:30 AM on September 13, 2012


This sort of thing always reminds me of my favourite Wondermark comic.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 2:22 AM on September 13, 2012


I've got a great title for mine!
Tony Abbot: Prime Minister
posted by Joe Chip at 3:06 AM on September 13, 2012 [2 favorites]


"To aid the national security community in imagining contemporary threats..."

Surely a spoonerism? "Contemplating imaginary threats", no?
posted by rory at 3:36 AM on September 13, 2012


Harald74: that looks interesting, but I don't think it's what I was recalling. It was a story from a soldiers point of view, detailing the crazy technology she(?) had, through some fighting in an urban center. Could have been American, I guess. It was online and actually I think it was more about 'we got some writers to make up some awesome futuristic tech in order to give us some ideas for military research'.
posted by jacalata at 4:09 AM on September 13, 2012


OK, I think I know what you're thinking of. The scenario was some kind of peacekeeping op?
posted by Harald74 at 4:40 AM on September 13, 2012


Could it be Crisis in Zefra by Karl Schroeder?
posted by Harald74 at 4:44 AM on September 13, 2012


yes! thanks, that was going to bug me for a while. Is this an interest of yours somehow?

I might pick up The Last Canadian if I see it somewhere, sounds pretty interesting in itself.
posted by jacalata at 5:03 AM on September 13, 2012


And there'll be zombies and nazies and creepers and ninjas. We'll karate chop them and then they'll all get thrown in the toilet. And then we'll put up a big screen dome kind of thing and turn all our flowers into weapons!
posted by h00py at 5:05 AM on September 13, 2012


And the theme song will be Ride of the Balconies - Ash, aged 7.
posted by h00py at 5:06 AM on September 13, 2012


jacalata: I enjoy speculative fiction, and have some military background, so it's up my alley. Actally I think I first heard of it on MetaFilter.

I see that he's also written a sequel of sorts. It's not all available on-line yet, though.
posted by Harald74 at 6:10 AM on September 13, 2012


Didn't the US do this a few years back. Some of those weirdo neo-con speculative writers that infest sci-fi volunteered to help us all by imaging ways for the baddies to get us.

Like that actually helps anyone.
posted by clvrmnky at 6:57 AM on September 13, 2012


Conroy's internet filter gets implemented, hacker terrorists take control of it and let all the boat people in interrupting an important cricket match.
posted by onya at 7:20 AM on September 13, 2012


The Art of Politics

-- Australia's Immigration Dance-Debate: please submit your opinions on this issue to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, but only in the form of interpretive dance.

-- What price the carbon tax? The Treasury is calling for submissions on what level of carbon taxation would send the correct market signals about Greenhouse Gas pollution. If you would like to express your opinion, please embody that opinion in a the form of a landscape painting. Watercolourists are strongly encouraged to apply.

-- The Fair Work Act provides a safety net of enforceable minimum employment terms and conditions through 10 minimum workplace entitlements as set out in National Employment Standards (NES). But should there be an eleventh workplace entitlement? Why not compose a violin concerto in E minor which tells us what you think. Please note that we are unable to accept clarinet submissions.
posted by the quidnunc kid at 8:16 AM on September 13, 2012 [1 favorite]


How about: anti-American fanatics perform a handful of destructive acts that precipitate America's paranoid devolution into a non-democratic totalitarian state?

How ironic would it be that a DHS program determined that that was exactly the case, but because that would threaten DHS's budget, the discovery was quickly and quietly suppressed?
posted by Xoebe at 9:10 AM on September 13, 2012


Schneier actually mentioned this a couple of days ago ... He said "I'm working on my own submission: it involves al Qaeda, a comet hitting the earth, zombies, and feral pigs."

So top that!
posted by Relay at 11:04 AM on September 13, 2012


That would be the via link in the post.
posted by onya at 8:36 PM on September 13, 2012


Oh yeah, would ya look at that.
posted by Relay at 10:32 PM on September 13, 2012


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