Looking for a Golden Age SF Story

[Bob Schroeck]

Does anyone recognize this story? I know I have it in an anthology somewhere, and I first read it in either the late 70s or early 80s. But I can't remember title or author, even though I recall most of the action, such as it is, and the final line.

The story takes place in an alternate universe where World War II never happened. Two men from different nations, friends, play a tabletop wargame that mimics World War II starting from the randomly-determined alliances on both sides to two burn marks made on the islands of Japan by falling cigar ash at the end of the game. (Followed by a comment about the flammable varnish on the game board, and how the next game might set the entire board on fire.) IIRC, one of the players is Churchill, who's playing the Allies, and it's his cigar which burns Japan. The narrator is an observer who remains unnamed until the final line, who comments on the ridiculous aspects of the game starting from the nations on each side through bizarre developments in the flow of the game. The player of the Axis is, IIRC, a German who tries something new he calls "the lightning war" -- blitzkrieg -- to many early victories. The story ends with a "note from the editor" wishing the narrator/author much success in his future endeavors, ending with "Good luck, Dwight!" (Eisenhower).

Does that ring a bell for anyone?

Thanks.

[hmelton]

Does anyone recognize this story?  I know I have it in an anthology somewhere, and I first read it in either the late 70s or early 80s.  But I can't remember title or author, even though I recall most of the action, such as it is, and the final line.

The story takes place in an alternate universe where World War II never happened.  Two men from different nations, friends, play a tabletop wargame that mimics World War II starting from the randomly-determined alliances on both sides to two burn marks made on the islands of Japan by falling cigar ash at the end of the game.  (Followed by a comment about the flammable varnish on the game board, and how the next game might set the entire board on fire.)  IIRC, one of the players is Churchill, who's playing the Allies, and it's his cigar which burns Japan.  The narrator is an observer who remains unnamed until the final line, who comments on the ridiculous aspects of the game starting from the nations on each side through bizarre developments in the flow of the game.  The player of the Axis is, IIRC, a German who tries something new he calls "the lightning war" -- blitzkrieg -- to many early victories.  The story ends with a "note from the editor" wishing the narrator/author much success in his future endeavors, ending with "Good luck, Dwight!" (Eisenhower).

Does that ring a bell for anyone?

Thanks.

I remember reading it back in the mid 1980's in a "There will be War Anthology" and I thought the name was "The Never War", but a search isn't turning up anything that might be it. It did turn up a couple of other series with the above name.

Not what your looking for, but these two caught my attention enough I think I'll try and look up at least the first book in the two series.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Never_War

https://sfbook.com/the-never-war.htm


God Bless

[Bob Schroeck]

Thanks for the links, I'll check them out.

[Mamorien]

I remember reading it back in the mid 1980's in a "There will be War Anthology" and I thought the name was "The Never War", but a search isn't turning up anything that might be it.

Searching through the series listing on the isfdb, and then the individual books, I found a possible match in "Masterplay", William F. Wu's contribution to TWBW Volume V: Warrior. I'd have to dig down into the archaeological layers of the Loomis library to determine whether it's what Bob's looking for, but if you have a copy more easily to hand, you can check, and if you don't have a physical copy, you can try if it be on Baen's eLibrary.

[Bob Schroeck]

I did a little research when I saw the above. I'm very specifically remembering a short story that I read before 1984 -- Masterplay is a novel published in 1986, and is about a society with trial-by-video-game-combat.

Thanks, though!