02462cam a22003493u 4500 51435 UtSlPG 20260610134202.0 m cr n 260607r2016||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d UtSlPG en iso639-1 PS Sharkey, Jack, 1931-1992 The Business, As Usual Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg, 2016 1 online resource : multiple file formats text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier Produced from Galaxy Magazine August 1960 Release date is 2016-03-13 Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "The Business, As Usual" by Jack Sharkey is a satirical science fiction story published in the early 1960s. This narrative unfolds in the context of the Cold War, exploring themes of espionage, military strategy, and the absurdity of political machinations. The book cleverly captures the tone of the era, focusing on the idea of using unconventional means to achieve geopolitical objectives, specifically through a unique agent. In this story, the United States government debates how to utilize a new radar-resistant airplane. The solution proposed is to send in a seemingly harmless agent, a stuffed teddy bear named Agent X-45, into enemy territory as part of an operation aimed at destabilizing the Communist regime. As the plan rolls out, the humor and irony stem from the assumption that the Russians, notorious for their paranoia and strict protocols, would be thrown into chaos by this act of folly. However, things take a comical turn when the bear is discovered, leading to unforeseen consequences that highlight the ludicrousness of the plan and the inherent dangers of underestimating one's opponent. Ultimately, the story critiques government policy and the lengths to which authorities will go to project power, showcasing how even the most ridiculous schemes can have serious repercussions. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Original publication data not identified Science fiction Short stories Cold War -- Fiction Produced from Galaxy Magazine August 1960 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51435 92273 92273