Robert B. Rigg (1913–1986)

This was true speculative fiction; what would the future of warfare be like if the two Great Powers of 1958 went to war in the near (1974) future? The causes are glossed over, and some of the speculation seems quaint today. Like many predictative books, some things are just wrong (flying tanks?) others proved impractical (flying platforms), and others strangely prescient (the modern soldier is in constant communication with HQ, and all battles are highly mobile affairs). Eventually the Good Guys triumph, but Rigg is honest enough to allow the Soviets a few suprises along the way. Hardly great literature, but a rare look at what military R & D was looking into prior to Vietnam.… (more)