Prologue to an Analogue

"Prologue to an Analogue" by Leigh Richmond is a science fiction story from the early 1960s that looks at the dangerous side of technology and how it affects society. It takes place during a time of political worry and explores what might happen with germ warfare, how people see things, and how strong the media can be. The book focuses on Bill Howard, a news reporter, as he covers information about a possible disease caused by a US submarine with dangerous bacteria on it. The story acts as a funny look at advertising and how the news makes things seem worse than they are. Howard gets involved in a promotional campaign with a company that tries to use the potential crisis to help their sales, which leads to the effectiveness of their products causing public frenzy that questions what is real and which challenges ideas about right and wrong. The story reflects on the relationship between the government, media, and people when fear and business mix.