Minor Detail

A satirical science fiction short story first published in the late 1950s. The narrative centers around the farcical military endeavors of General ''Smiley'' Webb and his ambitious plan to deploy troops using an innovative yet absurd contraption called the Whirligig. The story explores themes of military bureaucracy and the folly of over-complicated solutions to fundamental problems of warfare. The plot unfolds with Secretary of Defense James Whitlow's visit to observe General Webb's top-secret project, designed to land soldiers safely in enemy territory without traditional parachutes. Webb's unorthodox method involves subjecting soldiers to extreme centrifugal forces in the Whirligig to prepare them for high-altitude jumps. However, the demonstration goes hilariously awry, leading to a disastrous outcome where the soldiers fall head-first rather than landing safely. The story ends with the general fainting in shock, highlighting the absurdity inherent in his ambitious plans. Through humor and irony, Sharkey critiques military thinking and the push for conflict in a time marked by fragile peace.