By Dmitry Filipoff

For the past two weeks, CIMSEC featured the top 10 stories submitted to our joint fiction contest with the U.S. Naval Institute. Through short stories and narrative fiction, authors explored the future of maritime security and conflict at sea.

From autonomous drone swarms to privateers, to AI admirals and undersea warfare on foreign moons, these stories envisioned ingenious scenarios and alternative futures. These stories help us gaze into the unknown and illuminate the unthinkable. Through these tales and narratives, we can hopefully better perceive what the future may hold. We thank these authors for their excellent and visionary stories.

1st Place: “Bulldogs Away,” by Ralph G. Francisco

2nd Place: “Exit Music,” by Ben Plotkin

3rd Place: “Splash Twelve,” by Tyler E. Totten

“Manned Unmanned Warfare,” by Ivan Villescas
“Puddle Jumpers,” by Kevin P. Smith
“Warfighting Second,” by Jacob Rothstein
“Valiance,” by Daniel Lee
“Thunder in the Lightless Sea,” by Jonathan French
“Kraken!” by Jon Paris
“Expeditionary Logistics,” by Jack Montgomery

Dmitry Filipoff is CIMSEC’s Director of Online Content. Contact him at Content@cimsec.org.

Featured Image: Art created with Midjourney AI.