| "Deadline" | |
|---|---|
| Short story by Cleve Cartmill | |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction |
| Publication | |
| Published in | Astounding Science Fiction |
| Publication type | Periodical |
| Publisher | Street & Smith |
| Media type | Print (Magazine) |
| Publication date | March 1944 |
"Deadline" is a 1944 science fiction short story by American writer Cleve Cartmill, first published in Astounding Science Fiction. The story described the then-secret atomic bomb in some detail. At that time the bomb was still under development and top secret, which prompted a visit by the FBI.[1]
In 1943, Cartmill suggested to John W. Campbell, the then-editor of Astounding, that he could write a story about a futuristic super-bomb.[2] Campbell liked the idea and supplied Cartmill with considerable background information gleaned from unclassified scientific journals, on the use of Uranium-235 to make a nuclear fission device. The resulting story appeared in an issue of Astounding, released in February 1944 but dated March of that year.