Those who shall not be named

I'm going to move this to Novels, where you'll have more responses.

I doubt blaming it on certain countries would make you not get published, but it may make it more difficult to get your book in that country.

It can be any country you like

Depends on the target. If it's America, remember the US isn't as popular it used to be.

Canadian sees your book on the shelf: "Canada nukes the US? HELL YEAH." Buys ten copies.

If you're talking about an incident involving nuclear weapons, you're confined to a few countries.

(Side note: I would read the hell out of a book in which Canada nukes the USA.)

Helix said:

(Side note: I would read the hell out of a book in which Canada nukes the USA.)

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Nukes the southern USA, maybe. Gotta remember, our population is almost entirely concentrated along our southern border (where it's a mite warmer), so it'd be suicidal to aim for anything north of Colorado.

And then we'd pass out from lack of air because we're using it all up saying "Sorry...sorry...sorry..." to Mexico.

*starts writing*

Helix said:

(Side note: I would read the hell out of a book in which Canada nukes the USA.)

Click to expand...

A polite nuclear war? Now there's a twist no one would see coming.

"We didn't want to do this. Believe me, it hurts us more than it hurts you."

Helix said:

If you're talking about an incident involving nuclear weapons, you're confined to a few countries.

(Side note: I would read the hell out of a book in which Canada nukes the USA.)

Click to expand...

I wonder about that... in this world, with all the missing uranium etc., I think someone with enough money could find someone to at least sell them a suitcase nuke.

indianroads said:

I wonder about that... in this world, with all the missing uranium etc., I think someone with enough money could find someone to at least sell them a suitcase nuke.

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I hadn't considered that! When I read the OP, I immediately thought of something much bigger because of the 'near miss' idea.

I think only one of the Bond films had Russia as the baddies. The rest, if I recall correctly, had a terrorist organisation called SPECTRE or independent players. Perhaps that would be the way to go, making up your own villainous organisation?

As for where they'd get a nuke, I recall reading that the KGB made some briefcase 'city buster' nukes which aren't accounted for to this day. Perhaps this could be how your bad guys get one. For added plot, as it's a Russian device, you could make it look like it was Russia at first, as a, ahem, red herring. (Pun intended.)

North Korea and Iran have nuclear weapons capability or close and plausibly enough animosity.

Rogue white nationalists getting their hands on a nuclear weapon would be a novel choice of villains.

An extremist coming to power in an otherwise stable democracy is a believable plotline these days.

Justification for a war or draconian domestic surveillance program could be a motive for a government to frame another country for an attempted nuclear attack.