In Case of Fire

"In Case of Fire" by Randall Garrett is a science fiction novella written in the late 1950s. The story focuses on the complexities of interstellar diplomacy during a critical peace conference between Earth and the Karna, an alien race. It explores themes related to human psychology and the quirks of individuals within the diplomatic sphere, highlighting unique characters assigned to an ambassador who must navigate the intricacies of war and peace. The narrative follows Bertrand Malloy, the Terran Ambassador to Saarkkad, who is tasked with overseeing the peace negotiations with the Karna. Despite his own psychological challenges — including agoraphobia and xenophobia — Malloy has to rely on the unusual strengths of his quirky staff members. James Nordon, who struggles with decision-making, and Kylen Braynek, who suffers from paranoid tendencies, unexpectedly become pivotal in besting the cunning Karna delegates at the negotiation table. Their psychological conditions, rather than hindering their efforts, provide unique advantages in analyzing the Karna’s strategies, resulting in a surprising and successful approach to achieving peace. Through this interplay, the story cleverly illustrates how seemingly flawed individuals can possess capabilities that transform their perceived limitations into strengths when faced with challenging circumstances. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Gordon Randall Phillip David Garrett was an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was a contributor to Astounding and other science fiction magazines of the 1950s and 1960s. He instructed Robert Silverberg in the techniques of selling large quantities of action-adventure science fiction, and collaborated with him on two novels about men from Earth disrupting a peaceful agrarian civilization on an alien planet.