Prisoner of War

"Prisoner of War" by Randall Garrett is a science fiction novel likely written in the late 1950s. The story revolves around Marten, an Earthman who becomes the first human to be captured by the Flesso aliens during a protracted war between Earth and the extraterrestrial race. The narrative explores themes of bravery, strategy, and the clash of civilizations as Marten navigates his captivity and seeks to turn the tables on his captors. In the book, Marten's unexpected capture by the Flesso poses a significant threat, but he cleverly uses the opportunity to outsmart his captors and teach them a lesson about Earth's capabilities. Despite enduring torture and the ominous presence of Ghuvekenkh-Nathor, the Flesso leader, Marten demonstrates immense resilience and cunning. Ultimately, he reveals a strategic ploy; he allowed himself to be captured to showcase Earth's strength and negotiate a peace settlement, leading to the Flesso's retreat and the establishment of a truce. The story blends tension, action, and a hint of humor as Marten outwits his enemies and shifts the balance of power in favor of Earth. (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.