Needler

"Needler" by Randall Garrett is a science fiction novel written in the mid-20th century. The story revolves around the aftermath of space battles between humans and an alien race known as the Enlissa. Central to the narrative is Roysland Dwyn, the chief of Special Weapons Group, as he investigates the mysterious effects of an alien weapon that leaves human crews in a catatonic state after conflict. The opening of "Needler" sets a tense atmosphere as it introduces the dire consequences faced by the human crews following encounters with the Enlissa. Survivors of the battle aboard the "Bedevin" exhibit a state of disorientation and apathy, prompting an investigation into the cause of their condition. Roysland Dwyn, along with psychologist Bilford, examines Captain Gisser, one of the affected crew members, hoping to uncover the nature of the alien weapon responsible for the crew's state. As they navigate through complex psychological and military implications, Dwyn is faced with the urgent need to counteract this new threat before humanity suffers irreversible losses in their ongoing conflict with the Enlissa. (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.