I dunno, I'm just not feeling too inspired to write a review, it's like I'm forcing myself here. is it the novella's fault? the story is about intrepid, quick-witted Miles on a secret mission in a POW camp. it's rather a perfect prison: just a big force field dome, the prisoners can do as they like, they are given clothes & bedding & regular food rations and that's pretty much it. the folks who have built the prison trot it out as some kind of benevolent example of how to do things and how to give the inmates a sort of freedom; they are using this place as a kind of publicity stunt, one designed to allay any criticism and to illustrate their ultimate benevolence. one that exists to hide its creators' true intentions. and the inmates turn on each other while their captors just watch - because it's not their fault after all, right? it's just business.
so Miles figures out how to solve things fairly easily - a bit too easily for me, which made for a certain lack of tension. there are a couple deaths in the end and they serve to make a very strong point. still, Miles handles things remarkably well and very little gets in his way. although Miles is a genius, so of course.