Pincher Martin: The Two Deaths of Christopher Martin (often referred to simply as Pincher Martin), is a novel by British writer William Golding, first published in 1956. It is Golding's third novel, directly following The Inheritors, which in turn came after his magnum opus and debut Lord of the Flies.The novel is one of Golding's best-known novels, and is noted for being uniquely existential and somewhat minimalistic in setting.