Pit Planet



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First published by Wildside Press in 2003 in hardcover.
Updated and reissued by the author in 2010 as an e-book
and in 2015 in trade paperback format.



"In his lively new novel, Pit Planet, David Dvorkin takes us on a headlong trip not only between planets, but over, under, and through worlds of greed, sex, politics, intrigue, and adventure, of miners and mindpickers, cavesnakes and triple-crossers. Pit Planet is an absorbing mix of hard science and action sf, with the unmistakable Dvorkin touch."
— Connie Willis, author of Doomsday Book

"Like the great classics by Asimov, Bester, Clarke, and Heinlein, David Dvorkin's Pit Planet is intelligent, thought provoking, exciting Science Fiction entertainment at its finest. . . . a wonderful reading experience. Truly enjoyed it. The sections underground strongly reminded me of the sense of wonder I experienced the first time I read William Hope Hodgson's The Night Land. Cheers for Benton! Pit Planet packs a powerful punch."
— C. Dean Andersson, author of the Bloodsong Saga

"Pit Planet is a pit bull of a novel! It grabs hold and won't let go!"
— Nina Romberg, author of Shadow Walkers

"David Dvorkin reminds us that human nature will follow us into the future. A compelling exploration of the causes and consequences of monopoly."
— Wil McCarthy, author of The Collapsium

David Dvorkin's Pit Planet is a box of puzzles. Each time a question is answered, a new question is revealed. A fun story with an intriguing and believable cast of characters."
mdash; John Stith, author of Redshift Rendezvous



The Story

Occasionally, James Benton is surprised at the role the mineral jacksonite has played in his life. His rootless childhood, his parents' disappearance in interstellar space, his lack of any emotional attachment since then - none of this would have happened without the influence of jacksonite. He's not alone: jacksonite has had an immense influence on everyone in the galaxy. It could be said that jacksonite has made the current galactic civilization possible.

As for his introspective and yet naive nature, his inability to withstand stronger personalities, his aimlessness, and above all his feeling that he is always being used as a tool by others - well, perhaps Benton would have been that way with or without jacksonite. He blames himself for those failings.

Now jacksonite has brought Benton to Colliery, the only world where the mineral is found, the headquarters of the immensely wealthy Jacksonite Corporation. Colliery is a beautiful planet, a veritable Garden of Eden, but here Benton will be forced to delve below his own surface, to search within, as he penetrates below the serene and lovely surface of Colliery. In knowing and liberating a world, Benton will finally know and liberate himself.



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