Deathworld [Paperback]

Harry Harrison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 11, 2005

A legendary science fiction story, this trilogy, brought back into print in one single volume, presents hero Jason dinAlt as he discovers three separate planets. dinAlt finds excitement and intrigue as he investigates Pyrrus, a strange place where all the beasts, plants, and natural elements are out to destroy man; the unknown second planet, where every man has to kill other men or live as a slave; and Felicity, where creatures are bred for thousands of years for a single deadly purpose. Well known to fantasy and science fiction enthusiasts, this tale portrays exciting adventures filled with the elements of classic characters and plot twists.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Harry Harrison is the author of numerous books including Make Room! Make Room!, Return to Eden, and The Stainless Steel Rat series. He lives in New York City.

Product Details

• Paperback: 456 pages
• Publisher: BenBella Books (March 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932100415
• ISBN-13: 978-1932100419
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,214,433 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's Back..., May 6, 2005

By 

Claire Connelly (Claremont, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Deathworld (Paperback)

I read and re-read my original paperback containing the three novels until it was tattered and torn. I recently received a shipment containing many of my old books, including this one. When I saw its condition, I wanted to replace it, but found it was out of print. Then I stumbled on a copy of this edition in a specialty bookstore and had to have it.

The books are classics -- the main character, Jason dinAlt, is a gambler and a scoundrel, with an ability to influence luck in his favor. He's recruited to help raise money for the inhabitants of Pyrrus, and has to follow the girl sent to arrange the deal to see the place for himself.

In the second book, dinAlt is kidnapped by a self-righteous man angry at his home planet's making dinAlt a hero, inspiring others to gamble. He plans to take dinAlt back to face trial, but things go awry and they both end up enslaved on a primitive desert world. DinAlt's luck and knowledge allow him to survive.

In the third and final book, many of the key people from Pyrrus join dinAlt in taming other planets. Their first assignment is a tough one, a planet of fierce nomadic warriors. DinAlt must learn their ways in order to defeat them.

This volume also includes "The Mothballed Spaceship", a short story featuring dinAlt and other Pyrrans not included in the original volume.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read!, August 30, 2006

By 

Paul in Cincy "Bugguy" (Cincinnati, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deathworld (Paperback)

I refer to Deathworld and the others in the triology everytime someone asks me to recommend a SF classic. Believe it or not, I still have the fan magazine where it was first published. Unfortunately, this was the high point of Harry Harrison's career. The Stainless Steel rat series was good (but should have died several volumes earlier), and so was Soylent Green; but Harrison never again captured the magic that was Deathowrld... and I believe I have read and own them all.

Imagine a planet where the grass has curved, needle sharp tips, you sit on a rock and the lichen tries to get you, all the animals have one thing in common - kill the human invaders. Imagine that to survive you need to attend a pre-school for colonists and your survival skills never extend beyond "first grade". This is Deathworld.

If you never read another SF, at least read his finest - Deathworld.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yay!, March 8, 2006

By 

K. Herbel "ssrgirl" (Alamosa, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Deathworld (Paperback)

I have a copy of the original printing of this trilogy that was in pretty bad shape when I bought it and now it is starting to just fall apart because I have read it so much. This is just the first book of the trilogy and it is really good. The second two books are also wonderful and I can hardly wait for them to come out again. In this book Jason must try to save an entire world from being annihilated by the native lifeforms. The people who settled this planet are bullheaded and very violent, they have to be to survive.