Planet of the Damned

When the desert world of Dis threatens its neighbor Nyjord with cobalt bombs powerful enough to erase all life, there is little time and almost no hope of stopping it. Brion Brandd, a champion of a punishing contest of mind and body, is pulled from his moment of triumph and dropped into the crisis. On Dis he faces killing heat, deadly wildlife, and a ruling caste bent on suicidal war, and he has to understand what drives their aggression before the bombs go off. Harry Harrison keeps the story moving while asking why a whole people would choose annihilation. Originally a Hugo Award nominee, it holds up as brisk, clever pulp adventure. This free PDF and EPUB edition is ready to download.