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Mystery of the Third Mine
One of the most fascinating areas in the solar system—the Asteroid Belt—gives this tale of mystery, intrigue and excitement a unique background. In this “orbit of danger," where rugged space frontiersmen risked their necks in a sea of swirling rock, teen-age Peter Clay and his father were faced with the possibility of having their small claim to Asteroid mining rights wiped out.
In the shaky system of justice that had grown up between Mars and Jupiter to protect the individual miner, the Ama (Asteroid Miners’ Association) played an important part. It policed the Belt, spotted claim jumpers and was expected to aid any individual unlucky enough to get lost or disabled. When events led the Clays to suspect the Ama of invalidating claims for criminal purposes, they could only look to themselves and the sketchy Martian-sponsored government for help.
From the moment the Clays heard a miner signaling for help from a tiny asteroid until they, with a group of honest men and women, band together to protect their claim from the Ama’s marauding ships, action and suspense color every page of this unusual story. How Peter Clay unraveled a maze of false clues; his narrow brush with desperate men who had a mining empire within their grasp; the details of life on the Asteroid frontier create, in MYSTERY OF THE THIRD MINE, a vivid world of drama and danger unique in the annals of science fiction.
In the shaky system of justice that had grown up between Mars and Jupiter to protect the individual miner, the Ama (Asteroid Miners’ Association) played an important part. It policed the Belt, spotted claim jumpers and was expected to aid any individual unlucky enough to get lost or disabled. When events led the Clays to suspect the Ama of invalidating claims for criminal purposes, they could only look to themselves and the sketchy Martian-sponsored government for help.
From the moment the Clays heard a miner signaling for help from a tiny asteroid until they, with a group of honest men and women, band together to protect their claim from the Ama’s marauding ships, action and suspense color every page of this unusual story. How Peter Clay unraveled a maze of false clues; his narrow brush with desperate men who had a mining empire within their grasp; the details of life on the Asteroid frontier create, in MYSTERY OF THE THIRD MINE, a vivid world of drama and danger unique in the annals of science fiction.
147 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 1953
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About the author
Robert A.W. Lowndes
293 books4 followersalso published under RAWL
Robert Augustine Ward "Doc" Lowndes was an American science fiction author, editor and fan. He was known best as the editor of Future Science Fiction, Science Fiction, and Science Fiction Quarterly, among many other crime-fiction, western, sports-fiction, and other pulp and digest sized magazines for Columbia Publications. Among the most famous writers he was first to publish at Columbia was mystery writer Edward D. Hoch, who in turn would contribute to Lowndes's fiction magazines as long as he was editing them. Lowndes was a principal member of the Futurians.[1] His first story, "The Outpost at Altark" for Super Science in 1940, was written in collaboration with fellow Futurian Donald A. Wollheim, uncredited.
[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rober...]
Robert Augustine Ward "Doc" Lowndes was an American science fiction author, editor and fan. He was known best as the editor of Future Science Fiction, Science Fiction, and Science Fiction Quarterly, among many other crime-fiction, western, sports-fiction, and other pulp and digest sized magazines for Columbia Publications. Among the most famous writers he was first to publish at Columbia was mystery writer Edward D. Hoch, who in turn would contribute to Lowndes's fiction magazines as long as he was editing them. Lowndes was a principal member of the Futurians.[1] His first story, "The Outpost at Altark" for Super Science in 1940, was written in collaboration with fellow Futurian Donald A. Wollheim, uncredited.
[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rober...]
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 5, 2018
Great classic—slightly dated—sci-fi. If you like a quick pulp fiction read, this one is a good one. Don't pick it apart from being tame. It was cutting-edge when it was written.
July 24, 2013
This book was originally published as one of the Winston Science Fiction "juveniles." It is not the best book from that series but the standard set by Winston SF was pretty high. Mystery of the Third Mine has plenty of action and adequate character development. It shines in creating a believable civilization set in the Asteroid Belt. It's plot is a bit more complicated than it needs to be.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews