Was this book originally published under a different title?

The novel was first serialized in 1961 in Analog Science Fact & Fiction under the title Sense of Obligation before being published as a book in 1962.

Did this book receive any major literary recognition?

It was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1962.

Planet of the Damned by Harry Harrison

Centuries after Earth's colonies were abandoned, a new government seeks to reconnect with its lost worlds. But one planet, ruled by mutated madmen, poses a grave threat not only to itself but to its neighbors, armed with cobalt bombs and a desire for destruction. This action-packed story follows the desperate race to prevent an interstellar war.

Prose complexity: 4/10

Tense Adventurous

Survival

H

Harry Harrison

Harry Max Harrison was born Henry Maxwell Dempsey in Stamford, Connecticut. He moved with his family to New York early in his childhood. On his 18th birthday, having graduated from high school, he was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corps, and serves as an armourer, gunnery instructor, truck driver, and military police officer. When the war ended, he became an art student at both the Hunter College in New York City and the Cartoonists and Illustrators School. Upon graduation, he became a freelanc...

All characters in Planet of the Damned

Frequently asked questions

Was this book originally published under a different title?
The novel was first serialized in 1961 in Analog Science Fact & Fiction under the title Sense of Obligation before being published as a book in 1962.
Did this book receive any major literary recognition?
It was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1962.