Only the most desperate colonists dare to make a new home on Hellhole. Reeling from a recent asteroid impact, tortured with horrific storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and churning volcanic eruptions, the planet is a dumping ground for undesirables, misfits, and charlatans—and, now, an exiled general determind to make something of the place.

What no one knows is this: the planet Hellhole, though damaged and volatile, hides an amazing secret. Deep beneath its surface lies the remnants of an obliterated alien civilization and the buried memories of its unrecorded past that, when unearthed, could tear the galaxy apart.

Hellhole, by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, comes out from Tor Books on March 15, 2011, and we hope this excerpt whets your appetite! It's available only on Tor.com—and you must be a member to access it. If you’re already a registered user, simply log in. If you haven’t registered yet, we’d love to have you; as you can see, there are perks to membership. Signing up is free and only takes a minute.