In this first part of the Angélique cycle, set in Mid-17th century France under the young Sun King Louis XIV, still struggling for his throne, while beggars and brigands roam the country, Angélique de Sancé de Monteloup, fifth child of an impoverished country nobleman in the Poitou marshlands, expected to struggle for a meager subsistence, educated in a nunnery, is betrothed at 17 to Joffrey de Peyrac, the 12 years older rich but cripple Comte de (count of) Peyrac de Morens and seigneur (Lord) of Toulouse, scarred in the face and said to be a sorcerer, in fact practicing oriental mining techniques which make his vast fortune. For the sake of her family, Angélique reluctantly agrees to the match but refuses the advances of her husband, who does not enforce his conjugal rights, wishing only to win her heart. As Angelique gradually discovers virtuous Peyrac's remarkable talents as scientist, musician and philosopher, she falls passionately in love with him. Joffrey's unusual way of life ...

The orphan Dora is a favorite with everyone in the gold mining settlement where she lives, but her special favorite is Dandy Jack. When Jack tells her that he is leaving for a location farther north, feeling that the current location is almost at the end of its profitability, she wants to go with him. But Jack insists that the tearful Dora stay behind. Later, when a new miner begins to court her, she gradually overcomes her initial reluctance, but she never forgets Jack.

Underwater deep-sea miners encounter a Soviet wreck and bring back a dangerous cargo to their base on the ocean floor with horrifying results. In a story owing a lot to _Alien_ and _The Thing_, the crew of the mining base must fight to survive against a genetic mutation that hunts them down one by one. Part of a wave of underwater movies including _The Abyss_ and _Deep Star Six_.

200 years in the future a Martian police unit is dispatched to transport a dangerous prisoner from a mining outpost back to justice. But when the team arrives they find the town deserted and some of the inhabitants possessed by the former inhabitants of the planet.

A Michigan farmer and a prospector form a partnership in the California gold country. Their adventures include buying and sharing a wife, hijacking a stage, kidnaping six prostitutes, and turning their mining camp into a boomtown. Along the way there is plenty of drinking, gambling, and singing. They even find time to do some creative gold mining.

A group of juvenile criminals is sent for vacation to Kamp Kikakee. The clumsy Ernest has to care for them, although he doesn't even know how to take care of himself. The other children at the camp show enmity against them, but the group knows very well how to defend themselves. They do also help the Indian owner of the camp when a brutal mining corporation wants to tear down the camp to mine a rare mineral.