Destiny's Road

Wide and smooth, the Road was seared into planet Destiny's rocky surface by the fusion drive of the powered landing craft, "Cavorite." The "Cavorite "deserted the original interstellar colonists, stranding them without hope of contacting Earth.
Now, descendants of those pioneers have many questions about the Road, but no settler who has gone down it has ever returned. For Jemmy Bloocher, a young farm boy, the questions burn too hot--and he sets out to uncover the many mysteries of "Destiny's Road."
A Nebula Award winner and five-time recipient of the Hugo Award, Larry Niven is the author of such SF classics as "Ringworld," "The Integral Trees," and "Dream Park." He lives in Tarzana, California.
The year: 2730 A.D.
The planet: Destiny.
Wide and smooth, the Road was seared into Destiny's rocky surface by the fusion drive of the powered landing craft, "Cavorite." The "Cavorite "deserted the original interstellar colonists, stranding them without hope of contacting Earth.
Now, descendants of those pioneers have many questions about the Road, but no settler who has gone down it has ever returned. For Jemmy Bloocher, a young farm boy, the questions burn too hot--and so he sets out to uncover the Road's many mysteries.
"A writer of supreme talent."--Tom Clancy
"Niven's sure hand with details opens the story up in unexpected directions . . . I hope the inevitable sequel maintains this admirable balance."--"The New York Times"
"The paradigm SF personality of the last several decades."--Gregory Benford