E. C. Tubb (1919–2010)

This novel is hardly polished and assembled to be more than three stars. In fact, I suspect, some folks might make good argument that it is maybe as low as 2.5. But I wanted to give it 3.5 stars - and here's why:

The lack of bogged down backstory makes this novel read freshly, quickly, and with purpose. I have gotten somewhat weary of the bloated and over-written novels. This one - at points jarringly sudden in its transitions from scene-to-scene - reads really well. It has a little vintage show more feel, it has a lot that feels like "Dune" and the espionage stories of the pulps in the 60s.

The characters and plot may seem a bit wooden or odd, but this is such a fun little novel regardless of all of its flaws that I am very glad I read it. Strangely satisfying and fun read. show less

I do love this series! It's such a winning mix of comic book sci-fi, camp swashbuckler, and bodice-ripper in which our indestructible hero screws and punches his way across the galaxy in a desperate search for that mythical planet called Earth. And along the way he's thwarted by a race of homo sapien computers and a supporting cast who encompasses every human foible ever invented. Although his characters are basically two-dimensional (the women swoon and scheme while the men are either show more treacherous cads or benevolent saints) they are colourful enough to keep you jeering or cheering as you flip the pages. In this instalment the irresistibly sexy Dumarest is coerced into a military mission against an "enemy" hiding in plain sight and gains a couple of vague clues as to the whereabouts of his ultimate goal. Yay! show less

For my money, the Dumarest Saga of E.C. Tubb ranks up there as one of the best science fiction series written in English.

Set in the far distant future, when mankind has spread across the galaxy, they feature the inimitable Earl Dumarest, a man with lightning fast reflexes who is forever trying to find the home world he fled as a child and has long since lost: Earth.

The galaxy he travels through is a hard, deadly place for a man with no affiliations and little money. Tubb pulls no punches in show more his depictions of the many harsh, hellish worlds and people whom Dumarest encounters, and invariably survives, if only just, during his quest.

Perhaps one of the best things about this series (which consists of some 32 books) is that each book is short, with no unnecessary padding; they're generally between 150 and 190 pages long. So they're a reasonably quick read, too.

I recommend reading all books in the series, preferably in the intended order. If you can, though, avoid the Arrow Books editions - the cover illustrations are, to put it simply, the pits. The artists clearly had never read the books, or if they did, didn't bother to note down a lot of details about the scenes they chose to portray in these illustrations, e.g. clothing, weaponry, etc. Shame on Arrow Books for using such second-class amateurs.

Did I mention? Unlike the seemingly interminable Wheel of Time series of Robert Jordan, or the never-ending Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen Donaldson - both of which I find way too verbose, i.e. a lot of words pass by without very much happening - the Dumarest Saga has an actual ending - in volume 32, The Return, Dumarest finds his way home! show less

For my money, the Dumarest Saga of E.C. Tubb ranks up there as one of the best science fiction series written in English.

Set in the far distant future, when mankind has spread across the galaxy, they feature the inimitable Earl Dumarest, a man with lightning fast reflexes who is forever trying to find the home world he fled as a child and has long since lost: Earth.

The galaxy he travels through is a hard, deadly place for a man with no affiliations and little money. Tubb pulls no punches in show more his depictions of the many harsh, hellish worlds and people whom Dumarest encounters, and invariably survives, if only just, during his quest.

Perhaps one of the best things about this series (which consists of some 32 books) is that each book is short, with no unnecessary padding; they're generally between 150 and 190 pages long. So they're a reasonably quick read, too.

I recommend reading all books in the series, preferably in the intended order. If you can, though, avoid the Arrow Books editions - the cover illustrations are, to put it simply, the pits. The artists clearly had never read the books, or if they did, didn't bother to note down a lot of details about the scenes they chose to portray in these illustrations, e.g. clothing, weaponry, etc. Shame on Arrow Books for using such second-class amateurs.

Did I mention? Unlike the seemingly interminable Wheel of Time series of Robert Jordan, or the never-ending Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen Donaldson - both of which I find way too verbose, i.e. a lot of words pass by without very much happening - the Dumarest Saga has an actual ending - in volume 32, The Return, Dumarest finds his way home! show less