Winds of Gath (Dumarest Series no. 1) [Paperback]

The prolific English writer E. C. Tubb (1919-) is the author of 140 novels. He is noted for his 33 book science-fiction series the Dumarest Saga. It is quite remarkable to consider that this series began in 1967 with "The Winds of Gath" and the latest volume was published in 2008. It was reported that author Tubb died in October 2010.

As a lifelong reader of science fiction I am chagrin to admit I had, prior to this title under review, never read one of Mr. Tubbs books. To be honest I have been reading science fiction since 1958 and have spent too many evening plowing through some very boring books.

I approached this novel with some trepidation. After all it was written in 1967 and I was prepared for another pulp era potboiler full of stock characters mouthing space jargon like it was Holy Writ. I found this story and the series concept extraordinarily interesting and a joy to read. I can honestly say this was the first science fiction book in many years I could not put down and read it in a day.

I will forgo detailing the intricate plot of this novel until I can provide potential readers some general impressions that resonated with this "newbie" to the Dumarest community. Some of my initial observations have been updated after reading several volumes in the series.

Tubb's universe consist of hundreds (thousands?) of inhabited "earth-type" planets - to be more precise planets able to support human beings with a temperate zone, acceptable gravity, protection from solar radiation, absences of deadly microbes, and a breathable atmospheres. We are told these planets are scattered over an extensive volume of space. Interesting to this reader there are no "intelligent" beings, yes, numerous plants and animals that play important roles in each story but no extra terrestrial beings. This removes one of the irritating crutches most authors rely upon to spice up, and for many carry their plots. Tubb's future envisions mankind settling on habitual worlds and developing societies with technology spread via a sporadic influx of visitors using conventional space travel. The settlers on these worlds must adapt to the local conditions and, out of necessity exploit them to prosper and in some cases just to endure. The planet GATH survives by becoming a tourist destination. HIVE is managed by a syndicate of feudal houses that exports a useful drug extracted from bee-like creatures. On FOLGONE the settlers strictly ration access to a highly desired live extending enterprise. Toy is a decadent world where technology is employed to create perverted baubles for the jaded ruling class called stockholders.

Tubb envisions a far future of autonomous planetary cultures resembling feudal city-states with a thin veneer of technology jealously confined to the ruling elites. The majority of the planetary population is usually exploited to support the ruling clique. There is no "Federation of the Planet" or "Rulers of the Universe" or even a code of ethics. Once settled on a planet the inhabitants are for all intended purposes at the mercy of the local boss, dictator, matriarch or despot. Most societies are semi-feudal with a clear delineation between the haves and the have-nots. Travel between planets is restricted to the wealthy due to the high cost of traveling safely. A small group of space vagabonds and some desperate individuals can travel cheaper but must subject themselves to the risk of traveling frozen with a 15% death rate.

The hero of the book, "Earl Dumarest" is a Solider of Fortune, resourceful, perceptive, compassionate, wise and a man on a mission. His travels have a purpose; he wants information, clues, and rumors concerning his birth planet Earth so he can return. Just exactly why he must return is never adequately explained in the first 15 volumes of the series that I have read so far. Earl is not very introspective. He just tell people he is looking for Earth and wants to return there no matter what. To be honest this is a weakness in the logic of the story line but I am hopeful that by the time I reach book 33 it will be resolved.

The PROBLEM with Earl achieving his goal is that the distance between planets are so vast, travel takes so long and the number of inhabitant worlds so numerous that "Earth" is unknown to most people or is shrugged off at a myth or urban legend of the space ways. He suspects some malice intent to keep the concept of Earth a topic not worthy of discussion by intelligent and refined individuals. As we soon learn the Cyclan community is behind the effort to discredit the concept of a "home' planet of mankind. In the books Dumarest travels from world to world surviving on his wits and physical skill while seeking out tantalizing hints concerning Earth.

The author has Dumarest travel to a new planet -in some cases planets - as he continues his quest. Interestingly the issue of just "how" the ship travels between the vast distanced between inhabited planetary systems is not discussed. This is all for the good as far as this reader is concerned. Tubb avoids the spurious jargon about "hyper-drives" and "warping through the space-time continuum". Hey, the folks get on the ship and then it arrives, that's good enough. Let the reader assume whatever his wants as far as to the "how". It is stated that the voyages are FTL - faster-than-light - speed and Dumarest ruminates that due to his extensive travels he would be centuries old. Some passengers make the space voyages in a drug induced "fast" state where they mentally experience a substantially shorter elapsed time. For a much lower fee some passengers agree to be put in a suspended "frozen" state called "slow". We are informed the about 15% of travelers in "slow" die during space voyages.

Tubb populates this series of books with some very interesting factions that structure the series since they appear in each story. There are the Cyclan, a group of emotionally neutered persons of high intelligence employed as advisors to the ruling families. The Cyclan have a "dark secret" and subtly oppose Dumarest's search for Earth. On the other hand The Brotherhood of the Universal Church a humanitarian organization whose "monks" roam the galaxy giving comfort and alleviating suffering wherever they can. The monks seem to know about "Earth" and assist Dumarest in very subtle ways. The Hausia and a informal syndicate of traders and deal makers that use insiders knowledge of a planet's commerce to acquire wealth and influence.

ESP - extra sensory perception, mind reading, and clairvoyance, what ever you call it plays a role in these stories. Alien insects and small animals appear to have rudimentary powers to alert each other to danger. One human character, Derai, could read minds, which resulted in efforts by the Cyclan to use her mysterious talents for their perverted ends. Usually the introduction of "espers" into a story can be a problem for the readers. Hey, any time the plot bogs down the author can "see' what the other guys are thinking and the story moves along. So far Tubb has been judicious in his use of this plot-ruining device.

I am convinced that the more effort an author put into creating a planet with an alien ambiance and inferred dangers, the more appealing his story will be to the SF reading public. Tubb, bless him, works hard at this and the extradinorary readability and fascination of his stories are the result.

One of Earl Dumarest most admirable traits is his compassion. He goes out of his way to help someone in need even when it appears to be a futile effort. In "Toyman" a young man has a gut wound and is delirious. Earl is low on water and is in an isolated location. His healthy companion - the voice of reason - tells him not to waste the precious water since without medical attention the lad will die shortly. Dumarest acknowledges the truth of the statement but share the water anyways. The man does die, but compassion won over cynicism. These 'acts of compassion" by Earl is laced throughout the novels. I find this aspect of his character very commendable and interesting in the furtherance of the story line.

One of the intriguing pleasures of "The Winds of Gath" was the riveting plot. Tubb has that rare knack to pace the story in such a way to make you anticpate to "just what the heck is going to happen next" and the pages keep turning. We are on the planet Gath a tourist world with mysterious crystallized rock formations that during the periodic 'storm time" resonate sonically such as to cause disturbing visions and hallucinations. Dumarest did not book passage to Gath but the ship was diverted to satisfy the needs of the wealthy Matriarch of Kund. Gath is devoid of employment opportunities that Dumarest requires earning passage on another ship. He becomes very involved in a plot to prevent the abduction of the successor to the Matriarch. We learn very quickly the outwardly impartial counsel provided by the Cyclan is a ploy to secure power and control for unspecified malevolent ends. Dumarest earns passage to another planet by assisting the Matriarch. Certainly the story is a "space opera' and hints and clues and given to entice the readers to read on. The fact is that it is done with great style and class.

Tubb's style of writing is very economical. These books are not 800 pages doorstops. "Winds of Garth clocked in at 121 pages and I see that the next book "Derai" is a slim 116 pages. No fluff just sharp dialog and cracking action that propels the extremely well devised plot to its conclusion.

It is very apparent that my delight with the ""Dumarest Saga" is not an solitary event. A search of the Internet will show several informative sites devoted to the series.

These comments were revised and expanded on the following dates: 8-27-2010, 11-14-2010

Greetings Potential Purchaser of this book.

First off let me admit a bit of bias. I LOVE Traveller (the science-fiction role playing game). Always have, always will.

So whoopee-do, why does this matter to you. *shrugs* Might not, but you are looking up reviews of old school science fiction, I mean this is Golden Age stuff here folks. If you are looking for super-magic powers, more crazy ass aliens than you can throw at stick at, and cute glowing swords, you should probably skip this book. (That is unless you also like to hit the rough side of science fiction, then keep reading.) Sorry, but facts are facts.

Which is kind of the point of this novel. Life is. One of the things it is, cheap.

Welcome to the future, and the conquered stars of man. For those of us who would sell most of what we have to see the wonders of the Universe this book rocks. If you don't care what it costs to see life beyond, then read it, might pick up a few tips.

Now we get back to Traveller. See for years now I have been hearing rumors that this series is one of the major inspirations for the RPG (one of those pre-digital ones, that we all wanted to play back when computers were new and "High Tech" not something you can fit in your pocket and can put a craft on the Moon. It is true, look it up, in more than wiki, like a book.)

Well with in about two paragraphs it is readily apparent that this is indeed a primary source for Traveller (and some other science fiction media). In those first couple of paragraphs you really get a handle on waking up from cold sleep. Yes, I know Alien did do a rather fine job of it. For a movie. See there is for some of us (and I should hope you are one) that essence of being there. Nothing compares to being in the mind of the protagonist and really experiencing things with them. Sometimes it is joy, others sorrow, here it is waking up and wondering why you are being thawed out while the starship is still in FTL drive.

Of course, since you are so broke, yet determined to see the stars you have to travel in such a fashion. Being frozen with the livestock, down in the cold, sterile blue holds. Hoping not to robbed, or killed...or worse. Too bad you aren't rich. Then you could travel in style. So, there you are, dumped on some hell world with tourist attraction. So what do you do? Why, you try to scrape together the money to get off this dump and back to the stars. Maybe after all this time, finally trying to get Home. Wishing anyone knew where it was that is.

And so we join Earl Dumarest in travelling the stars on the cheap, but never, ever easy path to the place we can never go, home.

Of course, life being never that simple adds it own complications. Life is like that.

So, not sure if this will sway you one way or another, but it is some good old fashion science-fiction and adventuring, with a few side trips into the human psyche. If you like Piper or Niven and Pournelle's Empires of Man, then you might very well might enjoy this book. I do, and I did. Not a lot of deep, hard science, but it does have some rather interesting foresights.

Now if you will excuse me, I have to scrape together the price of a high passage, that cold sleep stuff sucks. Fast drug the whole trip, with a ATP drip...

Laterness,
Craig A. Glesner,
Traveller.

This is the first story of Earl Dumarest. He is a hardened and tough space traveler, who is also compassionate when necessary. He stowed away on a merchant ship as a child, and left Earth toward the center of the galaxy. He survives with grit and his knife fighting skills, which he uses for arena fights on various worlds. This provides him with money to continue to travel, in search of an Earth which has become mythic to other worlds so far away. He constantly searches for clues to his lost home world, while dodging the mysterious Cyclan, a race of cyborgs with dreams of ruling the galaxy. Any of these books can be read as stand-alone novels, as each has no connection to previous adventures. Dumarest's plight is summarized in each book. All are entertaining and competently written, and this first one is no exception.