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Dumarest of Terra #26
The Coming Event
The Terridae believed the lost Earth was heaven and utopia combined. In their artificial planet, they moved slowly through the universe in search of it. And in their eyes, the rediscovery of Earth was to be the Event. Now they said the Event was coming Earl Dumarest - who was born on Earth and knew the truth - was an unwelcome visitor among them. If they knew of Earth's whereabouts, they were not telling him. But another Event was already on its way. A Cyclan ship was rapidly approaching the Terridae's world, confident that this time Dumarest would fall into their heartless clutches. Dumarest was not ready to flee - but if he stayed there would be no Earth for him, only a long, lingering doom. (First published 1982)
160 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1982
4 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
E.C. Tubb
383 books85 followersEdwin Charles Tubb was a writer of science fiction, fantasy and western novels. He published over 140 novels and 230 short stories and novellas, and is best known for The Dumarest Saga (US collective title: Dumarest of Terra) an epic science-fiction saga set in the far future.
Much of Tubb's work has been written under pseudonyms including Gregory Kern, Carl Maddox, Alan Guthrie, Eric Storm and George Holt. He has used 58 pen names over five decades of writing although some of these were publishers' house names also used by other writers: Volsted Gridban (along with John Russell Fearn), Gill Hunt (with John Brunner and Dennis Hughes), King Lang (with George Hay and John W Jennison), Roy Sheldon (with H. J. Campbell) and Brian Shaw. Tubb's Charles Grey alias was solely his own and acquired a big following in the early 1950s.
An avid reader of pulp science-fiction and fantasy in his youth, Tubb found that he had a particular talent as a writer of stories in that genre when his short story 'No Short Cuts' was published in New Worlds magazine in 1951. He opted for a full-time career as a writer and soon became renowned for the speed and diversity of his output.
Tubb contributed to many of the science fiction magazines of the 1950s including Futuristic Science Stories, Science Fantasy, Nebula and Galaxy Science Fiction. He contributed heavily to Authentic Science Fiction editing the magazine for nearly two years, from February 1956 until it folded in October 1957. During this time, he found it so difficult to find good writers to contribute to the magazine, that he often wrote most of the stories himself under a variety of pseudonyms: one issue of Authentic was written entirely by Tubb, including the letters column.
His main work in the science fiction genre, the Dumarest series, appeared from 1967 to 1985, with two final volumes in 1997 and 2008. His second major series, the Cap Kennedy series, was written from 1973 to 1983.
In recent years Tubb updated many of his 1950s science fiction novels for 21st century readers.
Tubb was one of the co-founders of the British Science Fiction Association.
Much of Tubb's work has been written under pseudonyms including Gregory Kern, Carl Maddox, Alan Guthrie, Eric Storm and George Holt. He has used 58 pen names over five decades of writing although some of these were publishers' house names also used by other writers: Volsted Gridban (along with John Russell Fearn), Gill Hunt (with John Brunner and Dennis Hughes), King Lang (with George Hay and John W Jennison), Roy Sheldon (with H. J. Campbell) and Brian Shaw. Tubb's Charles Grey alias was solely his own and acquired a big following in the early 1950s.
An avid reader of pulp science-fiction and fantasy in his youth, Tubb found that he had a particular talent as a writer of stories in that genre when his short story 'No Short Cuts' was published in New Worlds magazine in 1951. He opted for a full-time career as a writer and soon became renowned for the speed and diversity of his output.
Tubb contributed to many of the science fiction magazines of the 1950s including Futuristic Science Stories, Science Fantasy, Nebula and Galaxy Science Fiction. He contributed heavily to Authentic Science Fiction editing the magazine for nearly two years, from February 1956 until it folded in October 1957. During this time, he found it so difficult to find good writers to contribute to the magazine, that he often wrote most of the stories himself under a variety of pseudonyms: one issue of Authentic was written entirely by Tubb, including the letters column.
His main work in the science fiction genre, the Dumarest series, appeared from 1967 to 1985, with two final volumes in 1997 and 2008. His second major series, the Cap Kennedy series, was written from 1973 to 1983.
In recent years Tubb updated many of his 1950s science fiction novels for 21st century readers.
Tubb was one of the co-founders of the British Science Fiction Association.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 21, 2025
A solid follow-up to The Terridae, The Coming Event picks up with Earl fleeing the artificial planet/space station, seizing a ship, and eventually finding himself on a world ruled by a matriarch in desperate need of protection from an assassin. It's a fast-paced ride, packed with shifting settings and roles for Earl - at various points he's a rebel leader, army commander, hijacker, starship captain, and bodyguard. And, of course, lover. There's a lot to take in, even a small sub-plot about a fatal malady spreading amongst the Cyclan, but the space station sequences in the first half in particular stand out, offering a fresh and engaging backdrop that adds intrigue and energy to the series. By the end Earl manages to decipher a clue that, for once, looks like an unequivocal game changer for his mission to locate Earth, and which almost certainly feels too good to be (entirely) true.
October 19, 2016
Finally finished this one with seven more to go in this now very formulaic series. I plan to keep trying because I do want to get to the final book #33 where Dumarest finally finds Earth..at least I hope that is what that book is about. I waited almost ten years for it to come out and then held on to it till I could read the series so I am determined to read them all. Each has a nugget of originality meshed in with blueprint of original premise.
December 28, 2025
Despite having a somewhat schizophrenic nature (the first third could have easily been tacked onto the back end of the previous book, but maybe it was done this way for book length issues?)... this is one of my favorite Dumarest books.
Reason: we, the loyal Earl of Earth readership, are finally rewarded with a female lead character that is not just vacuous and vapid arm-candy for Our Boy Earl. Yssane wants to have *relations* with him 24/7/365 (or as applicable in this universe lol), but she is also her own girl -- with her own hopes and dreams. An actual strong and interesting character, with traits and flaws, and a personality that is not always lock-and-chained to whatever Earl says and does. Whatta concept, eh?
Here's hoping she sticks around for at least another book: our homeboy needs a strong female lead to keep him honest in his quest for Earth, me'thinks. :)
Reason: we, the loyal Earl of Earth readership, are finally rewarded with a female lead character that is not just vacuous and vapid arm-candy for Our Boy Earl. Yssane wants to have *relations* with him 24/7/365 (or as applicable in this universe lol), but she is also her own girl -- with her own hopes and dreams. An actual strong and interesting character, with traits and flaws, and a personality that is not always lock-and-chained to whatever Earl says and does. Whatta concept, eh?
Here's hoping she sticks around for at least another book: our homeboy needs a strong female lead to keep him honest in his quest for Earth, me'thinks. :)
October 26, 2020
Full review of the series in the last volume.
May 1, 2021
The series is, as someone else observed, becoming very formulaic and I'm now at the point where I am simply trying to plough through and get to the final book (#33).
December 25, 2014
Loved it. Avidly awaiting more.
This book actually had a lot more settings and scenes than many other of the Dumarest saga. The early ones all seemed to be one planet, one main secondary character, one plot, on to the next.
With The Coming Event, #26 in the series the story has become continuous in that the previous book in the saga #25,
The Terridae, sets the scene of Earl reaching Zabul and that story leads on to The Coming Event. The next book in the saga I believe to be
Earth is Heaven.
I say 'believe' because I am not sure, I have the book but it does not specify it's position in the saga. It is all a bit like a detective story, trying to piece together the order of books, through multiple editions and a couple of different publishing houses. This detective saga, which could have been annoying, I am actually enjoying a great deal.
Incidentally, I am not reading the saga in order, I am reading them as I get my hands on the elusive little, seventeenth hand, old books. That this is working for me as a reading experience I guess is a credit to the authors writing skills. I read The Coming Event, having already read the next one as well as the last one. This is a bit little the time travel's wife, never knowing where in the story she is. Or perhaps, Dr Who's acquaintances who must keep books to see where in their relationship he is. Anyhow, I am having fun with it.
This book actually had a lot more settings and scenes than many other of the Dumarest saga. The early ones all seemed to be one planet, one main secondary character, one plot, on to the next.
With The Coming Event, #26 in the series the story has become continuous in that the previous book in the saga #25,
The Terridae, sets the scene of Earl reaching Zabul and that story leads on to The Coming Event. The next book in the saga I believe to be
Earth is Heaven.I say 'believe' because I am not sure, I have the book but it does not specify it's position in the saga. It is all a bit like a detective story, trying to piece together the order of books, through multiple editions and a couple of different publishing houses. This detective saga, which could have been annoying, I am actually enjoying a great deal.
Incidentally, I am not reading the saga in order, I am reading them as I get my hands on the elusive little, seventeenth hand, old books. That this is working for me as a reading experience I guess is a credit to the authors writing skills. I read The Coming Event, having already read the next one as well as the last one. This is a bit little the time travel's wife, never knowing where in the story she is. Or perhaps, Dr Who's acquaintances who must keep books to see where in their relationship he is. Anyhow, I am having fun with it.
January 19, 2012
Earl has become the commander of a huge space station, whose inhabitants' goal is to prepare for the coming event. This event, is their return to Earth, a place which to them has come to acquire the properties of myth and legend. Magical healing pools which make you younger, CHECK. Lots of other nonsense, CHECK. Against Earl are the council, who like power and the status quo.. and of course the Cyclan are coming. Oh, my. Meanwhile, what's up with the Cyclan hive minds decaying and where's that going?
This book shares the new sense of life that the preceding book in the series had. For now, the strict and repetitive formula that all earlier books followed has been cast aside, and Earl is alpha male-ing his way through space and women with new and unpredictable abandon.
This book shares the new sense of life that the preceding book in the series had. For now, the strict and repetitive formula that all earlier books followed has been cast aside, and Earl is alpha male-ing his way through space and women with new and unpredictable abandon.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews