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Dumarest of Terra #21
Iduna's Universe
It was touch and go for Earl Dumarest when the slavers of the Matriarchy of Onorldi struck his work camp. Had he not captured the Matriarch herself during the fight, it might have spelled his doom when the slavers triumphed. — Because even though the odds had turned heavily against him, he was able to strike a bargain. The Matriarch's child daughter, Iduna had disappeared into the mind-trap of the Tau. If he could follow, find her, and return with her, he would have his freedom and a chance to locate the lost Earth he sought.
So it was into Iduna's private universe he went--the creation of the Tau under the shims and fancies of a restless and spoiled planetary princess. To escape, Dumarest had to putwit her monster playthings, outfight her hideous horrors. and outdream her satanic fantasies...
So it was into Iduna's private universe he went--the creation of the Tau under the shims and fancies of a restless and spoiled planetary princess. To escape, Dumarest had to putwit her monster playthings, outfight her hideous horrors. and outdream her satanic fantasies...
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
3 people are currently reading
79 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 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 10, 2024
This was a bit of an odd departure from typical Dumarest tales. Our hero finds himself on a fantasy like quest in a world where dreams and thoughts shape reality, replete with flashbacks to his early childhood and adolescence as well as bizarre dream like sequences. It feels like it could have been inspired by Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, where Dumarest is tasked with following Alice down the rabbit hole to rescue her. The main themes of the series, i.e. his journey to Earth and evading the Cyclan, are largely absent, and we are treated to a matriarchal society (as crudely depicted on the cover) though one that proves no more compassionate than usual. Kudos to Tubb for working in such an imaginative digression to his well established series, which has mostly become formulaic at this point yet still always compelling.
January 15, 2025
an unusually garish adventure for Earl Dumarest. the tone of this series is usually dry with a dose of sharp irony, reminiscent of a less eccentric, more overtly political Jack Vance (Tubb swings left; I'd describe him as a class-first progressive). descriptions are always vivid but with a kind of earthy realism, never ornate. plots are formulaic - this is not a critique, I love the formula - and are usually based around a small cast of familiar albeit complex characters with whom Dumarest finds himself entangled, often on a spaceship. most die. the quest for Earth is almost always central.
Iduna's Universe is completely different: much of it is a Jungian dream adventure in which Earl is plunged into a princess' vicious dream world in an attempt to bring her back to reality. I don't usually favor such narratives, but this book really made it work. part of the appeal of this strange journey are the underlying mysteries: who put her there and how can she be rescued? and does she even want to escape?
the princess lives on Onoridi, where slavery is the norm. another fascinating part of the novel, in the chapters taking place in the "real" world, is the examination of this sick society through the eyes of its tough matriarch (this is a female-dominated culture, another interesting way this book is different). the queen and her problems are viewed with empathy, despite Tubb's obvious antipathy towards a system based on slavery. the severely gendered and matriarchal nature of the planet provides many scenes of gender role reversal. these two cultural traits - slavery and matriarchy plus role reversal - made for an unusual mix.
the first chapter portrays a rural community and its villagers who have welcomed Earl. their lives and personalities are drawn with expert concision and deep sympathy. most are captured by slavers. we never read about them again. another surprising decision in this surprising book.
3.5 stars
Iduna's Universe is completely different: much of it is a Jungian dream adventure in which Earl is plunged into a princess' vicious dream world in an attempt to bring her back to reality. I don't usually favor such narratives, but this book really made it work. part of the appeal of this strange journey are the underlying mysteries: who put her there and how can she be rescued? and does she even want to escape?
the princess lives on Onoridi, where slavery is the norm. another fascinating part of the novel, in the chapters taking place in the "real" world, is the examination of this sick society through the eyes of its tough matriarch (this is a female-dominated culture, another interesting way this book is different). the queen and her problems are viewed with empathy, despite Tubb's obvious antipathy towards a system based on slavery. the severely gendered and matriarchal nature of the planet provides many scenes of gender role reversal. these two cultural traits - slavery and matriarchy plus role reversal - made for an unusual mix.
the first chapter portrays a rural community and its villagers who have welcomed Earl. their lives and personalities are drawn with expert concision and deep sympathy. most are captured by slavers. we never read about them again. another surprising decision in this surprising book.
3.5 stars
August 20, 2019
Earl Dumarest dives into a strange Universe. Once again he has to do the impossible in order to escape from a slave planet and to have a chance to continue his quest. A bit of Alice in Wonderland and The Cell. Iduna is a little girl, or at least she was when she fell into a coma and created her very own universe in which she rules as queen. Dumarest comes back to life by letting himself be killed by Iduna’s champion who is no other than Earl. Brillant. Will we ever see this genius to be recognized by the world?
Now, if this is not poetry, what is?
“A good wedding with gifts for all and a reputation which would last until he grows old. The simple way of villages locked as they were in their own small enclaves. Standing in the cellar, sipping his wine, watching the undisguised merriment of those assembled, Dumarest could envy their uncomplicated existence. To grow, to marry, to breed, to age and finally to die. Life matched in harmony with the seasons with always the comfort of friends at hand and even the small differences and bickerings lost in the general sweep of years. There would be pain, true, for no life could be free of anguish and grief and disappointments and frustrations, but all would be on a relatively minor scale. And the curse of more complex societies, the screaming loneliness which walked like a plague through cogested cities, that at least would be absent.” (9/10)
Now, if this is not poetry, what is?
“A good wedding with gifts for all and a reputation which would last until he grows old. The simple way of villages locked as they were in their own small enclaves. Standing in the cellar, sipping his wine, watching the undisguised merriment of those assembled, Dumarest could envy their uncomplicated existence. To grow, to marry, to breed, to age and finally to die. Life matched in harmony with the seasons with always the comfort of friends at hand and even the small differences and bickerings lost in the general sweep of years. There would be pain, true, for no life could be free of anguish and grief and disappointments and frustrations, but all would be on a relatively minor scale. And the curse of more complex societies, the screaming loneliness which walked like a plague through cogested cities, that at least would be absent.” (9/10)
November 3, 2013
Love this comment by Iduna "How are you ever going to hold a wife unless you can cook her meals?" p102.
In the Tau, the young princess is able to make her dreams come true. Stubborn, wilful and wild she proves more than a handful for Earl Dumarest.
As always, there is plenty of fast paced action, adventure, life and death challenges and a mystery to be solved while Earl must continue his search for Earth and elude the universal web of the Cyclan.
In the Tau, the young princess is able to make her dreams come true. Stubborn, wilful and wild she proves more than a handful for Earl Dumarest.
As always, there is plenty of fast paced action, adventure, life and death challenges and a mystery to be solved while Earl must continue his search for Earth and elude the universal web of the Cyclan.
June 5, 2022
This is a much more "condensed" adventure for Dumarest, as he ventures - mentally, rather than physically - into an alien device to try to rescue a young girl whose mind has been trapped in there for years. The main arcs of the saga - find Earth, evade Cyclan - are all but forgotten, but we do get much more detail about Dumarest's origin.
I flew through this volume, perhaps because it was so different to the earlier ones, but I'm not sure I enjoyed it as much. Inside the Tau, there were defences to "rules" of how Iduna played, the only trouble was that I struggled to work out what they were. I did like idea of Dumarest's time in the imaginary world, but found the ending unsatisfactory.
I flew through this volume, perhaps because it was so different to the earlier ones, but I'm not sure I enjoyed it as much. Inside the Tau, there were defences to "rules" of how Iduna played, the only trouble was that I struggled to work out what they were. I did like idea of Dumarest's time in the imaginary world, but found the ending unsatisfactory.
October 28, 2020
Quite an interesting and inventive story.
Tubb keeps surprising me with his out of the box ideas.
The only thing that I'm growing a bit tired of, after 3 or 4 novels in a row, is the continuous string of beautiful well curved women that pass the revenue... I know Earl's a healthy man, but 1 woman every 3 or 4 novels would be more believable ;-)
Will give Dumarest a rest for a while...
Tubb keeps surprising me with his out of the box ideas.
The only thing that I'm growing a bit tired of, after 3 or 4 novels in a row, is the continuous string of beautiful well curved women that pass the revenue... I know Earl's a healthy man, but 1 woman every 3 or 4 novels would be more believable ;-)
Will give Dumarest a rest for a while...
August 12, 2020
Full review of the series in the final volume.
February 15, 2026
Hmmm.... not sure what to think about this one. The "everything is a fairy-tale fever dream, and a mad tyrant woman-child you need to rescue can and does control anything and everything inside an alien pocket universe/device" is a somewhat tedious premise.
A nice bonus at least was the brief heart-to-heart talks with The Captain That Saved Young Earl back in the day. Maybe they were just figments of imagination made quasi-real by Earl in the crazy AF dreamscape universe, but were refreshing just the same.
In the final analysis, this book is not a dud IMO, but I'm looking forward to our gallant Earth-bound hero getting back into his normal groove.
A nice bonus at least was the brief heart-to-heart talks with The Captain That Saved Young Earl back in the day. Maybe they were just figments of imagination made quasi-real by Earl in the crazy AF dreamscape universe, but were refreshing just the same.
In the final analysis, this book is not a dud IMO, but I'm looking forward to our gallant Earth-bound hero getting back into his normal groove.
June 15, 2012
A very fun read. Reminded me of Northwest Smith, with a touch of Hornblower or Bolitho and a smidge of Noirishness that made the whole thing a lot of fun. This book sold me on tracking down more of Mr. Tubb's works ASAP.
April 25, 2016
No cyber..except in a fantasy memory...yippee. Memories of childhood more detailed and the old Captain who saved his life as a child is back briefly. A pretty good Dumarest
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews