Page One of E C Tubb books can be found here. That page contains his single novels.
This is Page Two, which contains The Dumarest Saga, and other series, including his 11 western novels.
27 books have been reviewed so far on this page. Updated December 4th/24
THE DUMAREST SAGA
BOOK 1: THE WINDS OF GATH
Cover art by Kelly Freas.
The first book of the nearly everlasting Dumarest saga was published in 1967, one half of an Ace Double. The fast paced story lasts for 139 pages, introducing to readers the space traveller who claims to have been born on Earth. Earth is now only a legend, except perhaps amongst the Cyphers, half man and half robot.
There are several things to like about this book, which is essentially a very fast moving planetary adventure and romance. The planet of Gath is home to a peculiar mountain range. When the seasonal storm strikes the planet, the mountains vibrate, and the sounds that emerge attract tourists and celebrities from across the galaxy. Dumarest arrives on Gath by mistake, as it has virtually no economy during most of the time. The story features an evil, sadistic emperor, an ageing matriarch of an Amazon type of planet, and a brotherhood of religious monks who try to keep the locals from starving. There are enough characters and plot lines to hold interest throughout the short novel.
It becomes part mystery and detective novel, too, as there is an evil plot afoot to capture the incoming matriarch, a younger women who is desired by the sadistic emperor. Dumarest tries his hand at fishing, and then, nearly starving, enters a fight to the death contest. The fight is brutal, but of course he wins (or else no series), and he gains both friends and enemies afterwards.
My only complaint, and it's one that I often have for Ace fiction, is that the ending is abrupt. We could have used another chapter to wrap things up, but in those days, once your word count was reached, the story had to end, now. I am already looking forward to next month's adventure. Whether or not I will last for all 33 novels (Tubb never wrote a concluding volume to the series, so I already know that the hero will never see Earth) remains to be seen.
*** 1/2 stars. Reviewed October 11th/22
2: DERAI
From 1968 comes this 189 page sequel to Winds of Gath. The book was a bit disappointing after such a good start with the first one. I like the idea of spending most on the book on just one planet, so that we can get a feel for locale as well as characters involved. This time Dumarest accepts a job safe guarding a strange young woman back to her home planet. The planet is Hive, where all things honey are produced. We can see some of the influence of Dune (1965) in this story, as Hive is divided into competing Houses, and instead of Spice, the planet sells a rare type of royal jelly that is said to prolong life.
However, we learn very little about theses Houses of power on the planet, other than the fact that they control virtually everything that goes on. But what goes on? Again, we are mostly left in the dark. The time spent on Hive is fun to read about, though. We get to travel to the Freelands, where people have escaped the control of the Houses, though dangerous swarms of killer bees exist, and like their Earth-counterparts, are deadly and not fun to encounter.
But then suddenly we leave Hive for another planet. The young woman's great grandfather is dying, and this other planet offers him a chance at a form of life that will last at least a thousand years. But Dumarest must enter a deadly competition in order to win a place for the old man. He and the young woman, called Derai, end up both in the field of battle. But even the climactic contest battleground is rushed over by Tubb, and we see or read little of any dangerous encounters that they have.
In conclusion, this novel seems more like a sketch than a finished story. It could really have used a rewrite, or perhaps two of them. I hope that Tubb gets back on track for book 3. I have six books from Kindle, but I won't go much beyond those unless the writing quality remains consistently high.
** 1/2 stars. Reviewed Nov. 14th/22
3: TOYMAN
From 1969 comes this continuation of Dumarest's multi planetary travels and travails. First published as an Ace Double, it was a tiny printed 131 pages long. Later editions had a longer page count. We now have the goods on the series, with Dumarest's character (such as it is) mostly predictable in most situations. Even his situations are now mostly predictable (he will have to fight a lot; he will never stay in one place; he keeps searching for Earth, his home planet). In this adventure, which takes place entirely on the planet of Toy, Dumarest has travelled to use their famous main library computer to find out anything he can about Earth. People always mock the name of Earth, saying it is quite ridiculous, while living on a planet called "Toy." Go figure.
The Toymaster is the cruel and sadistic dictator of the planet, who likes to watch blood sports. A group is trying to overthrow him, but it isn't an easy task. The Cyclan, those inhuman man-like computer things that are trying to take over the galaxy, make their usual appearance, influencing the Toymaster and trying to destroy the library computer, which is seen as a rival to their central power struggle. Amidst all the corruption and evil deeds is our poor Dumarest, only trying to visit a library for some information. Once again he is given some assistance by the Brotherhood, the monks who do their best to help the less fortunate who arrive on Toy.
Though the planet is barely sketched out in the story (it's cold, has a sea, is relatively wealthy), we really don't learn much about it. The focus instead is on intrigue, and of course fighting. There are a few neat plot twists near the end, and a final symbolic kick in the teeth for Dumarest, as he finally gets his wish to ask the library for information about Earth. The fight scenes are some of Tubb's best, and the finale in the maze is also quite well done. Overall a worthy pulp fiction read.
*** stars. Reviewed December 7th/22
4: KALIN
From 1969 comes the 4th book in the Dumarest series, again lasting 131 pages and first published as an Ace Double. Kalin is the name of a woman, and poor Dumarest, who falls in love with her, is yet again disappointed at how things tragically turn out. That makes two women in a row he has lost. A few things puzzle me, the main one being why he is searching for Earth. He left it as a poor waif stowaway, describing often how hideous and overused the planet was. Why does he wish to return? It is never explained, and probably for good reason; there is no rational reason. The other great mystery is why no one has ever heard of Earth; in fact, they don't even believe that there was an original planet that all humans came from. Really? That is pretty poor record keeping. It's odd how all other settled planets appear in the computer banks and libraries, but not Earth.
Dumarest has a habit of ending up on dead end worlds, those that are depressing, have no honest work or way to earn money, and are nearly impossible from which to escape. This time he hits a poisonous mining colony, worked by slaves. The few free men have to scramble hard to find enough food to eat, and enough warmth to keep them alive over the winter. The local wildlife is on the dangerous side, too. He and Kalin arrive there after their passenger ship explodes, and they manage to escape in a life pod. They are picked up by a slaver, but luckily for Dumarest he has enough money to buy his way to freedom, and Kalin's.
Her story becomes more complicated the further one reads, and by the end we are left dazzled by Tubb's plot. Making their usual beneficial appearance are the religious brothers; making their usual harmful appearance are the Cyclans. This is one of the better entries so far, in a series that will run for a very long time.
*** 1/2 stars. Reviewed January 11th/23
5: THE JESTER AT SCAR
I read the Kindle edition. Paul Alexander did the above cover art.
From 1970 comes Book 5 of the Dumarest series. My Kindle version was 126 pages, similar to the original Ace Double version. Tubb seems to have found a formula and is sticking to it. All the usual suspects are there, including a new buddy that ends up dying, a Cyclan that Dumarest must kill, a planet filled with poor and nearly helpless workers, virtual slaves to the company they work for, and the peaceable and beneficent religious brothers, who try to help the helpless.
Scar is a planet that has useful spores. However, some of them are deadly to humans. To be safe when outdoors in the wild a special filtered suit must be worn. We are not certain as to why Dumarest is here, but the opening scene is a classic Tubb setting, as two bullies come looking for trouble in a hut where he is staying with a woman.
On an excursion into the wilderness in search of valuable spores, Dumarest hits the jackpot. The only problem is the location, on the other side of a treacherous range of steep hills. The main adventure has Dumarest and his partner trying to reach, and then to harvest the crop. Even without interference from the bad guys, it is unlikely they would have survived the ordeal. But there is also aid from the leader of another nearby planet, visiting Scar. The plot is just thick enough, and the adventure story is suitable readable. Of course Dumarest learns nothing further about Earth. Until next time....
*** stars. Reviewed February 11th/23
6: LALLIA
From 1971 comes the 136 page continuation of the Dumarest saga. That read ring of his finally gets explained, and why his life is in danger from wearing it. Another assassin is out to get him. But during the story Dumarest finally gets some news about the whereabouts of old Earth. Now if he can only get there.
This entry has him working as a ship's handler, and we get to follow him (and his new girl, Lallia) into the central galaxy area, visiting dreary planet after dreary planet. It is actually refreshing to not stay on any one planet for long, as is often the case in these stories. This is a good and solid entry in the series, as we follow the rust bucket ship that he works on, under the guidance of a captain who has a dreadful fear of space, and an engineer who is a raging alcoholic. What could go wrong? When the ship finally crashes in the wilderness of a planet called Shrine, the adventure temperature is turned up to high.
Shrine is a planet with no towns or commerce. Instead, it is visited by the faithful looking to be cured of their otherwise incurable ailments. And some of them are. Dumarest solves the mystery of the actual shrine, which is a crashed spaceship of unknown alien origin and extremely old age. The ship itself is still partly alive, trying to reconstruct itself, and it seems to take care of beings that come to it for aid. Though we don't spend much time with this alien technology, I am hoping that this theme will return in future stories.
A great little story on its own, but Lallia also ties in to earlier parts of the tale, too (the ring). So far this is a recommended series for SF/adventure readers, harkening back to the great pulp writing of the 40s, 50s, and 60s.
***1/2 stars. Reviewed March 12th/23
VOL 7: TECHNOS
The next book in the series continues to show Tubb's nearly limitless imagination in getting Dumarest into and out of trouble. From 1975, my Kindle edition runs for 132 pages. Near the end of his exploits, Dumarest runs through a maze of death traps that would be familiar to any modern gamers, especially those who have played Tomb Raider.
Our hero begins on an agrarian planet that is dealing with a disease that is killing all its crops. the disease is an act of war by controlling planet Technos. Dumarest agrees to go there, since he might have a lead on information about finding Earth. He will also be searching for a female family member of one of the controllers who has not been heard from in a long time. Once on Technos, Dumarest encounters the usual--a military dictatorship run by a cruel man, who in turn is being manipulated by one of the Cyclans, who in turn are after Dumarest and his red ring.
Dumarest does find a clue about Earth's location in this story, in the form of a kind of rhyme that includes the signs of the zodiac in their proper order. Now he merely needs to compute which planet lies in the center of that view.
Another adventure packed and fun read from a master of pulp writing.
*** stars. Reviewed April 11th/23
VOL 8: VERUCHIA
From 1973 comes the 190 page continuation of the story of Dumarest and his quest to find Earth, a planet forgotten by the people who left there eons ago, heading into the deepest reaches of the galaxy. Tubb continues to write really well in this series, and I thoroughly enjoy my monthly excursions into Dumarest's adventures. Again there is an evil Cyclan, and a very evil man who wants to rule a planet with its help. But again Dumarest is there to see that justice is done. Like Dray Prescott in Bulmer's Antares series, the hero is a virtual superhero, without the funny costume. He will be captured, enslaved, beaten unconscious, cheated, and otherwise humiliated, but he always bounces back, usually with his fists.
This adventure takes place mostly on one planet, after arriving there from another one. Veruchia is in line to become Owner of her planet when the old one dies, but there is another contender for the role. She must prove that she has the lineage to claim the position. And where is the proof? Possibly inside a lost spaceship, the first ship to arrive on the planet, generations ago. No one knows where it is, but she has 100 days to find her proof. With Dumarest's help she goes off in search of the lost evidence.
This story is quite a bit different from the others, despite there being an arena fight starring Dumarest, and the usual bad guys. This time he gets to use his secret knowledge for something useful; this is the knowledge that the Cyclans are after. And another possible clue to finding Earth is uncovered. But surprise of surprises, at the end of the book he decides to stay awhile with Veruchia (surprise of surprises, the girl he loves does not die). A very good entry in the series.
*** 1/2 stars. Reviewed May 5th/23
VOL. 9: MAYENNE
From 1973 comes the 159 page continuation of this action packed series, starring the man who is searching for Earth (for no good reason). There is no mention of his extended stay with Veruchia from the previous story. This one begins with our hero on board a spaceship, heading further from the centre of the galaxy, where habitable planets are fewer and further between. This time the girl he meets is Mayenne. A creature on board the ship breaks loose, killing several of the crew and destroying the engines before being killed. The ship floats unguided through space. Nearly half of the book takes place on board the small ship, with the survivors trying to make do with what they have.
They are instantly transported to a distant planet by an alien being, who actually is the planet itself. The next part of the book that takes place on the planet is like an extended Star Trek episode, with Dumarest trying to outwit and outfight the alien being. The alien being is curious about the make up of humans, and what emotions are. When the subject turns to love (cue Captain Kirk), the being gets very curious.
Though the Cyclan race is not present in this novel, two of their agents are, and Dumarest is tricked into revealing the secret information that they are after. The story ends with Dumarest alone on a desert planet, the alien having flung him there after being convinced that he/she/it could never have a true loving relationship with him. Picked up by a driver on a desolate road, Dumarest is likely about to plunge into his next adventure. Stay tuned.
*** stars. Reviewed June 6th/23
VOL. 10: JONDELLE
From 1973 comes part 10 of the ongoing saga of Dumarest's search for Earth, lasting 159 pages. Jondelle is a young boy of six, blond hair, blue eyes, who is kidnapped and held in a secret location for eventual ransom. Dumarest stumbles upon the first kidnap attempt, and kills the three attackers. But the second attempt succeeds, and kills a number of innocent people on a farm where he has brought the boy to safety. The boy's mother and father are killed in the attack, and Dumarest promises the woman that he will find and rescue the boy.
And what a job that proves to be! It takes most of the novel and many adventures to finally locate the child and return him to his grateful grandparents. In between he has to hire a crew, a flier, and travel to a city of insanely violent people to trade goods. This gives him an opportunity to try and locate the boy, but he is not in the city. Getting into the local mines requires skill and trickery, but he finds one of the men involved in the kidnap, who gives him a clue to finding the boy.
There is a lot of death and mayhem in this tale, but overall it is a very good entry in the series. At the very end Dumarest gets yet another clue to the location of Earth. Will he ever find it? No, since Tubb never saw fit to allow him to. That is the real tragedy of this whole series. Tubb died in 2010, and in 2008 the last volume of the series was published. So don't expect Dumarest to finally end his quest. Sadly, it will never end.
*** 1/2 stars. Reviewed July 7th/23
#11: ZENYA
From 1994 comes a 157 page story of the on-going adventures of Earl Dumarest, a man searching for his birth planet, which happens to be Earth. Earth was essentially a disaster area when Earl left it as a child stowaway, and since then has been searching for clues as to its location. We are never told why he wishes to revisit a worn out, stripped down, ecologically dead world, but on he goes, adventure after adventure. He's had many opportunities to settle down and enjoy a bit of life, but Earl would rather risk his life hopping from planet to planet, asking questions about Earth's location. In this story, on the very last page, he gets some clues. Big deal. This has become a very thin thread trying to hold together a series of individual stories of adventure. We visit two new worlds this time, with most of the action occurring on the 2nd planet. Farming settlers appear to be having some problems with the primitive natives, and Earl gets himself hired to end the war that is ready to explode.
It's a good enough story, but not one of Tubb's best Dumarest ones. Two female characters form a backdrop to the manly action scenes, but they are shallow and only interested in themselves. In addition, they both have mental health issues. So no great women characters here, I'm afraid.
** 1/2 stars. Reviewed November 6th/24
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CAP KENNEDY SERIES
#1: GALAXY OF THE LOST
From 1973 comes this 125 page first novel of a new series by Tubb. He seemed to toss these novels off at least one per month. What a guy! Cap Kennedy is an agent, or investigator, for F.A.T.E, Free Acting Terran Envoy. He works with a small team, but has the backing of the major Earth intelligence and defence organizations. In this first exciting adventure, he is trying to solve the mystery of why space ships are disappearing from space, leaving no trace behind of what happened to them or where they went. Now this sounds like a typical SF pulp adventure plot. But wait. 1973 is not the 1950s, and Tubb, despite his writing speed, is not a hack writer. And besides, this is the post Star Trek years, so stories had to have some substance to them. And Tubb (writing as Kern) gives us our money's worth (75 cents back in the day, and $3.99 Can. today). The adventure begins like many another tale, even ones by Tubb. But it quickly heads off into true SF territory. An unmanned, very ancient alien device in another dimension is malfunctioning, drawing in ships from our universe, where they end up crashing and being used by scrap robots to feed the energy machine. Our hero and his small company of survivors go through quite an ordeal to find out this information. I'm hoping more will be learned about this ancient alien civilization as more books are read. Apparently the same aliens left some traces of their technology in our galaxy, but no one can make heads or tails from what remains. Again, as with so many of Tubb's stories, this would make a terrific SF film, simply by adding at least one major female character (alas, they are all males here). A good read, and a promising beginning to this new to me series.
*** 1/2 stars. Reviewed December 8th/23
#2: SLAVE SHIP FROM SERGAN
Slave Ship is from 1973, and is 127 pages long. This adventure seems to rehash many of the tales already told by this prolific pulp master. Cap ends up becoming a mining slave, and must orchestrate a break out before he can set things to right. A brutal race of reptilian people are being led by a particularly greedy member of their race, though he in turn is being tricked out of his mining fortune by two humanoids. In addition to becoming a slave, Cap also has to fight in the arena. How many times has this already happened in a story by Tubb? The title is there to attract boys to the genre, but there are no female slaves. Sorry, boys. There is only one woman in the story, and she is there very briefly. This is a man's world. Girls keep out. Oh, there is also a giant worm burrowing deep in the planetoid being mined. We have to have a giant underground worm.
No marks for originality here. We've read it before, both in single novels by Tubb and in his Dumarest series. I hope the other books in this series can raise themselves a bit higher.
** stars. Read February 9th/24
#3: MONSTER OF METELAZE
However, the art has nothing to do with this story.
From 1973 comes this 125 page pulp SF novel from one of the best of the trade. This time around Cap Kennedy works with a (male) team on the planet Metelaze to stop the government there from completing a series of towers that are supposed to give limitless energy to the planet. It's obvious to the Terrans that the towers will kill all life on the planet when activated. To find out what is going on, Cap gets himself into the planet's dictator's good side, eventually becoming his body guard. Assisted by a professor, a large and very strong man, and a person who blend in anywhere like a chameleon, they go to work to find out the truth.
The story jumps back and forth between the various Terran operatives, and becomes quite complex at times. Once the truth is known, the political council has to be convinced they are in danger. Some suspect it, but others support the dictator in everything. To add to the confusion, a fake religious leader out for power is harnessing his followers to overthrow the present system so he can take over. It's all very messy.
I won't spill the beans and say what the cause of all the fuss is, but I will say that it has something to do with the superior race that once lived all across the galaxy, and has since vanished. Could some of them be still around in some form, and brought back to life? This is a good story, and does not require any previous books to have been read.
*** stars. Reviewed April 6th/24
#4: ENEMY WITHIN THE SKULL
Art by Jack Gaughan.
The 4th entry in the SF series is actually quite good. Cap Kennedy must stop a mad alien from using a powerful new concoction that brings out the worst violent nature in humans when taken. The alien plans to administer massive doses to people on Earth, in the hope that they will turn violently on others, thus dooming the human race. As usual, the alien finds a receptive planet all too willing to believe his lies, which promises them untold power and riches once his plan succeeds. Not too likely.
This is a lively entry in the series. Cap works with a small team, and these people are finally being characterized more deeply as we come to know them better. One of them is the giant man depicted on the original cover, above. I think Tubb is borrowing a bit from the Doc Savage team, but not enough that it seems like a ripoff.
*** stars. Reviewed June 6th/24
#5: JEWEL OF JARHEN
The fifth book dates from 1974, and is a brief 111 pages. It features a good opening chapter, as the cruel leader of a medieval-type world is killed while on a hunt, and his more rational younger brother has to take over. The title jewel itself is quite intriguing, and forms the central plot line of the story. Cap and his boys are charged with a diplomatic mission, even though they are warriors rather than diplomats. This puts a different spin on the story as well. Science and magic and superstition meet on the planet Jarhen, as three civilizations compete for the right to trade with the backward planet and help it along its course of growth. When the previous Earth diplomat is found drowned in his bed, far from any water, Cap is called in. Good thing Cap can swim. How did someone drown when they weren't near water? Read this fun pulp adventure story to find out.
*** stars. Reviewed August 7th/24
#6: SEETEE ALERT
Seetee Alert is from 1974, and is 111 pages long. Cap Kennedy and his aides must save the Earth from a madman's scheme to destroy it. Sound familiar? Remember, this is Tubb, one of the best pulp fiction writers who ever lived to write. Cap and his team are up against a complicated plan that will use anti-matter, an asteroid, and a tunnel though space to rain fire and destruction upon Earth. Cap goes underground in disguise to try and figure out what is going on, and it takes him a long time to figure it out. And when he does, there is little time to act to stop the scheme. Tubb writes short novels, but they are so crammed with action and plot development that they always seem epic size by the time they are read. Cap is a sort of James Bond of the galaxy, also a type of Doc Savage character (with a team to match). Tubb is always fun to read, and this entry in the series is no exception.
*** stars. Reviewed October 9th/24
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THE WESTERNS
THE GOLD SEEKERS
Tubb wrote at least 11 westerns, currently available on Amazon Kindle for $0.99 each! I bought them all. Since the price went way up on his Dumarest novels (from $4.99 to $7.99), I have halted any further reading in that series until the price returns to something more decent. So get out your old set of spurs, your six gun, and that saddle you haven't used in years, and head out on the lonesome prairie with me for a spell.
This story comes from 1955, and is 117 pages long. It is a fast read, and a darn good one. I haven't read a western novel in many years, though I still enjoy many old films, including the Anthony Mann directed ones (usually with James Stewart). The hero of our story today is Marc, a former captain in the southern army during the Civil War. With the war over and his plantation burned and kinfolk killed, he has become a lone cowboy wanderer. After a saloon adventure (two of them, actually), he is forced to leave town. He takes the job of scouting for a wagon train of 15 wagons and families, heading for the gold fields in California.
While all the usual western cliches are there, including plenty of Indian fighting, some of the cliches are turned on their heads. For example, Marc has taken a 12 year old boy under his wing, training him to be a scout. When the boy's Pa is killed by Indians in a battle, he becomes an Indian hater. Tubb takes almost a full chapter (in a book of only 11 chapters) to explain to the boy why he shouldn't hate all Indians. He gives a full and complete picture of the position the Indians are in due to the encroachment of the whites into their territory, including having all their buffalo slaughtered. The only thing he emits is the giving of pox-filled old blankets to them. I give Tubb a lot of credit here for presenting the Indian side of things.
This is a rousing good tale, and though the wagon train makes it to California, their original goal has broken down to the point where none of them head for the gold fields; they take up farming instead. And less than half of them make it through the journey alive. I am hoping the other westerns are as good as this one.
***1/2 stars. Reviewed August 5th/23
THE CAPTIVE
From 1955 comes this short but engrossing 123 page western novel, taking place in a western desert sometime near the end of the Civil War. The South is losing, unable to feed or pay its troops. They try to smuggle a gold shipment from California to help their cause. A man is given the task of finding the wagon train shipping the gold, and to see that the gold does not reach the South. Along the way he is captured and tortured by Commanches. But again Tubb gives two sides to the story. The Indians are fighting a losing battle against white encroachment, and are desperate to die fighting. However, some want peace, no matter how many treaties the whites have broken. There aren't enough soldiers to deal with Indian raids, due to the Civil War. So the white general is also hoping for peace.
A decent pulp action novel with some strong characters, including Native ones, and even Southern ones (well, one anyway, a female). And what happens to the gold will keep adventurers searching for it forever. Good luck with that!
*** stars. Reviewed September 7th/23
THE SCOURGE OF THE SOUTH
From 1956 comes this 124 page western about a 12 year boy captured by Sioux after a wagon train attack, and raised as one of them. Once again Tubb takes the unusual path (for its day) of trying to get across both the Indian and the White view of the war. He also gives good, sound reasons as to why the Indians lost. To do this, he has to get pretty much inside of how their thinking is different from those of whites. Though perhaps his psychology would be considered too simplistic for today, for 1956 he was probably on the cutting edge of exposing the truth about how different native people are from white culture.
Sam is kidnapped, and a wagon train scout he is with flees. His boyhood is briefly told, but things get down to business more once he turns 17 and becomes a warrior, passing the ritual tests all boys had to undergo. Again we witness the senseless killing of thousands of buffalo by the whites, as the Natives watch helplessly, tied by treaties not to kill whites. All in all it is a pretty depressing, if rousing, story about the final days of the great tribes on the Great Plains. The scourge referred to in the title is Cochise, chief of the Apache.
Big Jim, the scout who was with Sam when they were attacked years ago, is captured by the Sioux. He has been aiding a buffalo hunter. Will Sam help him escape the tribe's death penalty and return to the world of the white man, or will he remain a Sioux, destined to live his life on a small reservation? Whichever way you look at it, this is heartbreaking history. I wonder what effect such novels had on their young readers in 1956? Compare this novel to Cannibal Owl by Chad Oliver, from 1994 (see the Oliver page within this blog). It makes me wonder if Oliver had ever read any of these Tubb westerns.
*** stars. Reviewed October 12th/23
THE LIBERATORS (Formerly Vengeance Trail)
From 1956 comes another short (118 pages) but effective western from the pen of one of the greatest of the pulp writers of the 50s. I wonder if Tubb could have ever imagined that someone would read and review his book in the year 2023. What remarkable times we live in. Not so remarkable were the times that General Grant lived in. A lone Confederate general returns home after the war, to find that his plantation home has been burned to the ground, his parents murdered by rogue Union soldiers, and his slaves have left the area. One loyal black servant remains. Joseph gives readers the side of what it was like to be a slave, and Tubb pulls no punches about the topic. Joseph is a great character, and he and Grant embark on a search for the killers. Of course the five men they are seeking are low life outlaws, and the story heads to a dusty and thirsty small Mexican town. Into the saloon we go, and eventually one of the men is found.
The book has a tight focus, with a small number of main characters. The action takes place in the saloon first, and then out in the wilderness, where the rest of the outlaws are tracked. When the Indians make an appearance, again Tubb seeks to educate the reader about their customs, way of thinking, and ultimately hopeless situation that they face in their battle to keep their land. Add to this the addition of a black man, a freed slave, a defeated Confederate general, and Tubb's novel would make good reading even today, possibly even in a high school English class, where the concept of vengeance, which is central to the story, could also provide lots of room for discussion.
A decent though very quick read.
*** stars. Reviewed Nov. 8th/23
THE PATHFINDERS
Originally published in 1955 as "Men of the Long Rifle," this is not a traditional western novel. Lasting only 13 chapters and about 120 pages, there are no cowboys here. The time is 1830. The East has been settled and civilized, and things are starting to move towards the west. There are Indians, and some of them are hostile. There are scattered frontier forts, but not much else. Ben is a mountain man who meets up with young Dan, running from the corrupt law of a small town where he and his mother are farmers. They are hired to lead a small expedition from the plains to over the mountains, as the search is on for good wagon routes west.
According to Tubb, mountain men are real men, not like those sissy farmers that eat vegetables and wheat and stuff like that. Real men eat meat, often raw, and nothing else. Hmm. Wonder how they avoided scurvy. Imagine going an entire winter and not eating anything but meat. And real men will kill a man first if needed, and ask questions later. Talking only makes things worse. Hmm again.
Anyway, the basic story is a good one, and it's fun to read a novel about the time before cattle, pony soldiers, and any kind of well travelled trail. Most travel was done by river, in barges, rafts, and canoes. Only the mountain men ventured much beyond the rivers, trapping and trading to make their way in the world.
There is a lot to mull in this book. With the urge to settle in the west growing, was there a different way of handling things then the way it was done? A British/Canadian captain near the end does suggest a different way, the way it was done in the north. In the end, though, Canadian Indians did not fare much better than their American cousins. The whole thing turned into a disaster, not only for the Indians, but also for the wildlife and vegetation. Cattle grazing (over grazing, to be precise) has decimated western lands. One could make a list a mile long to see what went wrong. Today, we face newer problems, as people from less fortunate areas of the world try to press their way into safer and more prosperous areas. While they cannot be blamed for wanting a safer and more prosperous life, the strain upon resources, both human and natural, goes on and on. The planet must be getting tired by now. And still we ask more from it.
*** stars. Reviewed January 4th/24
THE TRAIL BLAZERS
From 1956 comes this 118 page western novel, the kind of story that most people would recognize as a true western. It concerns a cattle drive from Texas to Cheyenne, Wyoming, before there were any cattle trails to follow. Besides natural obstacles such as desert, gullies, rivers, mountains, etc. there were also Indians to consider, and an evil bunch of gangsters in Kansas called the Jayhawkers. Once again Tubb's very enlightened view of Indians comes through loud and clear in the voice of his hero. But that doesn't stop a lot of Indians from getting killed, as well as whites who get in the way of the drive. One of my favourite TV shows as a kid was called Rawhide. It starred a very young Clint Eastwood as the assistant head drover, and Eric Fleming as the man in charge. It ran for 8 seasons and a total of 217 50' episodes. The unforgettable theme song was by Dmitri Tiomkin. Tubb's novel predates the series by 3 years, but is so close to the Rawhide series in spirit that it's hard to believe that it wasn't part of it. As usual with Tubb, this is a good read, and not far from the truth of what the early west was like.
*** stars. Reviewed March 9th/24
THE CURSE OF QUANTRILL
From 1956 comes this 120 page Civil War era western, starring that scourge of the North William Quantrill. Quantrill was a Southern Captain in the Rebel army. This story takes place near the end of the Civil War, and near the end of Quantrill's short life. It is a completely fictional account of the later years, with no mention of the James brothers being part of Quantrill's Raiders. There are many nearly forgotten stories of the Civil War. The criminal and violent things that Quantrill and his men did, and those of the rival Jayhawkers, are quite unspeakable, yet they are a part of almost any war. The same with victorious Union army as they marched through the South, burning, robbing, raping, and causing economic disaster for the losing side. Even after the war a lot of very nasty things went on that are best never forgotten, but always are. Tubb gives a creditable account of life near the end of the Civil War, and pulls no punches. A good read, and it made me research the facts about Quantrill.
*** stars. Reviewed July 6th/24
THE DYING TREE
I read the Kindle edition.
From 1956 comes this 139 page western novel. It takes place on the frontier just after the Civil War. The whites were settling the West, stealing treaty land from the Indians, killing the buffalo, and laying train tracks right through Sioux territory. It would only be a matter of time before things exploded into violence. The title is nonsensical and has nothing to do with the story. Tubb does not write traditional "John Ford" westerns, and is to be commended for showing so much understanding and sympathy for the native people. We learn much about their customs and habits, especially as it pertains to gaining coup and fighting wars. The opening chapter is one of the best western opening chapters I have ever read, as an old man, his young grandson, and drifter from the defeated southern army fend off an Indian attack on the old man's lonely supply post. A corrupt and greedy former Union officer soon enters the picture, and is the cause for the major eruption of a war pitting many tribes against the pony soldiers at an outlier fort deep in Indian territory. Quite a good read, with thrilling action scenes alternating with both sides searching for peace. Highly recommended, especially if you have never read a western novel before.
*** 1/2 stars. Reviewed September 14th/24
CAULDRON OF VIOLENCE
From 1957 comes this 119 page western, beginning in 1859, continuing through the civil war, and then ending sometime afterwards. The well written story focuses around Collin, who was 12 when Indians attacked his parents' homestead, killing them and his uncle, and burning down the house. He managed to escape, and doesn't seem to have a love affair with Indians afterwards. He lives with a host family until he joins up with the union army during the war. After being badly wounded in a successful attempt to blow up a southern railroad bridge, he recoups in hospital, wondering what lies next for him. After the war he leads a small wagon train of settlers heading west, through dangerous Indian territory. Most of the story describes this adventure. Though not too far from the plot of The Gold Seekers, above, Collin is a very different character. The wagon train encounters hostile Indians and must fight to the death until help arrives. As is now expected in a Tubb western tale, the Indian side of things is told well, making the inevitable outcome seem like a foretold prophecy. Another high quality tale from a pulp writing master.
*** stars. Reviewed May 7th/23
THE FIRST SHOT
For once, the cover of a Tubb western has something to do with the story. Even the title fits. The story is from 1957 and is 117 pages long. A man returns from the Civil War, having fought for the losing south. He had been a p.o.w. for two years, and was quite sick when the war ended. He heads home to his father's Texas ranch to find turmoil and misery, mostly due to the now valueless southern money. He encounters neighbouring ranchers who accuse him of rustling cows, and they beat him badly. With help from a few friends he sets out to set things right. This is a good story, and well represents what most people think a "western" novel should be. Once again Tubb treats the Indians with respect, and makes one of the bad guys a crooked government Indian agent. There is a high stakes poker game, and a climactic shoot out at the very end. A good story that would make a fine film.
*** stars. Reviewed Dec. 4th/24
Mapman Mike
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