"E. C. Tubb - Dumarest 32 - The Return" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tubb E. C)

could be a ruthless killer (but only if his life or that of a loved one
depended on it), but he could also be compassionate to others,
and a champion of children and those less fortunate than
himself. Dumarest, in fact, grew into the composite of all Tubb's
earlier heroes — a galactic Every man, but with a convincing
logical consistency. He never did anything out of character, but
new facets were added with each novel. There was hardly a plot,
character, or situation Tubb could conceive that could not be
incorporated into a Dumarest novel.

Tubb had a choice. He could end the Dumarest series in favor
of a succession of one-off novels, and try to sell them, or he could
write them as a Dumarest and be reasonably sure of a sale and
worldwide subsidiary sales.

Tubb, in fact, did both continue to write Dumarest and to
create non-Dumarest novels (he even created other character
series). Dumarest continued for eighteen years, settling at two
novels per year. In an interview about DAW Books in the early
1980's, Donald A. Wollheim was asked how long the Dumarest
series was to continue. Wollheim's reply was revealing:

"Obviously, as long as I'll buy them and as long as people will
keep buying them. I'm sure that E.C. Tubb is not planning to end
it, because it's too profitable.they have a nice following. As far as
I'm concerned, they can go on indefinitely… You know, Tubb, if
he's in his right mind, will never have this man [Dumarest] find
Earth…"
 —(Sense of Wonder, Oryx Press 1985)

Wollheim, always the shrewdest of operators in the sf market
place, was happy for Tubb to continue writing Dumarest
adventures, and indeed actively encouraged him to do so.

Critics brought to the later Dumarest novels a built-in
prejudice based on their own belief that Dumarest had to find
Earth. But anyone who reads them objectively will find that the
novels have a range of themes and ideas that can be enjoyed as a
one-off novel, and whether Dumarest goes forwards, backwards,
or sideways in his quest to find Earth does not particularly
matter.

Not sufficiently acknowledged is the fact that even within the
Dumarest mythos itself, there was considerable development and
advancement of the underlying plot, as in, for example, the
mysterious degeneration of the cyber brains. The discovery of the
Original People credo, and the ingenious explorations of myths
and legends, exemplified in the angels and demons in Earth Is
Heaven. And there was also a gradual tightening of the
underlying strands of mystery as to the relationship of the Cyclan