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Dumarest of Terra #31
The Temple of Truth
Earl Dumarest travels to the world of the Guardians in hopes of finding information about the legendary planet, Earth, but is pursued by the Cyclan, who hope to steal his body-switching formula
- GenresScience Fiction
224 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 1985
3 people are currently reading
76 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
March 24, 2026
A terrific Dumarest adventure and one of the series' most propulsive entries. The suspense ratchets up as Earl's quest takes a darker turn, and once Dumarest is framed and turned into the hunted quarry in a brutal, Running Man style chase, the book barely lets up. Tubb then shifts gears, sending Dumarest to lead a band of seedy outlaws in an audacious heist aimed at plundering the secrets at the center of a galactic cult of Earth worshippers. With the Cyclan, of course, fast closing in. The result is lean, fast, and full of tension. A 5-star read and very solid lead up to the series finale.
February 2, 2018
I had an interesting thought while reading this book. Much has been made, in the more recent Dumarest books, of the great luck possessed by Earl Dumarest. The Cyclan have inescapable trap after inescapable trap set, yet Dumarest continually escapes them. Surely, it's his immense luck that allows him to continually slip through the clutches of the Cyclan.
However... Any planet he goes to, he's sure to run a-foul of any deadly local thingums. Required servitude in the sewage tunnels for penniless new arrivals? No matter how much money he has, Dumarest won't be able to produce it at the right moment. Annual hunt where convicted criminals are the prey? Dumarest will be framed for murder. One-in-eight-billion lottery to go into the Saarlak? Dumarest will be chosen.
He's got crappy luck. His only real good luck is that he's (so far) been able to survive any Low Passages he takes.
I think he really only has good luck in comparison to the Cyclan. Their luck is bags worse than Dumarest's own luck. The Cyclan should never go gambling because they'll lose their robes. They'd probably lose a bet on the color of their own robes.
However... Any planet he goes to, he's sure to run a-foul of any deadly local thingums. Required servitude in the sewage tunnels for penniless new arrivals? No matter how much money he has, Dumarest won't be able to produce it at the right moment. Annual hunt where convicted criminals are the prey? Dumarest will be framed for murder. One-in-eight-billion lottery to go into the Saarlak? Dumarest will be chosen.
He's got crappy luck. His only real good luck is that he's (so far) been able to survive any Low Passages he takes.
I think he really only has good luck in comparison to the Cyclan. Their luck is bags worse than Dumarest's own luck. The Cyclan should never go gambling because they'll lose their robes. They'd probably lose a bet on the color of their own robes.
October 22, 2016
Trying to think of which actor I want to play Dumarest :-) Still pleased with this series but looking forward to a conclusion. These near misses are a bit tiresome. He gets so close and then ooops.
February 15, 2026
The final trifecta of books in the run-up to the finale ("Symbol of Terra", "The Temple of Truth", and "The Return") are far and away the best of the Dumarest series.
Yes, there's still the ubiquitous fair maidens that all more-or-less fall madly in loooOooOoooove with our hunky hero. There's the obligatory Cyclan baddies who always seem to only work alone or maybe with a Cyclan-in-training in tow. And of course the inevitable heartbreak and/or betrayals that keep our homeboy Earl always single and ready to mingle (and increasingly paranoid).
But this final set of books have the energy and vibe to truly have the focus of the plot mirror the focus of Earl: Earth.
No silly side-quests.Each of these books actively stay focused on the entire M.O. of the series: having our boy Earl make solid progress to make his way home.
No walking-in-place storylines that barely-if-at-all move things forward.
No distracting escort missions for the various semi-helpless Damsels-in-Distress.
No "So-and-so's step half cousin twice removed has a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend that one time mentioned the word 'Earth' in a remote corner of a remote planet and therefore must be investigated as a clue!" tenuous AF plots.
Yes, there's still the ubiquitous fair maidens that all more-or-less fall madly in loooOooOoooove with our hunky hero. There's the obligatory Cyclan baddies who always seem to only work alone or maybe with a Cyclan-in-training in tow. And of course the inevitable heartbreak and/or betrayals that keep our homeboy Earl always single and ready to mingle (and increasingly paranoid).
But this final set of books have the energy and vibe to truly have the focus of the plot mirror the focus of Earl: Earth.
November 29, 2020
Full review in the final volume of the series.
This one got five stars because it reads just like an action movie.
This one got five stars because it reads just like an action movie.
January 20, 2012
Lots of leads which either went nowhere, or just weren't followed, and finally Earl has another lead. He joins a team of robbers who are heading to the temple of truth, they for loot and he for knowledge. Does he find any knowledge? Does the reader even find out why he never follows it up, if he does?
This being the second to last book in the series, is part of the lead up to Earl finally finishing his quest, and as such is better than average. Gone is the overly formulaic one-off go-nowhere blind search, at this point in the series he just has promising lead after promising lead. Only mildly formulaic, this novel has an interesting story painting an intriguing culture that lives in the temple.
This being the second to last book in the series, is part of the lead up to Earl finally finishing his quest, and as such is better than average. Gone is the overly formulaic one-off go-nowhere blind search, at this point in the series he just has promising lead after promising lead. Only mildly formulaic, this novel has an interesting story painting an intriguing culture that lives in the temple.
May 25, 2015
1991 grade B-
Dumarest book 31
Earth's coordinates are found
Dumarest book 31
Earth's coordinates are found
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews