The Terra Data

Dumarest of Terra #22

by E.C. Tubb

That there was ever a planet called Earth only Earl Dumarest believed. He had been seeking it a long time, though nobody else at the crowded galactic center believed in it. He had acquired some bits of information during his search outwards: a Terrestrial zodiac, an authentic painting of Luna, a general series of hints that he was getting closer. Then he learned of a man who knew where Earth was, who had the special coordinates that would take a starship directly to it.

The man had lived on Elysius, and his widow knew where his data were. She demanded a price from Dumarest—a chore that involved a mining expedition which would bring her back a fortune and him the information.

But Elysius was not the Elysium its name projected and THE TERRA DATA not so rapidly come by!

Genres: Science Fiction

172 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 1980

About the author

Edwin 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.

Reviews

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed every Dumarest of Terra book I've read by Tubb, but this one was a cut above most. The ending was actually a surprise to me, although thinking back it shouldn't have been. But I like when a writer can still 'get' me.

Tubb always does pretty realistic portrayals of people, and he does a good job with exotic settings. This one had a pretty cool idea at the core, a planet where people seem to be content not to work or strive. I won't tell you why. An episode of Star Trek the original series had a kind of similar premise.

[Ian Massey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adventure, excitement, death, twists, betrayals, hope and, ultimately, despair. Just another regular volume in the Dumarest saga

[Tentatively, Convenience · Rating 3 out of 5]

review of
E. C. Tubb's The Terra Data
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - July 24, 2026

So close & yet so far. As I've written before, I bought something like 16 of these Dumarest of Terra novels in a lot off eBay just to give the author a whirl. I don't exactly regret it but I definitely have better things to do than read these. Nonetheless, I read them. They're easy & if & when I'm too exhausted for anything else, they're 'perfect'. I just now noticed that the skull on the cover has a hole in the middle of its forehead. That's a spoiler but who cares?

I've kvetched before that these bks, being part of a serial, have too many repeating elements. Once you've read about the Tisane & the Basic & the Rafts & the Cyclan & High & Low Passage & all the rest you don't necessarily want to read about them again. & again. But if you read these bks you will. Again. & Again.

This one devotes more time to the Cyclan than any of the others I've read yet. I suppose that's a trifle refreshing. As for women? Well, if you're Earl of Dumarest there're going to be one or more eager to have sex w/ you, eager to tell you how much they love you, & eager to destroy yr life if you won't let them own you. This bk's from 1980 so the yrs are slowly marching along here.

"Ambition, even the emotionless aspirations of a cyber, had to accept the limitations pf reality. It took time for a cyber to gain the trust of a ruler. More to make himself indispensible. Years and even decades before the domination of the Cyclan could be so firmly established that nothing could shake it." - p 10

Jesuits, in other words. Honestly, I just want them, & all their fellow travelers, to fail & be done w/ it.

One of the more unique aspects of this bk, in terms of the serial, not in terms of bks in general, is that there's a world where human culture is slowly deteriorating b/c of the widespread use of what one might call the "laissez-faire" drug, a drug that causes its user to feel like everything's ok the way it is & that, therefore, any effort beyond the hedonism of the moment is a waste of time. Or something like that.

""There's no manna in it, that I swear. I don't use the stuff. I saw what it did to the man who owned this place, my parents, too many others. Drink up, Earl, and let me work on those bruises."" - p 94

Each of the Dumarest novels puts the hero in an ever-more dangerous situation. The one in wch he uses the Affinity Twin to battle a giant undersea creature might've been my personal favorite. This time he's engaged in mining in an attempt to recover the "Terra Data" of the title. Much to no-one's surprise there's a mine cave-in in wch Dumarest saves a fellow miner by being what he always is: the guy w/ the courage & intelligence & strength to stick his neck out in just-the-right-way. &, yes, it's exciting.

""Watch!" Sven Axilia held a bowl of oil in which floated a burning wick. Gently he set it down on the floor of the tunnel and retreated to stand beside Dumarest. "Watch," he said again.

"The tunnel was dark, external noises muffled by turns and distance, the tiny point of light throwing a clear, steady glow. Too steady as Dumarest knew.

""No drafts," he said.

""Which means no ventilation."" - p 121

"They were long, thin, perforated with countless holes rammed deep into the slope under Axilia's direction. The tanks Mtouba had supplied contained a blend of chemicals which, when mixed, generated a high-pressue, low-temperature gas of extreme permeability. Blasted from the nozzles it should create a bond to hold the loose detritus by the creation of ice.

""Ready?" Axilia stooped over the couplings. "Here we go!"

"Frost whitened the union and nozzles, more coating the slope with a thin, glistening film. The miner lifted a warning hand as Toscaw moved in." - p 161

I continue reading these bks b/c I have them, they're quick & easy, & I want closure. There's always something to every bk that grabs my interest, in this case the mining particulars, but as a serial experience I find them rather tedious. Still, they're better than any SciFi adventure I've ever written (I haven't written ANY) so who am I to criticize?!

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I enjoyed this one even more than most. The storyline following the Cyber Prime exposes some juicy details on the inner power structure of the Cyclan and its leadership. Of course we also follow Dumarest, who finds himself on a remote world in search of a professor who may have crucial knowledge of Earth. He finds the locals in a perpetual state of blissful lethargy, induced by the consumption of the remains of insect like creatures that are found in abundance. The result is a world in decline from a severe labor shortage as nobody is motivated to work, as well as a dwindling population as apparently they can't be bothered with raising children either.

The story packs a great sense of claustrophobic suspense as Dumarest navigates a system of unstable makeshift mines and caves in order to uncover the professor's most closely held secret. There's an obligatory fight scene or two, and a couple of love interests. Yet these seem more cold and calculated than usual, with Dumarest wielding his charms solely to further his quest. Things wrap up with an unexpected twist. Also unexpected and a bit strange that the Cyclan storyline never ties in to Dumarest's.

[The Maverick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not up to par with the rest of the series! The conclusion of this one was particularly unsatisfying. I was inclined to give this book a rating of just one star, but bumped that up to two stars on account of the sections that give an inside look at the leadership of the Cyclan. Read those parts and skip the rest...

[Hans van der Veeke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review in the last volume of the series.
A special mention for this volume. I enjoyed it very much. The insight in the Cyclan, the story and also the anthropology is worthwhile.

[Liedzeit Liedzeit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terra Data we do not get. So Dumarest meets a guy called Hans who claims who knows someone who knows about Earth. They travel to the planet Elysius taking with them a girl Dumarest bought that he intends to return to her family. A sub plot that serves no purpose at all.

The guy with the knowledge about Earth turns out to be dead. Apparently died in a mining accident. Unless he was killed by his wife, Isobel. Who is one of the lovers in this episode. Dumarest tries to find the corpse because he might have the kept the secret in some medallion. Of course he ultimately fails. But as always I love following him on his quest.

There is a nice frame story about the old and new Prime cyber. And I liked that there was not much fighting going on.

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am struggling but determined to reread this series one last time. Nuggets in each but so much repetition to cover and stuff I just want to skim past. I have read them all too many times. The first few times I read them, they were terrific and I loved the creation and obviously since he went to to write 32 books about Dumarest, I was not the only fan who followed the series, bought the books, harassed him to keep writing them. I am sad to have lost the thread....is it age? Is science fiction no longer my fascination? I persevere.

[Riccardo Raam M · Rating 3 out of 5]

interested