The "Dumarest of Terra" series is a series of 32 Science Fiction novels written by E.C.Tubb. The series is still not finished despite having begun back in 1967. It is best described as a space opera. set in the our galaxy in the far future, where the existance of Earth is all but a distant memory (like Atlantis is to us), it's position forgotten by humantiy. The series main character, Earl Dumarest was originally born on Terra, but left it with a Free Trader as a kid. Now, he spends his time travelling the galaxy, and searching for a way back home. Dumarest is somewhat of a cynic, relies on his slightly superior strength and relexes to get by, and has, maybe as a result of that, quite a way with the ladies. He is unable to settle down, however, but constantly driven onward, forced to travel every which way he can to reach his final destination.
On top of that, there are those who like the fact that Earth is forgotten, and want it to remain that way. They are the Cyclans. and they oppose Dumarest where ever they can.
The feeling and settingis very similar to that of the Traveller role playing game, and many fans of the game believe some inspirations for the game were taken from this series. For example way travelling between the stars is described, with cold berths where the passenger risks his life to travel cheap, High Passages, Combat Drugs, Free Traders and others are very similar in both instances. The same goes for the fact that every world is different, with it's own system of government, Tech Level and way of life. So when preparing for a game of Traveller, it might be a good idea to read some of these books as inspiration.
Here is a link for more detailed information on the story, with many spoilers:
- http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Cavern/5792/companion.htm
The books in the order of publication:
This was a nodeshell rescue mission!