The Wind of Gath

 

Earl Dumarest just wants to go home. 

The Winds of Gath is the first book in the Dumarest saga. It's a long series (30 odd books) detailing the episodes as he tries to return to Earth. The conceit is that he left his home planet as a child, and now no one remembers how to get back there. Or if they do know, they're not telling. 

I've only read a few of these, and the pattern seems to be that in each book he arrives on a planet, perhaps gets a clue about how to return to Earth, and then moves on. In this one he arrives on a world called Gath, a planet pretty much known for the Winds of Gath- a frequent storm that induces people to see things. 

A drug storm? 

Our hero is more of an anti hero- tough, amoral. Yet he often, grudgingly, does the right thing. There's usually a form of single combat, too, or at least in the ones I've read. A pattern- these are probably all written to a formula- but they're different and compelling enough that I'm never bored. At least in the few I've read. 

 In this one Dumarest is stranded on Gath when his ship is re- routed there by a wealthy party who basically buy out the fare. Our hero was riding Low- meaning he's riding with the livestock, it's cheaper but comes with a 15% mortality rate. The wealthy party is riding High passage, of course, and when he wakes up Dumarest finds himself on the wrong planet. Gath. With no way off and no money. 

Of course he gets into trouble and we have misadventures as the wealthy group turns out to be something more than monied tourists. The concept of a storm that induces psychedelia and visions is intriguing. This is definitely an old school read but I had a good time with this.