Re: Traveller Inspirations

> What were the original inspirations for Traveller?

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned 'Dumarent of Terra' by E.C. Tubb.

As a boy, our hero stows away on a Far Trader's ship. The old captain
has a soft spot and (instead of spacing him) takes him under his wing.
Many years later the captain dies. Dumarest is God-knows where in the
multi-cultural galaxy and decides to return to Earth, to which everyone
replies "Earth? Mythical Earth?  You're joking, right?"

He travels from from planet to planet in Low Passage (occasionally
High), and frequently must rely on his knowledge of Blade Combat to
survive.

Every book leads us to a new an strange world, with Dumarest trying to
find passage to the next world on his journey to Mythical Earth. Many
of the planets/cultures he encounters could be described in UWP codes
trivially.

Nearly every book of the 50? 60? could be a Traveller adventure
setting.  A number of the terms and situations are directly reproduced
in the Traveller rules.  Coincidence? You decide...

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Bob Simpson [email removed]
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