Gold Edition Launched

by Klaus N. Frick

April 10, 2003


Certain points have come up repeatedly since I started working at Pabel-Moewig and sharing responsibility for the fortunes of the PR series. One of them has been raised by various fans throughout these ten years: “You ought to consider reissuing the best episodes of the Perry Rhodan series in a special high-quality edition!"

This request could not be met for many years.   Neither the production of the booklet novellas nor the marketing of the PR “silver volumes" left any room for that.   But now the HJB publishing company is implementing this suggestion from the readers: The first two volumes of the “Perry Rhodan Gold Edition" have just been printed and are being delivered right away to initial customers.

Naturally, issue #1 is included: “Unternehmen Stardust" (Link auf Gold-Edition) (Enterprise Stardust), the legendary first PR novel by K. H. Scheer that launched the series in September 1961. The second title to be published is issue #1000, “Der Terraner" (Link auf Gold-Edition) (The Terran) by William Voltz, which marks an important milestone in the history of the biggest space adventure series.

The volumes are not designed as novella booklets but as paperbacks - yet utilizing, of course, the original cover pictures by Johnny Bruck. The interior is not set in double columns, as is typical for the novella booklets, but in single columns, as is customary for books. Expert commentaries by Michael Thiesen put the finishing touch on the volumes.

Clearly, these volumes are something for the fans, and to be more exact, for collectors who would like to own and display the classic PR episodes in a handsome edition.   I include myself in this group and already have set aside a spot in my apartment.

Interestingly, there is a model for the design of the “Gold Edition": In 1987 the Eichborn publishing company, which at the time was especially known for its satirical books, released a reissue of the first PR novel, which also included an epilogue and some commentaries.   However, that wasn’t a publication targeted at Perry Rhodan fans but instead at university students, who at the time tended to favor the Eichborn products.   Incidentally, the Eichborn edition itself is a highly sought-after collector’s item for many fans.

The same can be expected for the “Gold Edition": The edition is limited in number, and in a few years it will command a premium price.