Perry Rhodan InfoTransmitter
August 2004

A visual gem featuring expressive artwork by Dirk Schulz

An Editor’s Log Entry

By Klaus N. Frick

June 2, 2004 - In the life of an editor, both joy and sorrow are close at hand. At times, we find ourselves sitting at our desks filled with mixed emotions, wondering just how to react to certain events.

Well, before I completely confuse you, dear reader, let me start with the good news. A new Perry Rhodan double issue is about to appear, volumes 2236 and 2237, both written by H.G. Francis, a man justifiably known as a “doyen” of his profession.

Both volumes are set on the less known world of Caiwan, located about 400 light-years from the Hayok system. For many hundreds of years, the Terrans more or less ignored this planet, regarding it as a less developed world, inhabited by the Caiwans and belonging to the Arkonide empire. But suddenly, Caiwan turns into an important place—and H.G. Francis tells that story in his two novels.

I don’t want to reveal too much about their contents at this point. Their titles already provide the readers with enough material for speculation: “Der Finger Gottes” [God’s Finger] and “Die Welt der Hyperkristalle” [The World of the Hypercrystals]. Aside from the Caiwanian Dando Gentury, the hero in both novels, additional characters are featured whom readers already know from past volumes in the current storyline.

What might appear at first glance as an ordinary planetary adventure turns out to be a representative example of the current situation in the Milky Way galaxy of the so-called Perryverse.  In his very entertaining double issue, H.G. Francis manages to draw several parallels with the current political and social situation of present-day Earth. Examples include the relationship between the industrialized world and “underdeveloped” countries as well as economic issues, demonstrating the author’s grasp of current affairs. All the more sad that this double issue will be H.G. Francis’ last contribution to the Perry Rhodan series for a long time.

As Francis had already told us right after the recent Perry Rhodan writers’ conference: “Ernst Vlcek’s retirement gave me a lot to think about. I’m approaching seventy now, and I’d like to step back a bit.” He views his double issue as a farewell. “This way, readers will remember me as a good writer.”

Thus, H.G. Francis is withdrawing from working as a team author but will still be part of the Perry Rhodan series in the future. “I’d still like to write one issue per cycle, like a guest author, just as Hans Kneifel has already been doing.”

Moreover, he will also remain connected to the publishing company and the series through other joint projects. However, I can’t reveal more details about that at this point.

Personally, I will always think of H.G. Francis as the writer who created, among other things, the endearing Posbi friend Galto Quolfahrt. Francis and I were just talking about that the other day on the phone. The Quolfahrt adventures will soon be reprinted in the book edition—I’m looking forward to that. And then there’s Francis’ favorite character: Icho Tolot. The Halutans were always close to his heart. Many more memories and anecdotes come to mind, but let’s just all wait and see what’s next.

So much on this double issue, which I really recommend to all of you. So much, also, on the retirement of a writer from active membership in the Perry Rhodan team, something which saddens me in the wake of twelve years of intense collaboration.

Heyne’s retail catalog reveals more information …

June 3, 2004 - Starting in November 2004, the Munich-based  Heyne publishing company will be releasing the six-volume “ Lemuria” paperback miniseries. Following the successful “ Andromeda” and “ Odyssee” [Odyssey] series, this marks the third time that Perry Rhodan is playing a prominent role in Heyne’s publishing program.

The final cover designs for the Lemuria series are not even available yet at Heyne’s official web site. Nevertheless, retail book dealers can already admire the fascinating covers, which were designed by Oliver Scholl: Together with informational copy, the covers can be seen in the retail dealers’ catalog on paperbacks scheduled for publication this winter.

The two catalog pages are reproduced  here on our web site so that Perry Rhodan readers can already look forward to exciting new reading material this fall!

An Editor’s Log Entry

By Klaus N. Frick

 

June 7, 2004 -    I admit that I’m among those people who are easily influenced by visual stimuli, as proven once again by the CD at hand: This music CD by  The Psychedelic Avengers presents itself in an appealing cardboard package, with visuals created by our very own Perry Rhodan cover artist  Alfred Kelsner. Huge spaceships in front of a background of an infinite number of stars, space-jets inside an asteroid field—these designs were taken from Perry Rhodan covers with permission by the artist and the publishing company.

As the CD cover informs us (in English), “..most of this music was inspired by PERRY RHODAN.” The creators of this CD, who in fact are well known within the “new” psychedelic rock music scene, see this music as a kind of soundtrack to a “science fiction b-movie” that inspires the imagination of the listeners.

The music underscores this concept: Electronically enhanced sounds waft for several minutes at a time. Traditional song structures are generally intentionally disregarded. When listening to this with eyes closed, you are sometimes indeed reminded of the long sequences in the classic sf movie “2001.” Clearly the CD’s creators are inspired by that aspect of the 1960’s.

A taste for this kind of music is definitely called for when giving this CD a spin. Folks who prefer more straightforward sounds will find themselves in the wrong place. This is an experimental CD, which at the same time sounds a kind of space music. Overall, I think its interesting—and even if only because  Alfred Kelnser’s artwork indeed fits the music very well.

The cheerful writer stops by for a visit in Rastatt

The artist scores with his study for a Perry Rhodan comic book …

Additional information on the new paperback miniseries

Thomas Ziegler’s guest novel

June 17, 2004 -  2235 is a very special Perry Rhodan issue: “Todesspiele” [Death Games] involves a guest appearance by writer  Thomas Ziegler! With this volume, Thomas checks back in after an absence that began close to 1,000 issues ago. Back then, he left his mark on the series as both a staff writer and a plot developer during a critical phase of the series. More on him can be found in his  bio (in German).

So, welcome back, Thomas!

P.S.: And in case you enjoyed “Todesspiele” as much as we did, you’ll soon be able to read more by Thomas. He’s currently working on his volume of the “Lemuria” paperback miniseries, which will be launched this fall. Title: “Die letzten Tage von Lemuria” [Lemuria’s Final Days].

The Perry Rhodan cartoons reach a milestone!

June 18, 2004 - The 50^th Perry Rhodan cartoon by  Thomas Scheileke is now on deck—a nice milestone, which we want to celebrate accordingly, with an exclusive profile of this artist. Curious?  Here it is!

Two new releases in June

Windows XPâ bootskins with Perry Rhodan themes

June 25, 2004 - Windowsâ XPâ bootskins—what’s that? That’s what we editors, too, asked ourselves when Perry Rhodan reader Reinhard Gross asked for permission to offer bootskins with Perry Rhodan themes on the Internet.

The mystery was quickly solved. The bootskin is what you first see when you switch on a PC with Windows XPâ. Usually it’s Microsoft’s logo, but freeware can be used to display any other theme.

And that’s what Reinhard did: He has created bootskins from four images by  Alfred Kelsner and  Swen Papenbrock. They can be downloaded from Reinhard’s web site ( www.rgross.de/bootskin.htm), where you’ll also find instructions (in German) and the program needed to install the skins.

Nice job, Reinhard!

An Editor’s Log Entry

By Klaus N. Frick

July 7, 2004 - “Mitten drin statt nur dabei” [Right in the middle instead of just on the sidelines]—striking a central theme, this is the title under which the Perry Rhodan fan club  Terranischer Club Eden has now released a book publication commemorating  Peter Terrid. This writer for Perry Rhodan, Atlan, Mythor, and Kommissar X (just to mention a few of the series to which he contributed) passed away on December 8, 1998, just shy of fifty years of age.

This impressive commemorative volume spans 284 pages and features a color cover, and includes an equally impressive CD-ROM. I have nothing but praise for the incredible effort made by the three editors—Kurt Kobler, Joachim Kutzner, and Andy Schmid. This commemorative volume succeeds on all levels.

The volume introduces us to  Peter Terrid in all his nuances. For example, he was always in the mood for a good conversation. Fans and professionals share their memories of this writer, who for good reason he was very popular among the readers. Also included are short stories and articles by Terrid. An overview of his extensive creative output makes it easier to search for additional works by Terrid at flea markets and second-hand book sellers.

Of particular interest to me: the transcript of a panel discussion where  Wolfpeter Ritter—the writer’s proper name—argued with Andrea Nahles, the then national chairperson of the Jusos [Translator’s Comment: “Jusos” is an abbreviation of “Jungsozialisten” or Young Socialists, the youth organization of the German Social Democratic Party], about literature in general and booklet novella series in particular. Wolfpeter Ritter proved himself not only a good writer but also an incisive debater who could present thoughtful opinions on many topics.

Also impressive is the added CD-ROM. It should work with all common browsers and is designed both for Windows as well as Apple and Linux operating systems. It contains a vast collection of photographs, graphic designs, and cover images, plus audio and video recordings taken at cons and other events.

Overall, a very accomplished product that hardly shows that it was created by fans for fans. I recommend this commemorative book to everyone.

The book costs 14.00 Euros plus shipping. For more information (in German), go to:  http://www.terranischer-club-eden.com/special/terridmain.htm. For inquiries about international orders, write to:  terrid@terranischer-club-eden.com.

U.S. newsletter presents Oliver Scholl’s work

July 13, 2004 - Computer technology is increasingly becoming an indispensable tool for our cover artists. One who can no longer be “without” it is  Oliver Scholl, creator of the impressive cover images for the “ Lemuria” paperback series starting this fall (and of course of the equally impressive covers of the previous paperback series “ Andromeda” and “ Odyssee”!). That Oliver’s work is appreciated not just by Perry Rhodan readers, writers, and editors is now demonstrated by the current issue of the U.S. newsletter  in•form•Z – as you can see from the picture shown here.

An Editor’s Log Entry

By Bettina Lange

July 15, 2004 - Released on July 15,  Hans Kneifel’s novel “In der Eisgruft” [In the Tomb of Ice] is the sixth volume and halfway mark of the “ATLAN-Obsidian” story cycle. Fans of this veteran writer have something to look forward to. At this point, the series is “in the can,” and all writers and illustrators are hard at work or at least getting geared up. Thus, it’s just the right time to pass on additional exciting information and also to reveal a secret.

Written by  Michael Marcus Thurner, who already contributed “Die Savannenreiter von Vinara” [The Savannah Riders of Vinara] to Obsidian, volume seven, “Sardaengars Botschaft” [Sardaengar’s Message], will introduce the second half of the story cycle.

The rest of Obsidian will proceed as follows:

Volume 8: “Die Technostadt” [Techno-Town] by  Bernd Frenz

Volume 9: “Braune Pest” [Brown Plague] by  Arndt Ellmer

Volume 10: “Im Land der Silbersäulen” [In the Land of the Silver Columns] by Ralf Schuder

Volume 11: “Die Macht des Kristallmondes” [The Power of the Crystal Moon] by Michael H. Buchholz.

“Die Obsidian-Kluft erwacht” [The Obsidian Chasm Awakes] will be the twelfth and final episode. None less than  Uwe Anton, who’s also developed the storyline for “Obsidian,” will describe the final showdown.

 Dirk Schulz already thrilled us with his covers for the first four volumes.  Hank Wolf is doing the covers for volumes five through eight. We were able to recruit him for this second block of four, as we already had with the “Centauri” series, and you, the readers, can look forward to his work.

As for the covers for the third and final block, back in April we couldn’t tell you who the artist would be. Well, it’s  Swen Papenbrock. We like to also let our excellent veteran illustrators try their hand in other areas. For “Centauri” we had engaged  Alfred Kelsner, and this year we asked Swen to be part of the team. We’re quite sure that many readers will appreciate this.

As far as the internal drawings are concerned, a fresh new perspective is being provided by  Dietmar Krueger throughout all twelve volumes.

Normally this Editor’s Log Entry would have been written by  Sabine Kropp, but our Atlan editor is currently on her (well-deserved) Obsidian halftime break.

So much for this report from the Obsidian workshop. Have fun with the rest of Obsidian!

An Editor's Log Entry

By Klaus N. Frick

July 16, 2004 - It was almost like a holiday celebration: This week, the new  Perry Rhodan calendar arrived from the printers. It was printed on site at the publishing company in Rastatt, which meant that our colleagues only had to take it across the courtyard to deliver it to our offices.

The entire Perry Rhodan editorial team was thrilled: The colleagues in our print shop had managed to print the wonderful details of  Dirk Schulz’s artwork as well as the calendar’s modern visuals just perfectly, transforming them into a visual pleasure for the buyer.

For my part, I reverently thumbed through the calendar after extracting it from the shipping package. The images are excellent:  Shallowain the Dog;  Anguela, the Beacon; and  Ascari da Vivo; plus bold spaceships, more fascinating aliens—all in all, an impression of the world of Perry Rhodan the likes of which we haven’t seen in a long time.

The calendar is already hanging on the wall of the editorial offices. It’s still quite a while before January 2005, but in the end, we still need to be prepared. I still have to find some room at home…but in any event, my  2005 Perry Rhodan Calendar will certainly be prominently displayed in my study.

An Editor's Log Entry

By Sabine Kroop

July 30, 2004 - Great news for all Atlan fans: Initially conceived at 12 volumes, the Atlan­ miniseries will continue! Volume 13 of the series will be in the stores right on schedule on October 22, 2004, i.e., without any interruption, marking the start of a new mini storyline whose title we won’t reveal yet.

Due to the great popularity of the “ Obsidian” story line, management at the publishing company has decided to continue Atlan. As wonderful as this news is for everyone and as much as we’re thrilled about it, it also means rolling up our sleeves and immediately getting started with further preparations.

And that’s in spite of the fact that you only just received Michael Marcus Thurner’s volume 7, “ Sardaengars Botschaft” [Sardaengar’s Message]. Let me explain: I’m currently getting volume 11 of the series (by Michael H. Buchholz) ready for printing; the many internal production processes simply makes such advance planning necessary.

 Uwe Anton will continue to be responsible for plot development, and he’s already working on the action past volume 12.  Klaus N. Frick,  Uwe Anton and I will meet next week at the editorial offices in Rastatt to discuss further details.

I will keep you all posted at regular intervals—I promise!

So, till then—and enjoy the ongoing adventures of our immortal Arkonide.

Ad Astra!

 Sabine Kropp