A Perry Rhodan Spin Tale on the Double
Intro
Captain Orlgans' thoughts betray him as his Springer ship skirmishes with a New Power fleet in the Beta-Albireo system. Saboteurs sent by Orlgans re-programmed Terra's robots.
Then, three Terranian destroyers do not return from a patrol. And an auxiliary craft class spaceship vanishes. A group of unknown ships land on Venus and a short time later take off. An Arkon artifact, a positronicomputer on Venus, surmises an unknown power from deep space has located Earth and aims to avoid open conflict, for the time being.
Rhodan's forced to visit IT's elusive eternal elixir emporium on the planet Wanderer to acquire advanced armament. But Venus' positronicomputer needs a couple of days to complete coordinate calculations of Wanderer's current locus.
The first robot law is quite flexible. A robot may not kill a human, unless its a human enemy. So saboteur software stipulates all humans on Earth are now enemies.
Titles, teasers, covers, characters, & blurbs
Besides the story itself, this is a tale of two publishers: Moewig and Ace. German publisher Moewig released its first Perry Rhodan pulp magazine on March 26, 1961. Having sold more than two billion copies as of 2019, it is the most successful science fiction ever written. Eight years after Moewig’s debut, American publisher Ace Books published its first English translation in 1969. Ace Books ceased publication in 1979, even though the translations remained profitable at the time.
Wendayne and Forrest J Ackerman respectively acted as translator and editor for Ace. Although at first Forrest mostly copied Moewig’s cover and content verbatim, along the way he made the Ace translations his own with unique covers, additional content, and out of order story telling. The left column below contains original content while the right holds Ackerman’s derivative work.
| Der Kaiser von New York | Robot Threat: New York |
| Höchste Alarmstufe in Terrania – die Roboter revoltieren! | The Horror of the Iron Horde |
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Die von Perry Rhodan geleitete Dritte Macht – jene glückliche Mischung aus menschlicher Energie und arkonidischer Supertechnik – hat in den zehn Jahren ihres Bestehens bereits eine wildbewegte Geschichte aufzuweisen, die voller dramatischer Höhepunkte ist. Die jüngsten Geschehnisse jedoch erwecken den Eindruck, dass Perry Rhodan bei seiner Begegnung mit den »Springern« oder »Galaktischen Händlern« auf eine Macht gestoßen ist, die jederzeit gewillt und in der Lage ist, die Erde zu vernichten und damit einen möglichen Konkurrenten des interstellaren Handels auszuschalten. Seit acht Jahrtausenden besitzen die Springer das galaktische Handelsmonopol, weil sie bisher jede Konkurrenz schon in ihren Ansätzen unerbittlich unterdrückten. Die TERRA und die SOLAR SYSTEM, die beiden Raumkreuzer der Dritten Macht, und Julian Tifflors Gruppe auf dem Eisplaneten machen zwar den Springern im Albireo-System schwer zu schaffen und halten sie davon ab, die Erde direkt anzugreifen. Aber die Springer haben bereits auf der Erde selbst eine »fünfte Kolonne«, eine Unzahl von Agenten, die die Stützpunkte der Dritten Macht zu erobern suchen! DER KAISER VON NEW YORK ist einer dieser gefährlichen Agenten ... |
Relating the events between Peril on Ice Planet (#23) and Infinity Flight (#24), this is the last of the "Missing Novels" of the Perry Rhodan Series. It is the exciting adventure of a battle to the death in the streets of Manhattan – between humans and invincible mechanical warriors! |
| Die Hauptpersonen des Romans: | THE ACTION & ADVENTURE HAPPENS WITH |
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Perry Rhodan – Chef der Dritten Macht und Kommandant der STARDUST. Reginald Bull – Der Sicherheitsminister der Dritten Macht. Oberst Freyt – Perry Rhodans Stellvertreter auf der Erde. Iwan Iwanowitsch Goratschin – Er liegt oft mit sich selbst in Streit. Tako Kakuta – Das Kriechen ist für ihn als Teleporter eine äußerst unbequeme Fortbewegungsart. Homer G. Adams – Er legt keinen Wert darauf, in „kaiserliche“ Dienste zu treten. |
Perry Rhodan–Leader of the New Power Reginald Bell–Rhodan's righthand man Thora & Khrest–The Arkonides Tako Kakuta (teleporter), Anne Sloane (telekinetic), Ishy Matsu (telepath), Wuriu Sengu (x-ray vision), Tanaka Seiko (radarite), Kitai Ishibashi (suggester), Ivan Ivanovich Goratschin (igniter)–Members of the Mutant Corps Col. Michael Freyt–Rhodan's second-in-command Maj. Conrad Deringhouse & Maj. Rod Nyessen, Capt. Klein–Officers of Rhodan's Space Force Capt. McClears–Commander of the battlecruiser Terra Cadet Julian Tifflor–Of the Space Academy Dr. Eric Manoli–Medical aide to Rhodan Maj. Tomisenkow–An Eastern block officer Homer G. Adams–A genius in the realm of high finance Ms. Lawrence–Adams' chief secretary Capt. Orlgans–A Springer, alien captain of the Orla XI Ms. Grohte–A government worker Sgt. Cary–A tank commander Dr. Berril–Medico of the K-1 Col. Friedrichs, Capts. Bols & Sirola, Lts. Dayton, Evans & Flynn–Involved parties Robby–A robot ... and the spaceships Terra, Solar System, Stardust 2, & Orla XI |
Synopsis
The Stardust II over New York City.
Sabotage loosens Earth's iron horde of killer robots on humanity. Although antigrav armament initially upsets the robotic iron horde, it soon learns to cope. Helicopters also fail to turn the tide. Rhodan beseeches bicephalous mutant "ignitor" Ivan-Ivanovich Goratschin for his help. Early on, Goratschin simultaneously destroys nine four-armed combat robots.
Rebellious robots target General Cosmic Company (GCC) offices throughout Terra for takeover. Two large combat robots arrive at GCC's robot garrisoned Manhattan headquarters with a smaller robot, known as "emperor," between them. This particular emperor (at least fifty-five other robots also lay claim to the title) demands to see Homer G Adams, the financial genius behind the Third Power.
The Stardust II uses its heavy disintegration ray canon to blast nearly one-hundred and fifty machines at a time. With the robot horde in retreat and his meager fleet still in great peril of total annihilation at Beta-Albireo, Rhodan reluctantly decides to abandon mop up operations to the capable hands of Allan D Mercant's Terranian Counter-Espionage Federation (TCEF) troops.
On his way to Venus to retrieve Wanderer's current coordinates, Rhodan activates an ambivalent captured robot, Robby, restored with a conscious and snipped saboteur software remnants. Robby discloses Orlgan's relay station on Saturn's moon Titan.
Bell discovers dozens of dead and wasted away Third Power personnel, subjected to severe interrogation by Orlgan's minions. Rhodan delays no further and takes Bell along on the Stardust II to the planet Wanderer.
Review
Perhaps Ackerman initially rejected this story for failure to provide enough escapism. Or maybe it evoked too many real life memories from European Theater urban warfare in the last World War.
Regardless, it's an average Perry Rhodan installment with enough conflict tension to pull fans along.
Ace's cover, shown in the right column, may very well qualify as the most cognitive dissonant ever. In all fairness, Ace's cover pertains to the other story, "Pale Country Pursuit," bundled with "Robot Threat." As usual, Moewig's cover by Bruck, shown in the left column, correctly captures story elements.
The Stardust II, as depicted over New York City in Bruck's interior artwork, seems too small. Given how the story says Stardust's shadow covers half of Manhattan.
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