• Re: "Planet Topide, please reply! (Perry Rhodan #75)" by Kurt Brand

    From Ted Nolan @21:1/5 to lynnmcguire5@gmail.com on Thu Mar 27 21:26:53 2025
    XPost: alt.fan.perry-rhodan

    In article <vs4c6p$126b2$1@dont-email.me>,
    Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
    "Planet Topide, please reply! (Perry Rhodan #75)" by Kurt Brand
    https://www.amazon.com/Planet-Topide-please-reply-Rhodan/dp/B0006W589K/

    Book number seventy-five of a series of one hundred and thirty-six space >opera books in English. The original German books, actually pamphlets, >number in the thousands. The English books started with two translated >German stories per book translated by Wendayne Ackerman and transitioned
    to one story per book with the sixth book. And then they transition
    back to two stories in book #109/110. The Ace publisher dropped out at
    #118, so Forrest and Wendayne Ackerman published books #119 to #136 in >pamphlets before stopping in 1978. The German books were written from
    1961 to present time, having sold two billion copies and even recently
    been rebooted again. I read the well printed and well bound book
    published by Ace in 1975 that I had to be very careful with due to age.
    I bought an almost complete box of Perry Rhodans a decade or two ago on
    ebay that I am finally getting to since I lost my original Perry Rhodans
    in The Great Flood of 1989. In fact, I now own book #1 to book #106,
    plus the Atlan books, and some of the Lemuria books.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_Rhodan

    BTW, this is actually book number 83 of the German pamphlets written in
    1963. There is a very good explanation of the plot in German on the >Perrypedia German website of all of the PR books. There is automatic
    Google translation available for English, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese,
    French, and Portuguese.
    https://www.perrypedia.de/wiki/Hallo_Topsid,_bitte_melden!
    There is alternate synopsis site at:
    https://www.perryrhodan.us/summaries/83#

    In this alternate universe, USSF Major Perry Rhodan and his three fellow >astronauts blasted off in a three stage rocket to the Moon in their
    1971. The first stage of the rocket was chemical, the second and third >stages were nuclear. After crashing on the Moon due to a strange radio >interference, they discover a massive crashed alien spaceship with an
    aged male scientist (Khrest), a female commander (Thora), and a crew of
    500. It has been over seventy years since then and the Solar Empire has >flourished with tens of millions of people and many spaceships
    headquartered in the Gobi desert, the city of Terrania. Perry Rhodan
    has been elected by the people of Earth to be the World Administrator
    and keep them from being taken over by the robot administrator of Arkon.

    In the beginning of 2044, Perry Rhodan has just been informed by his
    spies that the Arkonide fleet of robot space ships fighting the Druufs
    is replacing the robots with experienced Topide reptile officers. The >Topides are much more successful at fighting the Druufs so Arkon is not >losing as many ships. As the Druuf universe rift is slowly closing,
    Perry knows that this will allow the robot regent of Arkon to spend more
    time looking for Terra. And Perry suddenly realizes that the Topiders >actually know the location of Terra from the distress signal of the
    crashed Arkonide space ship on Earth's Moon back in 1975.

    Two observations:
    1. Forrest Ackerman should have put two or three of the translated
    stories in each book. Having two stories in the first five books worked
    out well. Just having one story in the book is too short and would
    never allow the translated books to catch up to the German originals.
    2. Anyone liking Perry Rhodan and wanting a more up to date story should
    read the totally awesome "Mutineer's Moon" Dahak series of three books
    by David Weber.
    https://www.amazon.com/Mutineers-Moon-Dahak-David-Weber/dp/0671720856/

    My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    Amazon rating: 5 out of 5 stars (3 reviews)

    Lynn


    If this is the one I think it is, Rhodan really gave the, fairly inoffensive, Topides a raw deal here.
    --
    columbiaclosings.com
    What's not in Columbia anymore..

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  • From Don@21:1/5 to Ted Nolan on Fri Mar 28 04:09:46 2025
    XPost: alt.fan.perry-rhodan

    Ted Nolan wrote:
    Lynn McGuire wrote:

    <snip>

    BTW, this is actually book number 83 of the German pamphlets written in >>1963. There is a very good explanation of the plot in German on the >>Perrypedia German website of all of the PR books. There is automatic >>Google translation available for English, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese,
    French, and Portuguese.
    https://www.perrypedia.de/wiki/Hallo_Topsid,_bitte_melden!
    There is alternate synopsis site at:
    https://www.perryrhodan.us/summaries/83#

    <snip>

    In the beginning of 2044, Perry Rhodan has just been informed by his
    spies that the Arkonide fleet of robot space ships fighting the Druufs
    is replacing the robots with experienced Topide reptile officers. The >>Topides are much more successful at fighting the Druufs so Arkon is not >>losing as many ships. As the Druuf universe rift is slowly closing,
    Perry knows that this will allow the robot regent of Arkon to spend more >>time looking for Terra. And Perry suddenly realizes that the Topiders >>actually know the location of Terra from the distress signal of the
    crashed Arkonide space ship on Earth's Moon back in 1975.

    <snip>

    If this is the one I think it is, Rhodan really gave the, fairly inoffensive, Topides a raw deal here.

    PLANET TOPIDE, PLEASE REPLY pertains to mostly minor memory makeovers in
    the minds of Topides. Perry wants all Topides knowledgeable of the Vega campaign [1] to misremember the battlefield location in order to
    obfuscate Earth's galactic location.
    Perry customarily concocts chicanery to con Topides. They're
    talked into a far rawer deal in:

    49 THE EARTH DIES

    ...

    At the time of his arrival in the Betelgeuse System, the Mounder
    Topthor immediately realizes that it is not the Sol System despite
    the presence of Perry Rhodan's flagship, the TITAN. In turn, the
    Topides are surprised that the Mounders attack the third planet
    and not the fourth. Suspicion begins to grow among some of the
    Mounders and Topides that something is not quite right. The MV-13,
    a Topide cruiser, is hit by the TOP-II, Topthor's flagship, and
    crashes on Akvo. It in turn opens fire on the TOP-II that breaks
    in two and crashes on Akvo. Topthor makes contact with Ber-Ka,
    the Topide commander of the MV-13, and, as a result, he begins to
    more clearly understand the trick that Rhodan has played on them
    all. Ber-Ka and Topthor leave together with a caterpillar vehicle
    for the Control Central of the Topides on Akvo. ...

    Cekztel ends up releasing an Arkon bomb on the third planet of
    the Betelgeuse System, which is ultimately destroyed. Believing
    he has finally destroyed the Earth, Cekztel prepares to depart
    the Betelgeuse System with his fleet. ...

    <https://www.perryrhodan.us/summaries/49#>

    # # #

    Translation tics twice caught my eye in PLANET TOPIDE, PLEASE REPLY:

    Original

    Okay, diesmal verstehen wir uns, und Bully ist damit in meinen Augen
    kein Schwarzseher mehr, sondern Realist!«

    »Spötter!«, erwiderte Atlan.

    Ackerman adaptation:

    OK, this time we understand each other, and from where I sit-Bell
    isn't a crystal gazer. He's a realist with ESP!"

    "To put it in the Bell vernacular," replied Atlan, "is that sour
    grapes or are you eating crow?"



    Original:

    »Wenn diese Echsen könnten, wie sie möchten, Perry ... die machten
    aus uns Spinat. Jetzt unterhalten sie sich von alten Zeiten und
    sprechen von dem Strafgericht, das sie im Beteigeuzesystem erlebt
    haben ... und es bringt sie auf die Palme, dass sich keine einzige
    Schleuse unseres Schiffes öffnet ...«

    Guckys Redefluss wurde durch eine Bemerkung von Bully unterbrochen.
    »Palmen gibt es hier auf Topsid nicht, also können die Topsider
    auch nicht auf die Palme gebracht werden. Du musst endlich einmal
    versuchen, dich präziser auszudrücken.

    Ackerman adaptation:

    "If these overgrown Gila monsters can do as they please, Perry...
    they'll make spinnets (spinach?) out of us chirped Pucky excitedly.
    "Now they're discussing years gone by and are talking about the
    beating they took in the Betelgeuse System... But what's making them
    tear their hair now is that not a single airlock has opened on our
    ship..."

    He was interrupted by Bell. "Topides don't have hair, Pucky, so
    they couldn't be tearing it. Once and for all, you're going to have
    to express yourself more precisely.
    Note:

    [1] 10 SPACE BATTLE IN THE VEGA SECTOR
    <https://www.perryrhodan.us/summaries/10#>

    MUTANTS IN ACTION
    <https://www.perryrhodan.us/summaries/84#>


    Danke,

    --
    Don.......My cat's )\._.,--....,'``. https://crcomp.net/reviews.php telltale tall tail /, _.. \ _\ (`._ ,. Walk humbly with thy God.
    tells tall tales.. `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.' Make 1984 fiction again.

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  • From Ted Nolan @21:1/5 to g@crcomp.net on Fri Mar 28 04:27:39 2025
    XPost: alt.fan.perry-rhodan

    In article <20250327a@crcomp.net>, Don <g@crcomp.net> wrote:
    Ted Nolan wrote:
    Lynn McGuire wrote:

    <snip>

    BTW, this is actually book number 83 of the German pamphlets written in >>>1963. There is a very good explanation of the plot in German on the >>>Perrypedia German website of all of the PR books. There is automatic >>>Google translation available for English, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, >>>French, and Portuguese.
    https://www.perrypedia.de/wiki/Hallo_Topsid,_bitte_melden!
    There is alternate synopsis site at:
    https://www.perryrhodan.us/summaries/83#

    <snip>

    In the beginning of 2044, Perry Rhodan has just been informed by his >>>spies that the Arkonide fleet of robot space ships fighting the Druufs
    is replacing the robots with experienced Topide reptile officers. The >>>Topides are much more successful at fighting the Druufs so Arkon is not >>>losing as many ships. As the Druuf universe rift is slowly closing, >>>Perry knows that this will allow the robot regent of Arkon to spend more >>>time looking for Terra. And Perry suddenly realizes that the Topiders >>>actually know the location of Terra from the distress signal of the >>>crashed Arkonide space ship on Earth's Moon back in 1975.

    <snip>

    If this is the one I think it is, Rhodan really gave the, fairly inoffensive,
    Topides a raw deal here.

    PLANET TOPIDE, PLEASE REPLY pertains to mostly minor memory makeovers in
    the minds of Topides. Perry wants all Topides knowledgeable of the Vega >campaign [1] to misremember the battlefield location in order to
    obfuscate Earth's galactic location.
    Perry customarily concocts chicanery to con Topides. They're
    talked into a far rawer deal in:

    49 THE EARTH DIES

    ...

    At the time of his arrival in the Betelgeuse System, the Mounder
    Topthor immediately realizes that it is not the Sol System despite
    the presence of Perry Rhodan's flagship, the TITAN. In turn, the
    Topides are surprised that the Mounders attack the third planet
    and not the fourth. Suspicion begins to grow among some of the
    Mounders and Topides that something is not quite right. The MV-13,
    a Topide cruiser, is hit by the TOP-II, Topthor's flagship, and
    crashes on Akvo. It in turn opens fire on the TOP-II that breaks
    in two and crashes on Akvo. Topthor makes contact with Ber-Ka,
    the Topide commander of the MV-13, and, as a result, he begins to
    more clearly understand the trick that Rhodan has played on them
    all. Ber-Ka and Topthor leave together with a caterpillar vehicle
    for the Control Central of the Topides on Akvo. ...

    Cekztel ends up releasing an Arkon bomb on the third planet of
    the Betelgeuse System, which is ultimately destroyed. Believing
    he has finally destroyed the Earth, Cekztel prepares to depart
    the Betelgeuse System with his fleet. ...

    Ah, yes, *that's* the one I was thinking of. Sleeply little Topide
    colony suddenly painted as "Earth". As I recall this was also a series transition point and we forthwith got a 50 year time jump.
    --
    columbiaclosings.com
    What's not in Columbia anymore..

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Christian Weisgerber@21:1/5 to ted@loft.tnolan.com on Fri Mar 28 14:30:59 2025
    XPost: alt.fan.perry-rhodan

    On 2025-03-28, Ted Nolan <tednolan> <ted@loft.tnolan.com> wrote:

    49 THE EARTH DIES

    Ah, yes, *that's* the one I was thinking of. Sleeply little Topide
    colony suddenly painted as "Earth". As I recall this was also a series transition point and we forthwith got a 50 year time jump.

    At "round numbers" (#50, 100, 150, 200, 300, 400, ...) there is
    always such a transition to a new plot line, accompanied by a time
    jump.

    In the original German, the unlikable lizards are called "Topsider"
    from the planet "Topsid". I think that was intended as a nonce
    name, and the fact that "topsider" is an interpretable English word
    was missed or ignored, so for the English translation the name was
    tweaked again.

    --
    Christian "naddy" Weisgerber naddy@mips.inka.de

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