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Perry Rhodan FR #6
Fortress of the Six Moons [Paperback] by Karl-Herbert Scheer
1st Orbit edition paperback, vg+
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1969
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About the author
Karl-Herbert Scheer
19 followersKarl-Herbert Scheer (1928 – 1991) was a German science fiction writer who mostly published under the pen name K.H. Scheer.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 1, 2020
Before I get to my review.... it amazes me how unknown this series is in America(or English in general).. these reprints I'm reading were published by ACE books, one of the pre-eminent sci fi publishers of the time..they came out every month for years (over 100 books), and here, only book #7, and there's ONE other review, and only the later version of the cover listed... the original cover that I have, isn't even here.
This one is probably my least favorite so far... Perry comes up with a massively over-complicated plot to attempt to trick the Topides into retreating, with no particular plan as to what to do when they figure out the trick,which Khrest solves for him in the most brutal way possible.
I think that happens when it comes to periodical stories... the battle against the Topides could have easily ended with the last book... but this extra one serves to get an extra story out of it without using up the next idea. (Definitely happens in comics too).
I did like that(at least in the beginning) it finally didn't go perfectly well, that was starting to get a bit worrisome.
I can see people a the time being frustrated by the new format... 100 pages of story isn't much of a novel... and the 'magazine' parts.. a sci-fi movie overview, an intro, and letters, don't really add a whole lot. It was fun to see the movie article talk about how they wished there would be good I Am Legend remake that actually used the title (Sorry, dude, you got a while yet to wait)
This one is probably my least favorite so far... Perry comes up with a massively over-complicated plot to attempt to trick the Topides into retreating, with no particular plan as to what to do when they figure out the trick,which Khrest solves for him in the most brutal way possible.
I think that happens when it comes to periodical stories... the battle against the Topides could have easily ended with the last book... but this extra one serves to get an extra story out of it without using up the next idea. (Definitely happens in comics too).
I did like that(at least in the beginning) it finally didn't go perfectly well, that was starting to get a bit worrisome.
I can see people a the time being frustrated by the new format... 100 pages of story isn't much of a novel... and the 'magazine' parts.. a sci-fi movie overview, an intro, and letters, don't really add a whole lot. It was fun to see the movie article talk about how they wished there would be good I Am Legend remake that actually used the title (Sorry, dude, you got a while yet to wait)
December 1, 2018
The S-7, one of the twelve sloops of the newly captured STARDUST II, sends a group of three hunters on a patrol flight above the thirty- eighth planet. As Sergeant Rous and Calvermann, under the leadership of Conrad Deringhouse, fly to above the fortieth planet, they find themselves surprised by a materializing Topsider supply fleet and are taken under fire. Sergeant Calvermann's hunter is hit and topples down towards the planet, out of control. Deringhouse's hunter is also hit and he suffers massive burns. He and Rous manage to succeed in escaping, but they cannot save Calvermann. His hunter smolders out in the atmosphere of the planet.
They return on board the S-7, under the command of Rod Nyssen, and jump back to Ferrol , where they report to Perry Rhodan.
Rhodan is in the middle of negotiations with the Thort, for the conclusion of the promised trade agreement for weapons assistance against the Topsiders. He has his eyes in particular on microminiature custom electronics, which would cause an innovative advance on Terra. He also promises himself a stabilization of Terra's position as galactic power factor by the trade relations. In exchange the Ferrones would be supplied with goods working on the basis of hypertechnology and stronger weapons.
Rhodan insists on the establishment of a sovereign trading base, which meets with refusal on the part of a majority of the Ferrones. They want trade relations, but do want a base of foreigners on their planet.
After he is informed about Deringhouse's medical condition, Rhodan meets with Crest and Thora, who had demanded in writing the flight to Arkon shortly after the Terran's capture of the STARDUST II - particularly considering Crests opinion that the world of immortality was not to be reached. Rhodan rejects a renewed demand for it due to the proximity of the unprotected Earth to Wega, and the associated possibility of a discovery of the same by the Topsiders. The position of the Earth is to be kept a secret until it is strong enough to be able to defy extraterrestrial dangers.
Later Rhodan meets with Chaktor, the contact man between the Terrans and the Thort, who was saved from a space emergency. On Rhodan's recommendation he has officially joined the resistance against a Terran base on Ferrol. With his assistance a special plan will hopefully succeed. Ishy Matsu, John Marshall and André Noir involved in the plan also. With a fictitious escape attempt from the STARDUST II Noir and the Arkonide disguised Marshall "shoot" the Ferrone glider with the fleeing Ishi Matsu, and then Chaktor shoots them. Before her "death" Ishi Matsu manages to throw away a capsule. Chaktor picks up the capsule, visible to everyone standing around him and disappears into the crowd. He is to pass on this capsule with information to the Topsiders, on Rhodan's order. For this Perry Rhodan makes use of the imprisoned Chren-Tork, the deputy of the Topsider fleet commander.
As a calculated side effect of the action of the opposition against the Arkonides, which the supporters of the Thort strongly condemn, the trade agreement with Terra wins ground.
Chren-Tork is in a camp on one of the two moons of Ferrol. The alleged "Arkonides" Reginald Bull and Marshall bring the Topsider, who is informed about the discussions between the Arkonides and the renegade Ferrones, to an interrogation on Ferrol on board the STARDUST II. Here Bull lets a remark out, which encourages Chren- Tork in his previous assumptions that the Topsiders had miscalculated with the computation of the location of the distress signals sent by the crashed AETRON and looked for it in the wrong solar system.
During the "interrogation" Chren-Tork was affected with a Psycho- beamer and the Suggestor Kitai Ishibashi. He believes now, that the conquerors of the STARDUST II are colonial Arkonides of the fifth planet of the only forty-five light-years removed sun Capella. This also fits in with the impression that the alleged Arkonides made on the Topsider due to their activity and initiative, which did not at all fit the familiar passivity of Arkonides the Topsiders were familiar with.
The following night Chaktor flees in a hunter with another Ferrone and Chren-Trok, according to plan, before the Topsider can be brought back to the prison moon.
The STARDUST II lifts off on a supposed check out flight in the system in order to be able to avoid being requested by the Thort to pursue Chaktor. This will lead – arranged by Crest – to the necessary astro-nautical documents for the computation of a transition into the Capella system with itself, and is the Topsider of the necessity for an attack against the homeland world of the colonial Arkoniden to convince, in order to prevent a surprise impact against it. Supporting for this the S-7 under "fleet admiral" transmits the imminent arrival of an enormous fleet in the Wega system to Nyssen the "raised large administrator Rho Dan". This instructs the immediate departure of the entire armed forces of the planet to the fight against the Topsider, which get sequentially supply.
For the underlining of the threatening danger for the Topsiders, the STARDUST II destroys several ships of the Topsiders, which wait for the fleeing Chren-Tork, and destroy the third and smallest moon of the fortieth planet with two gravitation bombs.
Meanwhile Chren-Tork arrived in the cosmic fort of Topsiders and succeeds in convincing the head of the Topsider invasion fleet, Chrekt Orn, of making an attack on the defenseless Capella planets. This is supported by consciousness contents of Chaktor's Ferrone companions on board the hunter, who die with the interrogation. Chrekt Orn snatches the documents from Chaktor and orders him carried off to a spaceship, from which Tako Kakuta saves him a little later.
The Topsiders accept the data as desired and transit into the Capella system. However it not as directed by Rhodan into the space between the planets, but as computed by Crest, into the exact center of the sun Capella. He acted according to Arkonide manners of thinking and go rid of the problem of the invasion danger.
They return on board the S-7, under the command of Rod Nyssen, and jump back to Ferrol , where they report to Perry Rhodan.
Rhodan is in the middle of negotiations with the Thort, for the conclusion of the promised trade agreement for weapons assistance against the Topsiders. He has his eyes in particular on microminiature custom electronics, which would cause an innovative advance on Terra. He also promises himself a stabilization of Terra's position as galactic power factor by the trade relations. In exchange the Ferrones would be supplied with goods working on the basis of hypertechnology and stronger weapons.
Rhodan insists on the establishment of a sovereign trading base, which meets with refusal on the part of a majority of the Ferrones. They want trade relations, but do want a base of foreigners on their planet.
After he is informed about Deringhouse's medical condition, Rhodan meets with Crest and Thora, who had demanded in writing the flight to Arkon shortly after the Terran's capture of the STARDUST II - particularly considering Crests opinion that the world of immortality was not to be reached. Rhodan rejects a renewed demand for it due to the proximity of the unprotected Earth to Wega, and the associated possibility of a discovery of the same by the Topsiders. The position of the Earth is to be kept a secret until it is strong enough to be able to defy extraterrestrial dangers.
Later Rhodan meets with Chaktor, the contact man between the Terrans and the Thort, who was saved from a space emergency. On Rhodan's recommendation he has officially joined the resistance against a Terran base on Ferrol. With his assistance a special plan will hopefully succeed. Ishy Matsu, John Marshall and André Noir involved in the plan also. With a fictitious escape attempt from the STARDUST II Noir and the Arkonide disguised Marshall "shoot" the Ferrone glider with the fleeing Ishi Matsu, and then Chaktor shoots them. Before her "death" Ishi Matsu manages to throw away a capsule. Chaktor picks up the capsule, visible to everyone standing around him and disappears into the crowd. He is to pass on this capsule with information to the Topsiders, on Rhodan's order. For this Perry Rhodan makes use of the imprisoned Chren-Tork, the deputy of the Topsider fleet commander.
As a calculated side effect of the action of the opposition against the Arkonides, which the supporters of the Thort strongly condemn, the trade agreement with Terra wins ground.
Chren-Tork is in a camp on one of the two moons of Ferrol. The alleged "Arkonides" Reginald Bull and Marshall bring the Topsider, who is informed about the discussions between the Arkonides and the renegade Ferrones, to an interrogation on Ferrol on board the STARDUST II. Here Bull lets a remark out, which encourages Chren- Tork in his previous assumptions that the Topsiders had miscalculated with the computation of the location of the distress signals sent by the crashed AETRON and looked for it in the wrong solar system.
During the "interrogation" Chren-Tork was affected with a Psycho- beamer and the Suggestor Kitai Ishibashi. He believes now, that the conquerors of the STARDUST II are colonial Arkonides of the fifth planet of the only forty-five light-years removed sun Capella. This also fits in with the impression that the alleged Arkonides made on the Topsider due to their activity and initiative, which did not at all fit the familiar passivity of Arkonides the Topsiders were familiar with.
The following night Chaktor flees in a hunter with another Ferrone and Chren-Trok, according to plan, before the Topsider can be brought back to the prison moon.
The STARDUST II lifts off on a supposed check out flight in the system in order to be able to avoid being requested by the Thort to pursue Chaktor. This will lead – arranged by Crest – to the necessary astro-nautical documents for the computation of a transition into the Capella system with itself, and is the Topsider of the necessity for an attack against the homeland world of the colonial Arkoniden to convince, in order to prevent a surprise impact against it. Supporting for this the S-7 under "fleet admiral" transmits the imminent arrival of an enormous fleet in the Wega system to Nyssen the "raised large administrator Rho Dan". This instructs the immediate departure of the entire armed forces of the planet to the fight against the Topsider, which get sequentially supply.
For the underlining of the threatening danger for the Topsiders, the STARDUST II destroys several ships of the Topsiders, which wait for the fleeing Chren-Tork, and destroy the third and smallest moon of the fortieth planet with two gravitation bombs.
Meanwhile Chren-Tork arrived in the cosmic fort of Topsiders and succeeds in convincing the head of the Topsider invasion fleet, Chrekt Orn, of making an attack on the defenseless Capella planets. This is supported by consciousness contents of Chaktor's Ferrone companions on board the hunter, who die with the interrogation. Chrekt Orn snatches the documents from Chaktor and orders him carried off to a spaceship, from which Tako Kakuta saves him a little later.
The Topsiders accept the data as desired and transit into the Capella system. However it not as directed by Rhodan into the space between the planets, but as computed by Crest, into the exact center of the sun Capella. He acted according to Arkonide manners of thinking and go rid of the problem of the invasion danger.
April 27, 2025
The character interactions are very pulp/early science fiction. They are what you would expect of the era.
But the action is different. The action scenes are more like modern sci fi. The ship battle scene reminds me of “The Lost Fleet” series. The infiltration scenes are the same.
I enjoyed this short story a lot. It was a good short piece of entertainment.
But the action is different. The action scenes are more like modern sci fi. The ship battle scene reminds me of “The Lost Fleet” series. The infiltration scenes are the same.
I enjoyed this short story a lot. It was a good short piece of entertainment.
February 3, 2020
I love how the title is so epic, but the action is pretty straight forward. I do like Khrest stepping up though.
March 7, 2023
Good continuation of the saga, no frills space opera at it's finest
August 26, 2025
A lot of recapping and some not very well explained espionage and then total destruction in this one.
January 11, 2014
Sir, I have a cunning plan... dizia sempre o arguto Baldrick antes de afundar Lord Blackadder ainda mais nos buracos causados pelos tortuosos planos do aristocrata. Rhodan também tem um plano astuto e tortuoso para convencer os lagartóides Topides a abandonar o sistema Vega sem que estes desconfiem da real localização do nosso sistema solar. O plano é deveras sinuoso, envolvendo um agente duplo Ferron que se infiltra num grupo de resistentes anti-terrestres, que vêem com olhos apreensivos a pretensão de Rhodan em estabelecer um posto comercial permanente no sistema, falsas informações que colocam a Terra no sistema Canopus e a fuga orquestrada de um alto oficial Topide de um campo de concentração Ferron.
A aventura termina numa potente batalha espacial onde Rhodan experimenta o poderio de fogo do cruzador arcónida, tão assombroso que deixa abalados os oficiais Terrestres, já veteranos de combates espaciais mas espantados pela potência dos canhões desintegradores da nave esférica arcónida que transforma portentosos cruzadores inimigos em pequenos sóis com um só disparo. Hmm. Massiva nave esférica com um portentoso poder de fogo capaz de destruir planetas, cruzador espacial complexo capaz de viajar no hiperespaço e mais poderoso do que frotas inteiras? Onde é que eu já vi isto? Suspeito que alguém da equipe do George Lucas se inspirou na série germânica de FC para criar o conceito de Deathstar no Star Wars original. Não o posso provar, claro, até porque a série estava a ser publicada em inglês nos estados unidos graças aos esforços de Forrest J. Ackerman nos anos 70. Pode ser, pode não ser. Mas acho curiosa a descrição original dos anos 60 dos portentosos cruzadores arcónidas ser em tudo semelhante à visão da Estrela da Morte imperial do universo Guerra nas Estrelas.
Notei ao longo deste livro uma forte influência de concepções de superioridade étnica, sublimadas pelas espécies alienígenas. É certo que os aventureiros terrestres não são apenas os clássicos euro-americanos de pele branca. Há franco e germano-asiáticos, nipónicos e africanos. A Terra é una na mitografia do Perryverso, mas o tratamento dado às restantes espécies que vão surgindo tem traços de um racismo profundo. Desde o princípio que se assume que os humanos serão os futuros herdeiros da grandiosidade arcónida graças ao seu espírito superior. Podem ter descoberto há pouco tempo os voos espaciais e tropeçado com a vastamente superior tecnologia arcónida, mas a coragem e a garra que demonstram torna-os claramente destinados a dominar o universo como espécie superior. Já os arcónidas são retratados como uma espécie de elfos tolkienescos: belos humanóides, cuja elevadíssima tecnologia é superior a tudo o que foi inventado na galáxia, mas distantes e decadentes, a inferiorizar-se pelo seu desinteresse na manutenção de uma superioridade a que se acomodaram. Quanto aos Ferrons, são desconsiderados pela sua incapacidade cerebral. Humanóides detentores de algumas tecnologias avançadas, são retratados como uma espécie inferior que apesar dos seus avanços é biologicamente incapaz de atingir o elevado nível terrestre e arcónida. Quanto aos Topides, repteis evoluídos, provocam frémitos de asco e horror primevo entre os que com eles contactam. Suportados com enorme ressentimento devido aos óbvios sinais de inteligência e capacidade tecnológica, são considerados meros agressores a ser derrotados, caracterizados como malévolos apenas por serem diferentes dos humanóides e se atreverem a ter as suas ambições próprias. Os paralelos com alguns lados negros da visão que os homens tem sobre si próprios são bastante visíveis. Ou então sou eu que ando a extrapolar em demasia.
(Hmm. Primeira vez que tive coragem para escrever perryverso que, claramente, é uma contracção de "universo ficcional de Perry Rhodan". Soa-me tanto a "perverso"...)
A aventura termina numa potente batalha espacial onde Rhodan experimenta o poderio de fogo do cruzador arcónida, tão assombroso que deixa abalados os oficiais Terrestres, já veteranos de combates espaciais mas espantados pela potência dos canhões desintegradores da nave esférica arcónida que transforma portentosos cruzadores inimigos em pequenos sóis com um só disparo. Hmm. Massiva nave esférica com um portentoso poder de fogo capaz de destruir planetas, cruzador espacial complexo capaz de viajar no hiperespaço e mais poderoso do que frotas inteiras? Onde é que eu já vi isto? Suspeito que alguém da equipe do George Lucas se inspirou na série germânica de FC para criar o conceito de Deathstar no Star Wars original. Não o posso provar, claro, até porque a série estava a ser publicada em inglês nos estados unidos graças aos esforços de Forrest J. Ackerman nos anos 70. Pode ser, pode não ser. Mas acho curiosa a descrição original dos anos 60 dos portentosos cruzadores arcónidas ser em tudo semelhante à visão da Estrela da Morte imperial do universo Guerra nas Estrelas.
Notei ao longo deste livro uma forte influência de concepções de superioridade étnica, sublimadas pelas espécies alienígenas. É certo que os aventureiros terrestres não são apenas os clássicos euro-americanos de pele branca. Há franco e germano-asiáticos, nipónicos e africanos. A Terra é una na mitografia do Perryverso, mas o tratamento dado às restantes espécies que vão surgindo tem traços de um racismo profundo. Desde o princípio que se assume que os humanos serão os futuros herdeiros da grandiosidade arcónida graças ao seu espírito superior. Podem ter descoberto há pouco tempo os voos espaciais e tropeçado com a vastamente superior tecnologia arcónida, mas a coragem e a garra que demonstram torna-os claramente destinados a dominar o universo como espécie superior. Já os arcónidas são retratados como uma espécie de elfos tolkienescos: belos humanóides, cuja elevadíssima tecnologia é superior a tudo o que foi inventado na galáxia, mas distantes e decadentes, a inferiorizar-se pelo seu desinteresse na manutenção de uma superioridade a que se acomodaram. Quanto aos Ferrons, são desconsiderados pela sua incapacidade cerebral. Humanóides detentores de algumas tecnologias avançadas, são retratados como uma espécie inferior que apesar dos seus avanços é biologicamente incapaz de atingir o elevado nível terrestre e arcónida. Quanto aos Topides, repteis evoluídos, provocam frémitos de asco e horror primevo entre os que com eles contactam. Suportados com enorme ressentimento devido aos óbvios sinais de inteligência e capacidade tecnológica, são considerados meros agressores a ser derrotados, caracterizados como malévolos apenas por serem diferentes dos humanóides e se atreverem a ter as suas ambições próprias. Os paralelos com alguns lados negros da visão que os homens tem sobre si próprios são bastante visíveis. Ou então sou eu que ando a extrapolar em demasia.
(Hmm. Primeira vez que tive coragem para escrever perryverso que, claramente, é uma contracção de "universo ficcional de Perry Rhodan". Soa-me tanto a "perverso"...)
April 18, 2022
Meine Bewertung enthält einen kleinen Nostalgie-Bonus, da man einige Details gelinde gesagt heute so nicht mehr machen würde. Und zwar zu Recht. Scheer bleibt dennoch ein spannender Erzähler und außerordentlicher SF-Autor.
Im weiteren ein paar lose Gedanken in meiner Eigenschaft als "Altleser":
Interessant, was für ein kleiner "Ganove" unser Perry damals sein konnte. Die "false flag operation", mit der nebenher die ferronische Opposition diskreditiert wurde, war schon speziell. Ich frage mich bei der Gelegenheit, mit wem die Ferronen eigentlich offiziell das Handelsabkommen geschlossen haben? Formal durfte Rhodan zu der Zeit ja nur für die "Dritte Macht" sprechen, seine Mikronation auf der Erde. Allerdings deutet der Roman an, dass Rhodan und Co. auch der ferronischen Führung gegenüber als Arkoniden auftreten. Wurden die Ferronen etwa jahrzehntelang im Unklaren gelassen, wer die Terraner wirklich sind?
Die Frage, ob und wann Crests "Tat" geahndet wurde, lassen wir mal offen. Ist vermutlich bis auf den heutigen Tag streng geheim.
Im weiteren ein paar lose Gedanken in meiner Eigenschaft als "Altleser":
Interessant, was für ein kleiner "Ganove" unser Perry damals sein konnte. Die "false flag operation", mit der nebenher die ferronische Opposition diskreditiert wurde, war schon speziell. Ich frage mich bei der Gelegenheit, mit wem die Ferronen eigentlich offiziell das Handelsabkommen geschlossen haben? Formal durfte Rhodan zu der Zeit ja nur für die "Dritte Macht" sprechen, seine Mikronation auf der Erde. Allerdings deutet der Roman an, dass Rhodan und Co. auch der ferronischen Führung gegenüber als Arkoniden auftreten. Wurden die Ferronen etwa jahrzehntelang im Unklaren gelassen, wer die Terraner wirklich sind?
Die Frage, ob und wann Crests "Tat" geahndet wurde, lassen wir mal offen. Ist vermutlich bis auf den heutigen Tag streng geheim.
October 20, 2011
Perry comes up with a clever plan to keep the Topides from finding Earth. I like how it was carried out it reminds me of the old stories of trickery and tricksters.
The story seems to sound smooth enough in the translation from German to English, but one will have to be an expect and have both original and translated books. The book does tend to use words that other now day science fiction books would not use as much (meaning science words and words that would be use to describe the functions of a space ship).
At the end of the book it has some letters from some fans. It says that some of the characters had their names change. I would prefer Bully not to be called Bell it reminds of a certain beast story. Crest does not make me think of toothpaste, it makes me think of a animals comb.
The story seems to sound smooth enough in the translation from German to English, but one will have to be an expect and have both original and translated books. The book does tend to use words that other now day science fiction books would not use as much (meaning science words and words that would be use to describe the functions of a space ship).
At the end of the book it has some letters from some fans. It says that some of the characters had their names change. I would prefer Bully not to be called Bell it reminds of a certain beast story. Crest does not make me think of toothpaste, it makes me think of a animals comb.
January 14, 2016
Continuing Perry Rhodan's advetures in the Vega system. This book brings his conflict with the Topides to a conclusion. Rhodan uses a scheme to defeat them that at first seems to contrived but because of the nature of his foe in fact succeeds. At the same time we see a ruthlessness from Khrest not evident before. In the end though the Topide threat has been removed and we can now move on to other things. All in all not a bad book. The Mutant Corps comes to the fore in parts of this story as well.
April 8, 2014
The printing of this book that I have has a printer's error, and is missing thirty pages in the middle. I have read a couple Perry Rhodan's now, and I am not won over yet, though I am going to read more. I found this one very confusing even before I got to the missing pages. Occasionally there will be passages of pretty good space opera, but for the most part the translation is workmanlike prose. I like the occasional illustrations, and the little end chapter blurbs advertising later episodes.
September 5, 2016
The Fortress of the Six Moons.
A promising title doesn't really help, thus sadly two thirds of this story are less than memorable. There is a lot of scheming and plotting but I kept drifting off and quite lost interest. The book picks up considerable pace when our heroes take off in their kick-ass spaceship to rid the Vegan solar-system of the lizard people. There is also some character development as we finally see Crest show some decisive action.
A promising title doesn't really help, thus sadly two thirds of this story are less than memorable. There is a lot of scheming and plotting but I kept drifting off and quite lost interest. The book picks up considerable pace when our heroes take off in their kick-ass spaceship to rid the Vegan solar-system of the lizard people. There is also some character development as we finally see Crest show some decisive action.
July 11, 2010
This story may have been better had this book not have been missing over 30 pages. Yeah, between chapters 3 and 7 there are over 30 pages missing. It's not like they were ripped out either. This is how the book was printed. I don't want to get rid of it because I got it for free and maybe it's worth something because of this mis-print.
August 7, 2008
This is the first one I read in the series and is still my favorite.
January 23, 2016
An average SiFi adventure series. Recommended
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews