Amid crises in politics, climate change, terrorism, and more, humanity’s limited remaining hope lies in science and an increasingly decrepit space program. When a key moon base goes dark, it’s up to chief astronaut Perry Rhodan and his crew to mount a rescue operation - or so the story goes in the press. The truth about Rhodan’s mission, however, is a deeper, greater secret than the public can imagine, and the aftermath of what Rhodan finds will change Earth - if not the entire universe - forever... if there's still an Earth for him to come home to.
Amid crises in politics, climate change, terrorism, and more, humanity’s limited remaining hope lies in science and an increasingly decrepit space program. When a key moon base goes dark, it’s up to chief astronaut Perry Rhodan and his crew to mount a rescue operation - or so the story goes in the press. The truth about Rhodan’s mission, however, is a deeper, greater secret than the public can imagine, and the aftermath of what Rhodan finds will change Earth - if not the entire universe - forever... if there's still an Earth for him to come home to.
The truth is out: we’re not alone in the universe. The arrival of a member of the Arkonide race has sent the Earth spiraling even further into chaos. Deep in the Gobi Desert, the astronaut Perry Rhodan stands his ground as hostile troops surround the new utopia he’s trying to build for all of humanity. But when the gravely ill alien’s condition worsens, there is no choice but to send him out for treatment—no matter the risk. Meanwhile, Sid, John Marshall, and Sue are on the run, wrestling with newly discovered superhuman powers and ominous threats that seem to lurk in the shadows. In a world of political and economic strife, can a handful of ordinary heroes survive and make a difference to the planet’s future? Rhodan doesn’t doubt that mankind is destined for the stars. But with so many obstacles in their path, the road there won’t be easy...
The heat is rising in the Gobi Desert as Perry Rhodan struggles to defend his utopian city-in-the-making from hostile forces. All his alien technology is gone or broken, leaving little room for optimism, and even his enemies are mired in conspiracies and intrigues, with the threat of a nuclear strike from a shadowy cabal looming. John Marshall and his superpowered companions have escaped the nefarious Clifford Monterny, but Sid, the teleporter, is unconscious and struggling to survive. On a remote island, Marshall and a team of similarly gifted individuals join forces to delve deep into Sid’s memories. To save him, they must uncover the truth about his life on the streets of Nicaragua and the “rescue” that brought him to Camp Specter, where all was not as it seemed... Meanwhile, the only alien on Earth is now in Monterny’s clutches. Will mankind ever come together and find its way to the stars?
The utopian city has fallen! Terrania, which was supposed to be a new starting point for all of humanity, ends up in the Chinese army’s clutches after a nuclear explosion. Desperate to avoid arrest, Perry Rhodan and Reginald Bull make a daring escape in a makeshift aircraft. All is not as it seems in Terrania, however. With the help of telepath John Marshall and his companions, General Bai Jun is getting ready to execute a plan that puts him starkly at odds with his government masters. Meanwhile, Arkonide commander Thora da Zoltral is trapped on Venus after being shot down. As she begins to explore a puzzling ancient base, she starts to realize that this might not be the first time the Arkonides have ventured to our solar system. Little does she know that as she investigates these new developments, back on Earth, her foster father is about to stand trial in the United States. With mankind unable to put aside its petty differences and come together, the promise of the stars looks as far away as ever.
With Arkonide technology in the hands of the US army, Perry Rhodan and his team mount a dangerous recovery mission. Disguised as the president himself, Rhodan brings alien Thora da Zoltral and telepath John Marshall straight into enemy territory to steal back a starship that far exceeds any of Earth’s capabilities. But can they deceive one of the president’s oldest friends? Back in the nascent city of Terrania, supplies are scarce. What should be the gateway to the stars is still a building site where volunteer workers survive on meager rations. New arrivals Julian and Mildred soon find their disappointment replaced with awe, however, as they meet some of the city’s strangest residents—and when a theft occurs, they step up to help Bull find the perpetrators. Meanwhile, Crest learns that his true reason for traveling to Earth is not as secret as he thought... The world is in chaos and suspicions abound as mankind inches ever closer to the dream of the stars.
In the distant Vega system, Perry Rhodan and his crew are trapped on a strange world that is under attack. To have any hope of saving the Ferrons, they must reach the aliens’ leader in the central city, but getting there will be a treacherous road filled with betrayal and self-sacrifice. His crew aren’t faring much better, with teleporter Tako Kakuta leading a group that learns sanctuary in a hospital isn’t as safe as they expected. As one of their number fights for survival, the invaders find them—and reveal curious truths about their way of life. Meanwhile, on Earth, the Fantan are still running rampant, seeking special people, things, and moments they call “Besun.” When Adams catches the attention of one of these otherworldly beings, he stages a desperate attempt to end the invasion...via a tour of the finest that Earth’s culture has to offer. Now that humanity knows it is not alone in the universe, alien threats are coming from all directions and in forms no one could have imagined...
Trapped in the Vega system, the Terrans are finding the universe even more alien than expected. They encounter winged people, an organic building, and—at last—the Ferrons’ three-eyed ruler. When the Topsidans demand surrender, Kakuta hatches a plan to turn the tide with his teleportation ability. But what role do the planet’s mysterious, revered creatures known as “giants” have to play? Elsewhere, Rhodan meets an elderly Arkonide who has been waiting in a crumbling base for millennia, hoping his commander will one day return. Mistaking Rhodan for that commander, he tells a tale that encompasses the war-torn history of the Ferrons and far more besides... Meanwhile, Bull and his companions remain prisoners of the Fantan. But with Gucky, their sardonic alien cellmate, they hit on the best possible way to pass the time and create an escape attempt: musical theater! They may not have a script or know all the words, but their performance of The Pirates of Penzance is sure to be a hit.
The brutal war in the Vega system races towards its epic conclusion as Rhodan throws himself straight into the hornet’s nest. In a desperate gamble, he gives the Topsidans’ military leader a promise he can’t keep, hoping that either they’ll buy it, or it will buy Thora enough time to sabotage the lizards’ flagship. Will they escape with their lives, and will they do enough damage to turn the tides of the interstellar conflict? Further help might arrive from unexpected sources as the scattered members of Rhodan’s crew take their fates into their own hands and regroup. Stranded in the jungle, Kakuta, Morozova, and Deringhouse hatch a plan to hijack an enemy vessel and rejoin the fight. Meanwhile, the Fantan continue to plunder Earth, but Pounder and Crest are ready to take decisive action. Will it be enough to drive away the invaders without causing untold damage to the utopian city of Terrania? One way or another, two wars are about to come to an explosive end...
With alien threats out of the way, a new day dawns for humanity. Tragic revelations are afoot, however, as Crest learns he has very little time left and is driven to resume his search for eternal life. When he travels beyond reach, it’s up to Rhodan, Thora, and their team to look for him by using one of the transmitters. But this ancient technology works in mysterious ways. Instead of finding Crest, they emerge on a war-torn alien world with no hope, no compassion...and no way back. Meanwhile, Mildred and Julian take Gucky, the alien Mousebeaver with both telepathic and telekinetic abilities, on a road trip across the USA. Their goal? To find Julian’s father, William Tifflor, who disappeared after defending Crest during his trial. With nefarious forces at play, it’s not long before Gucky is separated from his human companions...and finds himself unable to use his powers. Dangers past and present are lurking around every corner as Earth's heroes take their next step towards the stars.
When Crest leads an unlikely group on his search for the Planet of Eternal Life, they end up on a version of Ferrol that shouldn’t exist. Are they in a parallel universe that will somehow let them find immortality? Meanwhile, Sid comes face to face with his greatest foe...or so it seems. Ivanovich Goratschin killed Sid’s childhood friend, but he’s been dead for a long time. His twin brother claims to be making a fresh start—but how much can Sid trust him? Far away in the Vega system, Rhodan’s crew, lost in space and time after landing on the Ferron world of Reyan, discovers a conflict brewing between the water-dwellers and the land-dwellers, two groups descended from the original colonists. Back home, Dr. Manoli and the historian Aescunnar have begun a space journey of their own as they attempt to learn more about the Arkonides’ prior activities in Earth’s solar system. Their research soon brings them to Saturn’s moons, where danger and an uncertain fate await them.
Crest and his companions find themselves transported to a desolate, dying planet inhabited by insectoid creatures pursuing a dangerous mission under the yoke of the Arkonides: complete a superweapon for use against the Methanes. While investigating, they discover a more familiar species—the Ilts—being oppressed by their hosts. Meanwhile, Manoli and his companions have fallen ill. The mysterious sickness is thought to be linked to their time as Besun, but relations between the Fantan and Earth are fragile. Can the Fantan save their former captives’ lives? Elsewhere in the galaxy, Rhodan’s crew find themselves stranded in time and space on Ambur, the Vega system’s mysterious tenth planet, a hostile wasteland with pockets of civilization. What are Rhodan, Thora, and the others expected to give in return for their rescue by its inhabitants? And can the strangers cure the strange affliction tormenting Bull and Sue?
Crest da Zoltral and his companions narrowly escape Tramp only to find themselves clinging to life on a severely damaged ship. When an Arkonide vessel comes to their rescue and takes them to Larsaf III, suspicions surrounding the rescued time travelers increase and they soon find themselves imprisoned as the Methanes attack. Will they survive the historical fall of Atlantis? Or will their journey meet an early end thousands of years before their present? Meanwhile, Rhodan’s group arrives by stowing away on an alien ship. Their reception is all the more hostile, as they are forced to flee into the forest to avoid robots hunting them down. Driven by a vision Rhodan once had, they strive to find a path from the hemispherical planet’s round side to its strange and implausible flat side. As secrets abound and IT’s servants play a game of wits with competing agendas, what truths will be revealed about the Planet of Eternal Life, and will the heroes finally be granted the immortality they seek?
Aescunnar is dispatched to Bradbury Base, a human settlement on Mars aided by Ferron technology, but quickly finds that not all is as it seems. Meanwhile, the Tosoma has begun its voyage to the Arkonide Empire with Thora at its helm, but when disaster strikes, Rhodan must try to save not only the ship and its passengers, but his very mission. Across the stars, Eric Manoli finds himself a stranger in a strange land after arriving on the Topsidan homeworld. Sheltered in a dangerous city where the locals have little love for offworlders. Can he find a way to leave the confines of his gilded cage and search for his friends? Back on Terra, intrigue is brewing as dark facets of Bai Jun’s past come to light. When a shadowy group starts to blackmail him for their own ends, he is faced with difficult decisions.
Aescunnar follows Hetcher out into the untamed Martian landscape, desperate to save him and find some answers. Meanwhile, the Tosoma has docked at a Mehandor Web for repair, but intrigue and secrets threaten to derail the mission. Rhodan and his crew face off with an alien race while facing uncomfortable truths among their own ranks. On Topsid, the chase is on for Eric Manoli and Khatleen-Tarr, who have been forced to go on the run now that dissidents have turned the streets into a war zone. With a hunter on their trail who will stop at nothing, they are forced to take refuge in the sewers. But these are no ordinary sewers, and Manoli is about to learn why the Topsidans fear descending into them... Back on Earth, Bai Jun is determined to find out what Adams is hiding and sends Lhundup into the depths of the Stardust Tower, where its foundations are being built. Poor Lhundup doesn’t make a very good miner...but who is this mysterious woman he meets there, and what secrets does she hold?
The Tosoma has been dutifully repaired attempts to escape when Naats, in service of the Arkonide Empire, descend upon the Web, demanding the ship and its crew. Meanwhile, Aescunnar makes an astonishing discovery while trying to recover Hetcher on Mars. Signs of an ancient civilization are found on the Red Planet. More startling still: they may not have left... On Topsid, Manoli is now heading for the Wise Ones’ Stronghold, a mountain refuge for their most revered figures. But the climb will be far from easy—and will a human even be allowed into such a sacred place? Elsewhere, the despot obsesses over his unseemly “collection” of Arkonide captives. Back on Earth, Bai Jun’s questions are about to be answered. Administrator Adams orders him to evacuate the entire city of Terrania as a precursor to a grand reveal. What are the secrets of the Stardust Tower—and the administrator’s plans for it?
Rhodan and several survivors from the Tosoma are running from the Naats when they make unexpected allies on the icy planet of Snowman. Could their new companions’ ambitious—yet dangerous—plan to flee the planet work? At the same time, Bull leads a bold effort to escape the Naats' clutches, while Michalovna and Crest attempt to leave the Web, but neither is without its risks. Far from home, Manoli finds himself imprisoned in the despot’s zoo, where inmates are forced to fight each other and brave a series of environmental hazards. Along the way, he encounters a familiar face, while on a distant planet, a group of researchers digs into an ancient Arkonide civilization. Informed of a “god” lying dormant below the surface, they go searching in violation of their orders to evacuate. Will their discovery be worth the risk to not only their careers, but their lives?
While in captivity, Rhodan attempts to learn all he can about his captors, the Naats. He plans on using that knowledge to formulate a plan using psychic communication with his comrades in the hope of saving as many of the Tosoma's survivors as possible. But a power struggle is brewing among the Naats, and Novaal's leadership is unexpectedly challenged by an unlikely opponent, potentially upending the current order. In a base on Rayold’s largest moon, commander Tresk-Takuhn does all he can to defend his lunar fortress against the assailants amid a stunning discovery made by his old friend Hisab-Benkh. With the fate of Topsid at stake, his efforts are desperate—but he has a few tricks up his sleeve that the Naats don’t know about. Meanwhile, back on Topsid, Manoli teams up with the Arkonide robot, Rico, to repair the mysterious transmitter and escape the despot once and for all.
The Naats begin their onslaught, but the Topsidians prove worthy opponents, and the cost of the resulting battle is staggering. Meanwhile, the Tosoma’s crew attempts an escape with the help of their captor, Toreead. Will they be able to bridge the communication gap and make a new ally? Or will the Naats lose the battle, dashing all hopes for the trapped humans? Elsewhere in space, the tyrannical, self-serving hand of the regent is determined to boost his own status by using the Naats to wipe out the Topsidian resistance, but plans are afoot from both Atlan da Gonozal—an ancient immortal Arkonide—and Perry Rhodan, who has been taken aboard the hand’s ship. Things go smoothly at first, but when Crest senses Atlan nearby, he takes a risk that could endanger everyone. Now it’s up to Rhodan and Reginald Bull to seek out Atlan in hopes of ending the threat of interstellar war. It all hangs in the balance as the conflict reaches its epic conclusion!