Mark Brandis: Space Partisans

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Space partisans is a series of German-language science fiction - children's books written by Mark Brandis under the pseudonym Mark Brandis . The series, which appeared between 1970 and 1987 , comprises 31 volumes. The core sentence of the series is: "What you believe in, you should live and die for it."

The books

The series begins in the future year 2069 and describes the adventures of the Berlin astronaut Mark Brandis (therefore pronounced German, not "Brändis"). Von Michalewsky derived the name of the title hero from the Mark Brandenburg in which he was born. Brandis is by profession the commander for newly tested spaceships of the space agency VEGA (Venus-Earth Society for Astronautics), from volume 22 then foreman of the space rescue company UGzRR, which is based on the DGzRS . The world is divided into three parts: the EAAU (European-American-African Union, which also includes VEGA), the VOR (United Oriental Republics) and Australia, which is associated with the EAAU. Smaller EAAU exclaves exist on Venus and Mars , and the politically neutral moon has become a hyper- Las Vegas where sin reigns.

The humanistic character of the series is characteristic. Although the series contains elements of a space opera , the focus of the stories is not technology, but people. Progress is seen as blind, a blessing in the hands of responsible people, a curse if criminals abuse it. Many stories convey contemporary problems such as fascism , racism , the surveillance state , terror , pollution and crimes against humanity in a science fiction setting. The division of the world reflects the strict division into east and west blocs at that time.

This socially critical influence earned the author a loyal readership, even if critics noted that the ambience, which is strongly oriented towards the military, is no longer up-to-date these days. Mark Brandis was also planned as the main character for a second book series, which should set different accents and be more suitable for adults. After the publication of the first volume, “Ambivalente Zone” (2000) as a book-on-demand , “Negative Sector” was to appear. This volume remained unfinished after Michalewsky's death.

The series published between 1970 and 1990 in Verlag Herder . From 2001 onwards, books could be purchased online for the first time as digital editions for use with Adobe Reader and Microsoft Reader from the eBook provider dibi.de (dibi Medien Entwicklung und Vertrieb GmbH) . On January 1st, 2004, the dibi shop was closed for organizational reasons.

From October 2008 to August 2013 the series was reissued as paperback and e-book by Wurdack-Verlag .

effect

“All in all, one can say that Nikolai von Michalewsky gave decisive impulses to the youth SF in the German-speaking area. However, epigones of the Brandis series have hardly ever achieved their quality, especially not with a series that has been running for so long. With the books of this author it is possible for young people to jump into the genre of science fiction with good literature, bypassing the booklet series. "

- Jörg Weigand, Börsenblatt (1985)

main characters

Continuous heroes

  • Mark Brandis is the main character in the series. He comes from Berlin , is a test pilot and was demoted several years before the start of the series because of a catastrophic false start for which he was responsible and in which a crew member was killed. He has never forgiven himself for this guilt. Under Harris he was a pilot in the rank of captain, from volume 2 on again commander of VEGA. His strong nerves and discipline earned him the nickname "cursed Prussian" in later years. Although he always looks cool and aloof on the outside, inside he is a compassionate, warm-hearted person who constantly questions himself.
  • John Harris is Brandis' mentor. He's a bulky, cool Englishman and his boss until Brandis moves to UGzRR. Harris is even more a loner than Brandis, but in the decisive moments he is an unshakable rock. He lost his right arm in a fight during General Smith's rise to power, but this did not prevent him from leading the resistance against the dictator and later even briefly becoming president of the EAAU. After resigning from office voluntarily, he is head of VEGA.
  • Ruth O'Hara is Brandis' bride of Irish descent, whom he will marry between Volumes 4 and 5. She is the head of the PR department at VEGA. Although it is sometimes difficult for her to 'share Brandis with the stars', she stands by him and is often moral support for him.
  • Ivan Stroganow is a taciturn navigator from Siberia , who is well-versed in the word , and who was already on duty on the first Phoenix ships during the so-called " windjammer season " of space travel. He seems experienced, clumsy and melancholy and is Brandis' loyal right hand man for a lifetime.

More heroes

  • Antoine Ibaka (Volumes 1-4) was an engineer from the Congo . He was a fun-loving, avid astronaut and Brandis' best friend. He held his African roots in high esteem. After tragically murdering his wife and children and mortally wounding him, Ibaka sacrificed himself to infect General Smith's ruthless homo factus with his brain matter.
  • Before the beginning of the series, Robert Monnier (from volume 2) was Brandis' friend and crew member when he rushed to leave for a rescue operation and caused a false start. A mutual friend was killed. Years later, Monnier was assigned to Delta VII and was very critical of Brandis personally and professionally. Throughout several adventures the crisis fell, and only slowly did their trust and friendship renew itself. Monnier died while trying to fly an explosive device into the interior of Kilimanjaro ( alarm for the earth ).
  • Grigori "Grischa" Romen (from volume 7) is a fun-loving gypsy (who himself insists on this designation of his people). He became Brandis' copilot and after Ibaka's death took his place as a friend. Romen is a keen musician (violin / harmonica). He married Ko Ai , a woman from the VOR, who had been sentenced to death as an illegal birth, amid serious political upset .
  • Martin van Kerk was a South African . He was an avowed racist - the root of his upbringing in apartheid - and let his black African colleague Billy Xuma (see below) know how much he hated him. (Here, too, a factual error: As an expression of racism, van Kerk describes his colleague Billy as a "nigger". In Africa, however, blacks are "Kaffirs". Only in the USA are they called "niggers".) But when Xuma died for him saved, he gave up his racism. Van Kerk died in the "Epsilon spacecraft" after being exposed to heavy space radiation.
  • William Xuma (from volume 5) is van Kerk's compatriot. As a black he had a hard time against him, but when he saved his life, van Kerk gave up his hatred of him and became his good friend.

Neutral characters

  • Pietro Anastasia is the super rich, powerful and flimsy mayor of Las Lunas , the gambling hell on the moon. He only has luxury and money in mind and does not care about the well-being of humanity.
  • Elmar Busch is Brandis' colleague in the UGzRR. He is an avowed racist who hates the VOR because a VOR soldier once killed his son. The relationship between Busch and Brandis has been tense throughout their lives.
  • Gaston Weygand is Brandis' colleague in the UGzRR. The dazzling-looking, highly talented Weygand was once considered the new star in the Strategic Space Fleet until he came back alone in an escape pod after a space expedition. He was accused of deserting his crew and has been a pariah ever since. Although nothing could ever be proven to him, Weygand remained an outsider even in the UGzRR.

Antagonists

  • Gordon B. Smith is a Hitler- like usurper who subjugated the EAAU and used every means of science (including brainwashing , eugenics and poison gas ) to subjugate the earth. After the failure of the establishment of an unconditionally obedient clone army and his subsequent overthrow, he is found on the run by Brandis and killed (Volumes 1–4).
  • Friedrich Chemnitzer is the archenemy of Mark Brandis. Initially Colonel of the EAAU Army Pioneers , he is a slick, highly intelligent criminal, a master of transformation and an unscrupulous killer (Vol. 11-14, 29, 30).
  • John Malembo is an African Kikuyu chief and chief of the "Flying Lions", a terrorist organization . He despises the whites as well as “inferior” black peoples, whom he insults as “ Kaffirs ”, and tries to usurp power during the unrest surrounding the outbreak of the nuclear waste- filled Kilimanjaro (Volumes 11-12).
  • Dr. Mildrich is a recurring politician. He is a moderately intelligent but very well connected character who only has his career on his mind and shows little responsibility for those under protection. He is not exactly a criminal, but is described in the books as the prototype of the power-hungry functionary who, like Diederich Hessling in Der Untertan, humps up and kicks down.

The volumes of the series

  • 1. Log Delta VII: Alarm in Space (1970)
  • 2. Treason on Venus: Escape Into Space (1971)
  • 3.Dolphin Company: Power Struggle in Space (1971)
  • 4.Robot Uprising: Duel in Space (1972)
  • 5th Advance to Uranus: SOS in Space (1972)
  • 6. The Enforcers: Terror in Space (1973)
  • 7. Test file Kolibri: Experiments in Space (1973)
  • 8. Epsilon spacecraft: mutiny in space (1974)
  • 9. Solomon 76: Conspiracy in space (1974)
  • 10. File number: Illegal: Manhunt in Space (1975)
  • 11. Operation Solar Freight: Race in Space (1975)
  • 12. Alarm for the Earth: state of emergency in space (1976)
  • 13. Countdown to Earth: Danger from Space (1976)
  • 14. Courier to Mars: Hunt in Space (1977)
  • 15. The Silent Bomb: Black Death in Space (1977)
  • 16. Pilgrim 2000: Hell in Space (1978)
  • 17. The Mirror Planet: Exploring Space (1978)
  • 18. Sirius Patrol: Cold War in Space (1979)
  • 19. Astropolis: Colony in Space (1980)
  • 20. Triton Passage: Shipwreck in Space (1981)
  • 21. Flight Blind to the Snake: Lost in Space (1981)
  • 22. Oberon space position: Black weeks in space (1982)
  • 23. Vargo factor: Hole in Space (1982)
  • 24. Astronaut Sun: Wrong Play in Space (1983)
  • 25. Planet Action Z: Driven Hunt in Space (1983)
  • 26. Icarus, Icarus ...: Wrong Course in Space (1984)
  • 27. The Pandora Incident: Temptation in Space (1984)
  • 28. Metropolis Convoy: Convoy in Space (1985)
  • 29 time coil: Secret Archives in space (1985)
  • 30. The Iceman Conspiracy: Horror in Space (1986)
  • 31. The weathercock is a secret: Revolution in space (1987)

Special books

  • Departure to the Stars (1983), short story volume
  • Testbuch (1982), reading samples from Volumes 1-9, 15-16, 20-22

Anthologies

  • Vol. 1 and 2 as: Alarm in Space - Log Delta VII / Treason on Venus (1970/71)
  • Vol. 3 and 4 as: Duel in Space - Company Delphin / Uprising of Robots (1971/72)
  • Vol. 5 and 9 as: SOS in space - advance to Uranus / Salomon 76 (1972/74)
  • Vol. 6 and 7 as: Experiments in space - Test files Kolibri / Die Vollstrecker (1973)
  • Vol. 8 and 10 as: Mutiny in Space - Epsilon spacecraft / file number Illegal (1974/75)
  • Vol. 1, 14, 16 and 21 as: Weltraumpartisanen (1986)
  • Vol. 1 and 2 as: Space Partisans - Log Delta VII / Treason on Venus (1998)
  • Vol. 3 and 4 as: Space Partisans - Company Delphin / Uprising of Robots (1998)
  • Vol. 5 and 6 as: Space Partisans - Advance to Uranus / The Executors (1998)
  • Vol. 1–4 under the title: Spaceship Delta VII


Paperback collector's edition (from October 2008)

Sequel series Cosmon Saga

  • 1. Ambivalent Zone (2000)
  • 2. Negative sector (unfinished, unpublished)

Adaptations

Radio plays

Mark Brandis

Infobox microphone icon
Mark Brandis: Space Partisans
Radio play from Germany
original language German
Year of production 2007-2015
genre Science fiction ,
consequences 23
production Interplanar production
Publisher / label Steinbach speaking books
Universal Music
Contributors
author Nikolai von Michalewsky , Balthasar v. Weymarn, Regina Schleheck

From 2007 to 2015 Interplanar Produktion produced a radio play adaptation of the “Space Partisans” under the title Mark Brandis . The series' main speakers are: Michael Lott , Martin Wehrmann, David Nathan , Gerhart Hinze and Dorothea Anna Hagena. The radio plays differ in some details from the book series; u. a. the producers moved the story 50 years further into the future, and the order of the radio plays sometimes does not follow the chronology of the book series. The changes were made in a dialogue with the widow of the Mark Brandis inventor, Reinhild von Michalewsky, who tried to act in the interests and interests of her husband. The radio play series ended in 2015 with the episode The Pandora Incident . In 2008 the radio play log book Delta VII won the German Fantastic Prize for the best audio book / radio play of the year.

The following volumes were set to music:

  • Log Delta VII
  • Treason on Venus
  • Company dolphin
  • Uprising of the robots (up to here by Steinbach-speaking books or new edition (July 6, 2012) by Universal Music )
  • Test files Kolibri (2 CDs) (from here by Universal Music )
  • Advance to Uranus (2 CDs)
  • Space probe Epsilon (2 CDs)
  • The Executors (2 CDs)
  • Pilgrim 2000 (2 CDs)
  • Reference number: Illegal
  • Operation Solar Freight
  • Alarm for the earth (2 CDs)
  • Sirius Patrol (2 CDs)
  • Silent Bomb (2 CDs)
  • Triton passage
  • Flight blind to the snake
  • Space position Oberon
  • Icarus, Icarus
  • Metropolis convoy
  • The time coil (2 CDs)
  • Planet Action Z
  • Weathercock is a secret
  • The Pandora Incident

Mark Brandis, space cadet

Infobox microphone icon
Mark Brandis: Space Partisans
Radio play from Germany
original language German
Year of production 2014-2017
genre Science fiction
consequences 12
production Interplanar production
Publisher / label Universal Music
Contributors
author Nikolai von Michalewsky , Balthasar v. Weymarn

From 2014 to 2017 Interplanar Produktion also produced episodes from Mark Brandis' youth. The basis of this prequel series was the short story "Aufbruch zu den Sternen" (Aufbruch zu den Sternen); further stories were developed in consultation with Reinhild von Michalewsky, the widow of the Mark Brandis inventor. The main speakers of the series are: Michael Lott (as narrator), Daniel Claus, Friedel Morgenstern , Sebastian Kluckert, Wanja Gerick and Sebastian Fitzner.

The 12-part series was published in 2 seasons of 6 episodes each:

season 1

  • 01: Departure to the Stars , release: May 1st, 2014
  • 02: Lost in space , release: May 1st, 2014
  • 03: Tatort astronaut school , release: August 15, 2014
  • 04: Behind the Lines , released: November 7, 2014
  • 05: The Aladin move , released: April 1st, 2015
  • 06: What you believe in ... , released: July 1st, 2015

season 2

  • 07: Laurin , released: January 15, 2016
  • 08: Mondschatten , released: April 15, 2016
  • 09: Pallas terminus , release: July 1st, 2016
  • 10: Between the Fronts , released: October 21, 2016
  • 11: The Jupiter Risk , released: February 3rd, 2017
  • 12: The Rublew case , released: April 28, 2017

Comic

Michael Vogt created a comic version of a youth adventure by Mark Brandis with the title “Departure to the Stars” (text, drawings and color). The template was Nikolai von Michalewsky's short story of the same name. The comic was published in 2012 in issues 156 (6/2012) and 157 (7/2012) of Zack magazine . In October 2016, the Delta VII logbook, the first of four planned volumes by the same artist, was published by Panini Verlag . Volumes two ( betrayal on Venus ), three ( company Delphin ) and four ( revolt of the robots ) were published every year.

Details

Frequently used abbreviations

  • EAAU - European-American-African Union
  • FK - radio operator cabin - radio control room on a spaceship
  • FLOB - Flying Mobile Operations Base
  • KL - Cold Light - Radiation Weapon
  • MOB - Mobile Operations Base
  • NC - navigation center (also called house of cards)
  • RC - Radar Control - Radar control room on a spaceship
  • TÜ - technical supervision - engine room of a spaceship
  • UGzRR - Independent Society for the Rescue of Spaceship Wrecked People
  • VEGA - Venus-Earth Society for Astronautics
  • VOR - United Oriental Republics

Presentation of scientific and astronomical aspects

Von Michalewsky concentrated above all on dealing with social issues. The scientifically correct representation of physical phenomena such as artificial intelligence or gravitation were of secondary importance to him. Occasionally, especially with today's knowledge, this can be strange. Some examples:

  • The solar system is often referred to as the galaxy.
  • The Venus is of people colonized , despite up to 500 ° C hot atmosphere. The air we breathe inside glass domes is magnetically charged and held close to the ground by electromagnets.
  • In “Advance to Uranus” the main characters move on the surface of Uranus , although as a gas giant it has no solid surface at all. However, in 1972 the nature of the surface of Uranus was still the subject of speculation.
  • In the same volume, the Hermes comes into conflict several times with a “ pulsar ” that damages it with “shock waves”. Since a pulsar is a neutron star, it would not have gone undiscovered as a celestial body
  • It is almost impossible to discover a parallel world in "Der Spiegelplanet", which is denoted by the Russian word "mir" ("earth" / "peace"). According to the explanation in the novel, the planet had previously remained undiscovered because it is located exactly on the opposite side of the sun when viewed from the earth . However, astronomers should have discovered this counter-earth centuries ago through fluctuations in the orbit of the other planets . In addition, its existence within the novel should not have remained hidden from the human inhabitants of Venus, since this planet has a shorter orbital period around the sun and thus both "earths" would have met regularly.
  • The different orbital times of the planets are apparently completely ignored; H. the travel times between the planets do not change and people speak of “routes” which, like roads on earth, always remained the same.
  • Black holes are described (inter alia in "Vargo factor") as mere vortices. When Brandis' ship is sucked into one, gravity should have caused it to dissolve into pure energy. In the book, however, a black hole only has the effect that people are shrunk to the size of a finger, while inanimate substances remain unaffected. The escape from the black hole succeeds, although this is impossible according to current physical knowledge.

In the case of all deviations, it should be noted that a large number of SF narratives replaced facts that were not known at the time or were only known to a small circle of scientists with adventurous speculations. There was neither a broad information base in the population, nor was the scientific knowledge as extensive as it is today.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. http://www.computerwoche.de/a/e-schmoeker,1067809
  2. http://www.dibi.de/cgi-bin/ebook.storefront ( Memento from June 1, 2002 in the Internet Archive )
  3. quoted from: Jörg Weigand, Well packed warnings - German-speaking science fiction authors (8): Nikolai von Michalewsky. Börsenblatt No. 18, March 5, 1985.
  4. Literature Prize Winner of the German Fantastic Prize
  5. cf. Magazine "Fantastisch!", Issue 64 (published Oct. 2016), p. 29 ff.
  6. ^ Moritz Honert: Civil War of the Stars. Der Tagesspiegel , February 25, 2017, accessed on February 21, 2018 .
  7. cf. “Treason on Venus”, chap. 10 (“The nuclear reactor contained enough fissile material for around two years: theoretically enough to reach every point in the galaxy and return to Earth from there”) and Chap. 12 ("... for a long time INTERPLANAR XII remained the largest artificial star in the known part of the universe. Even now it was only surpassed by the STELLANORMS, the five space stations on the edge of the galaxy, of which at some point the jump into the great unknowns should take place: the first manned space flight out of our solar system ”); "Robots uprising", chap. 5 ("Strong solar flares made radio communication difficult in the entire translunar space. However, almost all of the time we had been on the edge of the galaxy - far away from all relays and amplifiers.")
  8. cf. "Log Delta VII", chap. 2 (“A network of ozoneries spans Venus: chemical processing plants whose only task is to produce a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, argon and carbonic acid in uninterrupted succession, precisely the air that humans need to live. This mixture becomes Immediately before being ejected, it is physically charged with a magnet, so that its natural urge to evaporate in space can be counteracted by the powerful electromagnets of the ozoneria. Even if this atmospheric belt is only a hundred meters wide, it is still enough to absorb to create earth-like conditions for Venus. ")
  9. cf. “Advance to Uranus”, chap. 5 (“In the midst of a desolate black desert, also criss-crossed by agate-black mountains, the ship stood on firm, safe ground: But that was the only advantage of this desperate situation that began with it, that suddenly at the moment of the landing on Uranus all navigation aids failed. ")
  10. cf. “Advance to Uranus”, chap. 4 ("Director Harris reported your incident to me, Commander. I have thought about it and consulted my computers. I am inclined to say that you were, in a sense, engaged in a duel with a pulsar that has invaded our solar system.")