Star Gate - the original
Star Gate is a German science fiction novel series that was developed in 1986 by the authors WK Giesa , Wilfried A. Hary , Uwe Anton and Frank Rehfeld and will be reissued in 2005. Its origins predate the better-known American series Stargate , which is why the German series was given the nickname "Das Original". Furthermore, the name is written separately in the German series.
Beginning of the series and concept
The earth in 2063 is ruled by corporations; Nations and states have lost their meaning, human rights no longer seem to exist. One of these corporations, Mechanics Inc., based in Detroit, is busy putting a stargate into operation. The competitor Flibo is hard on their heels. But Mechanics Inc. is one step ahead of its competitors. The technology group sends a team of seven through the gate on earth - but then the unbelievable happens: The team disappears. The sister gate on the moon never matters. Professor Bryan Holmes, head of the project, immediately flies to the moon to examine the Star Gate there and find the fault.
Meanwhile, the team steps out of the Stargate - on a strange planet. Slowly they realize that they have accidentally broken into an existing stargate network.
The concept is to let teams travel many worlds where they will always find new friends and new enemies. The possibilities are in fact infinite. In the course of the series, a different protagonist repeatedly takes on the lead role in individual novels, so there are several strands. The main strand is told based on the alpha protagonist Ken Randall.
History of the series
In 1986 the newly founded Merkur Verlag in Essen was looking for authors for a new SF series called STAR GATE - Gate to the Stars . Among others, Werner Kurt Giesa got in touch, whose text samples were well received by the publishers Volker Krämer and Werner A. Wilbert, so that they accepted him into the team of four authors. At the first editorial conference it was decided to create a series story about matter transmitters and star streets. At Giesa's suggestion, Frank Rehfeld became an exposé author, also to give him a chance to profile what the other three no longer needed. WA Hary developed the (pseudo-) scientific background, Uwe Anton developed the social structures and the economic system and Giesa was responsible for people and characters. Due to the inadequate distribution of the wholesalers, the series after Volume 11 came to an end despite mostly very positive letters (Volume 12 was still printed, but was no longer delivered). The booklets were not delivered by the wholesalers and the still plastic-welded pallets were completely remitted. As a result, the fees were not paid, too late or incompletely. Since the expenses were disproportionate to the income, the bank did not want to continue financing the project.
The publisher continued the series with a changed concept as a subscription series Star Gate - Tor zu den Sternen with Werner K. Giesa as sole author. This series was also discontinued due to a lack of economic viability. After 2000 there were several attempts at resuscitation in book form (including Blitz-Verlag ). The original series was disregarded and the plot of the subscription series continued.
The original series, including the then unpublished novel, has been published by Hary-Production since 2005 . The series is currently being written and further episodes will be created. T. are also available as audio books.
Dramatis Personae
- Kenneth "Ken" Randall - Survival Specialist at Mechanics Inc.
- Tanya Genada - Survival Specialist at Mechanics Inc.
- Bryan Holmes - Lead Scientist, Star Gate Project at Mechanics Inc.
- Clint Fisher - Head of Safety at Mechanics Inc.
- Lino Frascati - Executive Vice President Mechanics Inc.
- Jerry Bernstein - reporter
- Haiko Chan - Survival Specialist in the service of Mechanics Inc. of Mongolian descent
- Eberhard von Wylbert - Senior Scientist at Flibo
- Dr. Janni van Velt - scientist
- Dr. Dimitrij Wassilow - scientist
- Dr. Yörg Maister - scientist
- Mario Servantes - scientist
- Juan da Costa - scientist
- Herbert Nelles - scientist
- Pieto - a Bulowa
- Xybrass - an alien
The world of the series
The world in which the series takes place is blatantly different from ours. Big corporations have taken power, states and nationalities have degenerated into insignificance. The UN pretends to watch over the weal and woe of mankind, but resembles a toothless tiger that the corporations only laugh at.
The people who work for the corporations have to put up with restrictive contracts that encroach on their most intimate spheres. People who have violated their employment contracts are brought to a penal colony on Venus, where they have to toil in the cobalt mines under inhumane conditions. The corporations generously ignore the UN's human rights clauses.
Even in this virtually unlawful area, market and demand flourish. Technological development is driven forward in order to generate profits. Strong security forces protect the corporations from industrial espionage and sabotage. But every now and then an agent manages to break the safety belt.