The Series
Die Terranauten (The Terranauts) is a German science fiction Heftroman (pulp novel) series published by Bastei Verlag from 1979 to 1981. Spanning 99 episodes and 18 collected novels (Taschenbücher), the series was created as an ideological counterpoint to Perry Rhodan — Germany's most famous science fiction franchise.
Where Perry Rhodan celebrated humanity's expansion through military might and central authority, Die Terranauten told a story of rebellion against corporate tyranny, ecological consciousness, and the fight for individual freedom. Set in the year 2499, the saga follows David terGorden — a young heir who discovers he possesses extraordinary PSI abilities — as he leads the Terranauts, a clandestine resistance of Drivers (PSI-gifted star pilots), against the Council of Corporations that rules human civilization.
The series was written under house pseudonyms by a team of authors including Andreas Weiler, Robert Quint, Henry Robert, Rolf W. Liersch, and others. Across 2.6 million words, they created a rich universe of alien civilizations, cosmic mysteries, and political intrigue that remains one of the most ambitious independent science fiction projects in German literary history.
This Project
Terranaut.space is the first comprehensive English-language encyclopedia and portal for the Terranauts universe. The project aims to make this forgotten masterpiece of German science fiction accessible to an international audience through:
- Complete English translations of all 99 episodes
- An encyclopedia of over 10,000 entries covering characters, locations, technology, species, and more
- Full audiobook productions on Spotify
- New story arcs expanding the universe (Star Empire Terra)
- Collector's edition hardcover compendiums
Contact
Created by Lennart Lopin. The original German series is available on Archive.org.