''Terra'' is a series of

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

novels published by ''Arthur Moewig Verlag'',

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

. Together with the ''Utopia'' series of the rival publisher ''Erich Pabel Verlag'',

Rastatt Rastatt () is a town with a Baroque core, District of Rastatt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located in the Upper Rhine Plain on the Murg river, above its junction with the Rhine and has a population of around 51,000 (2022). Rastatt was an ...

the ''Terra'' series were the most important science fiction work in the

post-World War II The aftermath of World War II saw the rise of two global superpowers, the United States (U.S.) and the Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.). The aftermath of World War II was also defined by the rising threat of nuclear warfare, the creation and implementati ...

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

Dime novels

In 1957 Moewig started the weekly series ''Terra - Utopische Romane / Science Fiction'', later renamed ''Terra SF'', then only ''Terra'. For this venture some writers were poached from competitor Pabel, e.g. the editor and author Walter Ernsting, editor Günther M. Schelwokat and cover painter Johny Bruck. In September 1962 ''Terra SF'' was supplemented by the reprint series ''Terra Extra''. From that date onward ''Terra SF'' and ''Terra Extra'' were published in weekly rotation. In 1968 both series were combined into the new weekly series ''Terra Nova'', which later was replaced by ''Terra Astra.

Publication history

*''Terra SF'': 1957–68, 555 issues *''Terra Extra'': 1962–68, 182 issues *''Terra Nova'': 1968–71, 190 issues *''Terra Astra'': 1971–86, 643 issues

Sonderband / Taschenbuch

In 1958 Moewig started the series ''Terra Sonderband'' ("special issue"). Each issue of ''Sonderband'' had 100 pages, allowing more room to publish more challenging novels than within the dime novel format. With issue #99 (1965) ''Terra Sonderband'' was renamed to ''Terra Taschenbuch'' ("paperback"), and published in paperback format.

Subseries, spin-offs and more

The ''Terra'' series included some subseries of different German and international authors. For example,

Isaac Asimov Isaac Asimov ( ; – April 6, 1992) was an Russian-born American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. H ...

's ''Foundation'' series was published as ''Der 1000 Jahres Plan'' (The 1000 Year Plan) in issues 22/24/26/28, while E.E. Smith's '' Lensmen'' was published in ''Terra SF'' #199-222). In 1968/69 adaptations of the seven episodes of the television series '' Raumpatrouille'', plus five original stories, were published in ''Terra Taschenbuch''. Additional new episodes (#13-35) were printed as separate paperback series. Since 1972 the episodes were reprinted and continued within ''Terra Astra'', outsourced to a separate dime novel series and finally again reintegrated into ''Terra Astra'' (145 volumes in total). From March 1958 until May 1959 Moewig published 15 issues of the magazine ''Galaxis-Magazin'', the German version of the American magazine ''

Galaxy Science Fiction ''Galaxy Science Fiction'' was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published in Boston from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by a French-Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break into the American market. World Edi ...

''. In 1961 Moewig started the

space opera Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes Space warfare in science fiction, space warfare, with use of melodramatic, risk-taking space adventures, relationships, and chivalric romance. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, i ...

series ''

Perry Rhodan ''Perry Rhodan'' is a German space opera franchise, named after its hero. It commenced in 1961 and has been ongoing for decades, written by an ever-changing team of authors. Having sold approximately two billion copies (in novella format) worl ...

'' which originally was written by K. H. Scheer, Walter Ernsting and other Terra related authors.

External links

* http://www.sf-hefte.de // title lists of ''Terra'', ''Orion'' etc. * http://www.dsfdb.org/reihen.php?a_z=T // title lists of ''Terra'' etc. * http://www.rp49.de/magazin_galaxis/0001.html // covers of ''Galaxis''

References

* ''Volksbücher und Heftromane, volume 1'', paperback, {{ISBN, 3-8334-3232-2 Science fiction book series German science fiction novels