The Cosmic Decoy

Perry Rhodan

by K.H. Scheer, Wendayne Ackerman (translator)

Science Fiction

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

180 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 16, 1962

About the author

Pen name of the author Karl-Herbert Scheer.

Reviews

[Liedzeit Liedzeit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tifflor again. He is used as the cosmic decoy, for reasons best known to Rhodan.

For ages the literary device of the Deus ex machina has been frowned upon. Scheer manages to go one step further. They have themselves built a little gadget by the Gods. (By the Immortal of Wanderer. Who for all practical purposes is God.) And then it is not even really working.

A new alien Race is introduced the Springer. Who are all red-headed. Who needs diversity? And the Springers, of course, underestimate the people of Earth. “They did not reckon with their sharp minds, their incredible ambition and their unrelenting stubbornness.“

It is embarrassing.

At least for once the cover art has something to do with the story.

[C. John Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

With this volume we are headed back out to the stars. We are introduced to a new alien race known as The Springers. They are galactic traders and will become one of Perry Rhodan's most implacable enemies. Reintroduced is Julian Tifflor, a cadet in the New Power's space force, and who plays a pivotal role in this story. In fact Tifflor plays a greater role in this story than does Rhodan himself. Yhis one was quite enjoyable. It was nice to see a relatively new character taking a prominent role in the story. As well the Springers look like they will make for an intriguing opponent for Rhodan. They are both jovial and ruthless. The fact they have no home planet but live on their trading vessels means that members of this race should be able to pop up almost anywhere with no explanation of why they are there really needed.
The rest of the book is two more installments of Edison's Pursuit to Mars, a couple of short stories, the Scientifilm column and the letters pages. The serial was enjoyable. One of the men on the expedition is named Ray. This is supposed to be the author Ray Cummings who at one time was an assistant to Edison. Supposedly this story will conclude in the next volume. The Scientifilm column was a reprint of a piece Ray Bradbury wrote for the magazine Spacemen back about 1964. It was interesting and will probably be of interest to Bradbury enthusiasts. This book may also be easier to find than that magazine.
Of the two short stores the first one, by "Space Roulette" Charles Tanner and dating from 1930, is the more interesting. It was written as part of a contest to write a short story that was based on a cover of Wonder Stories, one which showed spacecraft with tentacles carrying aloft such andmarks as the Eiffel Tower. The second story, "The Still Small Voice" by Clive Jackson, dates from 1949. Not a bad story really, just one I didn't enjoy that much. As usual I didn't read the letters column so no comment on it. If you enjoy space opera, evev if slightly dated, this one just might suit you.

[Jimmy Two Sandwiches]

geez....rhodan totally puts a kid and his whole family at risk....ethics get real muddy in this chapter

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess now that Rhodan is a demigod, we need a more human main character, so we get Tiff and his fellow cadets

[Otis Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cosmic Decoy, which stands as book number twenty-one in the English Ace paperback run, K.H. Scheer grabs the reins to deliver a story packed to the gills with military grit and backwoods trickery. The solar system is still reelin' from all them brain-scramblin' alien threats, and Earth is about as safe as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. To keep the heavy hitters of the galaxy from findin' our little blue marble and smashin' it to smithereens, Perry and his top brass decide they need to create a massive, high-tech red herring out in the deep dark of space to draw the enemy's eyes away from home. Scheer really gets to show off his love for giant gadgets and tactical operations in this one, makin' the story feel like a high-stakes wartime heist. Perry and his crew have to construct a literal phantom planet—a giant, automated illusion bristling with fake energy signatures and puppet military fleets—to trick the galaxy's nastiest predators into bitin' the wrong hook. It’s a fast-paced, explosive yarn filled with close-shaves against automated defense grids, plenty of mutant scouting maneuvers, and Perry actin' clever as a fox in a henhouse. If you’ve stuck with this wild cosmic circus for twenty-one whole volumes, this chapter delivers that prime, hardware-heavy 1960s pulp flavor that proves a good old-fashioned bluff can be sharper than any laser cannon.

[Jonathan Harrington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best. Suffered in translation? But at least the story is moving on apace. Left in peril so to be resolved in 22?

[AndrewP · Rating 3 out of 5]

English translation of Perry Rhodan #21