Luftpirat und sein Lenkbares Luftschiff, Der
Entry updated 21 December 2012. Tagged: Publication.
["The Pirate of the Air and his Navigable Airship"] German Dime-Novel series, popularly known as Kapitän Mors der Luftpirat; it has no connection with a 1948 series of the same name. One of the most popular series of its day, its author or authors are unknown, but well-known writers like Oskar Hoffmann (1866-1928) may have been involved; and, since its adventures take place alternately on Earth and in space, it may have been written by two people. 165 32pp issues were published 1908-1911, at first by the Druck- und Verlagsgesellschaft m.b.h. in Berlin and, retitled simply Der Luftpirat, from #94 by Verlag Moderner Lektüre, also in Berlin. In 1914 #65-#86 were republished as #1-#22 of the series Der Fliegerteufel, published by Verlag P Lehmann G.m.b.h. in Berlin. During World War One the series was proscribed by the military as "trash". Der Luftpirat und sein Lenkbares Luftschiff anticipates many Space Operas, having an interplanetary background – there are numerous adventures with Venusians, Martians, crystal Robots and Monsters of all kinds on the planets of the solar system. Many issues have blueprints of Mors's spaceship on the back cover. Captain Mors, the Man with the Mask, is a Nemo-like fugitive from mankind who, with his crew of Indians, fights against evil. This series has been called the first sf magazine, but is better treated for what it is: a Dime-Novel SF series. [FR]
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