Perry Rhodan, Sammelband 6

I approached this 33-plus-hour marathon expecting the usual cosmic cheese and simplistic heroics—only to get a space opera that’s both smarter and more emotionally raw than I bargained for. Renier Baaken’s narration is the secret weapon here: his gravel-voiced Perry Rhodan sounds like a man who’s carried the weight of the galaxy for centuries, yet Baaken somehow keeps the gravitas from curdling into monotone. The supporting cast is equally strong, with Simon Roden’s villainous sneer and Gregor Höppner’s icy authority adding layers to the alien threat. If there’s a misstep, it’s the sheer density of exposition—Feldhoff assumes you’ve memorized every prior arc, which sometimes leaves new listeners scrambling. And while the production is polished, the sheer runtime means the pacing occasionally drags in the quieter political interludes. But when the action kicks in—oh, it *kicks*—you’ll forgive every lag. The ending left me breathless, and the cliffhanger is the kind that haunts you during your commute.