The following plot synopsis of the Perry Rhodan series can of course only be a very general summary. Many details and events that aren't crucial to the overall storyline had to be omitted for reasons of space, and other themes can only be covered in abbreviated form.

A much more detailed summary of the series can be found in the five-volume Perry Rhodan Lexicon, unfortunately available only in German. Hopefully, the following abstract will be sufficient for the interested new American fan. The beginning of the Perry Rhodan series is Especially important, since it was there that the foundations were laid, as are the last 200 issues, since those were the basis of the current series.

In this synopsis, the issue numbering follows the German series. The numbering of the old American series published by Ace Books differed somewhat because a few issues were skipped.

Perry Rhodan was born on June 8, 1936 in Manchester, Connecticut, the son of Jakob Edgar Rhodan (a German who emigrated to the United States after World War I) and Mary Rhodan (nee Tibo). After graduating from the US Air Force Academy, he began a career as a pilot. On June 19, 1971, Perry Rhodan, now a major, took off as commander of the atomic-powered spaceship Stardust on the first manned Moon landing expedition. He reached the Moon with three other astronauts, among them his best friend Reginald Bell.