Nikolai von Michalewsky (aka Mark Brandis) (January 17, 1931, Dahlewitz - December 27, 2000, Grasberg) was a German writer best known for a series of science fiction novels published between 1972 and 1987.

Originally a journalist, he started writing fictional works in the late 1950s, mostly juvenile novels. He expanded his field into documentary filming and writing of radio drama. In the early 1970s he was approached by German book publisher Herder to write a science fiction book for juveniles. Despite having no previous experience in the field of science fiction, von Michalewsky's first book, Bordbuch Delta VII, was an instant success.

He wrote approximately two books a year over the following decades to eventually complete a series of 31 novels. The series became the second best-selling German-language science fiction series of all time, eclipsed only by team effort Perry Rhodan. A late attempt to revive/expand/continue the series was limited to one novel, Ambivalente Zone. This expanded universe series was cut short when von Michalewsky died shortly after Christmas 2000, leaving the second novel unfinished.

The Mark Brandis series:

1. Bordbuch Delta VII
2. Verrat auf der Venus
3. Unternehmen Delphin
4. Aufstand der Roboter
5. Vorstoß zum Uranus
6. Die Vollstrecker
7. Testakte Kolibri
8. Raumsonde Epsilon
9. Salomon 76
10. Aktenzeichen: Illegal
11. Operation Sonnenfracht
12. Alarm für die Erde
13. Countdown für die Erde
14. Kurier zum Mars
15. Die lautlose Bombe
16. Pilgrim 2000
17. Der Spiegelplanet
18. Sirius-Patrouille
19. Astropolis
20. Triton-Passage
21. Blindflug zur Schlange
22. Raumposition Oberon
23. Vargo-Faktor
24. Astronautensonne
25. Planetaktion Z
26. Ikarus, Ikarus...
27. Der Pandora-Zwischenfall
28. Metropolis-Konvoi
29. Zeitspule
30. Die Eismensch-Verschwörung
31. Geheimsache Wetterhahn

German language official site