List of Space: 1999 books and other media
Encyclopedia
During the original run of Space: 1999
, the science-fiction series generated a number of media tie-ins, including novelisations, original novels, comic books and audio dramas. Due to the series' ongoing cult following, new tie-ins continue to be released to this day.
) and British (Futura) publishers, consisting primarily of novelisations of Space: 1999 episodes. These releases, mainly paperback
, were supplemented by 16-page photo sections (Year One and Two in the United Stated, Year Two only in the United Kingdom), which comprised black-and-white stills from the episodes. Original novels, without photo section, also formed a part of the series. Many of the books were also translated for release in overseas markets, such as Germany, Turkey and Japan.
In Italy, adaptations of all 24 Year One episodes and eight of the Year Two episodes were published in oversized hardback volumes. These books typically contained two episodes and nearly 100 colour photos each. Like the Michael Butterworth
English-language editions, many of these books were adapted from early drafts of scripts, and events and details sometimes differ significantly from the episodes later aired.
In Germany, the Butterworth Year Two novels were translated into German, with one significant difference. The ending of "The Edge of the Infinite" was altered in order to set up events that would be continued in six original follow-on novels. To this day, these novels have never been translated into any other language.
The final novel, Der Stahlplanet is notable in that it concludes the Space: 1999 odyssey by having the Alphans teleport to Texas City, Earth via the neutrino transmission process introduced in "Journey to Where
". These books are also unique in that they are the only media tie-in novels for an English-language series written specifically for a foreign market.
published a new edition of the novel Earthfall which corrected the typographic errors of the original publication and, with the permission of the author, separated the novel into its three component sections: Part One, "Breakaway
" (set in September 1999); Part Two, "Colony Alpha" (January 2000); and Part Three, "Earthfall" (October 2018). Fanderson went on to publish a new original novel, Earthbound, written by E. C. Tubb, in 2003. This book contained an adaptation of "Earthbound
", the one episode which was not included in the original novelisation run, as well as adaptations of two scripts of Year Two stories which retained the Year One format in which the scripts had originally been written: "The Exiles" and "The Face of Eden" (or "The Immunity Syndrome"). Also in 2002, Eagle One Media published a new edition of the novel Alien Seed with a new preface by Tubb. The same year, Powys Media launched a new series of officially licensed original novels and related works of non-fiction, and revised and expanded omnibus editions of previously issued novelisations for Year Two. All books are English-language releases, available directly from the companies' websites.
published a paperback behind-the-scenes guide, The Making of Space: 1999, by Tim Heald
. It focuses mainly on the early months of production of Year Two. The episode guide for that season is incomplete, sine the book was published while Year Two was still airing. It features an extensive photo section with more than 50 black-and-white photos.
magazine published The Moonbase Alpha Technical Manual. It provides detailed blueprints of Moonbase Alpha
, along with illustrations and information on various incarnations of props and costumes. It was intended to be updated on a regular basis, but this idea was abandoned due to low sales. Starlog had released the blueprints of the Eagle Transporter in its seventh issue (dated August 1977) as a possible preview of the The Moonbase Alpha Technical Manual, which was first advertised in the ninth issue. Starlog also released blueprints of the Mark IX Hawk
in issue 32 (March 1980), but these were not intended as an update to the The Moonbase Alpha Technical Manual.
released a non-fiction, scholarly monograph
of Space: 1999 by John Kenneth Muir
, titled Exploring Space: 1999: an Episode Guide and Complete History of the Mid-1970s Science Fiction Television Series. It was re-released in paperback by McFarland in April 2005.
released the most comprehensive non-fiction book published on the subject of Space: 1999. Written by Robert E. Wood
and titled Destination: Moonbase Alpha: the Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Space: 1999, the book runs to 490 pages and contains a colour photo section featuring model spaceships created for Space: 1999 by special effects technician Martin Bower
, as well as a foreword by Zienia Merton
(Sandra Benes
) and an afterword by Barry Morse
(Professor Victor Bergman
).
published seven issues of a comic based on Space: 1999, as well as eight issues of a black-and-white illustrated magazine featuring more adult-orientated stories. German publisher Koralle Verlag produced 19 adaptations of Year One episodes and four original stories as part of their Zack colour comic anthologies, in addition to two full-length graphic novel
adventures. Many of the episodic adaptations were translated and reprinted in Italy.
In the UK, a two-page comic strip appeared in Look-In
children's magazine from autumn 1975 to spring 1977. Writer Angus Allan
had previously contributed to a number of other Gerry Anderson
-based strips in the 1960s for TV Century 21
comic. John M. Burns illustrated the first three stories, to be succeeded by Mike Noble
when the strip would convert to black-and-white in early 1976. In the autumn of 1976, the strip adopted the Year Two format, with Burns returning for a brief coda story that November. Some of these strips were reprinted in black-and-white as complete compilations in the Portuguese TV Junior comic.
produced seven child-orientated audio dramas based on Space: 1999, most of which on Year One episodes. "Breakaway
", "Death's Other Dominion" and "Mission of the Darians
" were released on a single 33 rpm LP
, while a second album contains "End of Eternity" and "Dragon's Domain
" accompanied by the two original adventures "Return to the Beginning" (in which, after the Moon passes through a violent space storm, the Alphans discover that they have returned to Earth, but arriving on the surface find themselves in Biblical times, encounter Noah
and witness the Flood) and "It Played So Softly on the Ear" (in which a strange tune leads the Alphans to a habitable planet where solar flare
s have placed the population in suspended animation
; two remaining conscious scientists, who can reverse the process with blood transfusions, abduct the Alphans to serve as donors). In addition, Power Records published individual comic "book-and-record" editions of "Breakaway" and "Return to the Beginning" with 45 rpm vinyl records enclosed.
Space: 1999
Space: 1999 is a British science-fiction television series that ran for two seasons and originally aired from 1975 to 1977. In the opening episode, nuclear waste from Earth stored on the Moon's far side explodes in a catastrophic accident on 13 September 1999, knocking the Moon out of orbit and...
, the science-fiction series generated a number of media tie-ins, including novelisations, original novels, comic books and audio dramas. Due to the series' ongoing cult following, new tie-ins continue to be released to this day.
1970s novels and novelisations
In the mid-1970s, a number of books were published by both American (Pocket BooksPocket Books
Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books.- History :Pocket produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in America in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing industry...
) and British (Futura) publishers, consisting primarily of novelisations of Space: 1999 episodes. These releases, mainly paperback
Paperback
Paperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
, were supplemented by 16-page photo sections (Year One and Two in the United Stated, Year Two only in the United Kingdom), which comprised black-and-white stills from the episodes. Original novels, without photo section, also formed a part of the series. Many of the books were also translated for release in overseas markets, such as Germany, Turkey and Japan.
Year One
- Breakaway by E.C. Tubb. Novelisation of "BreakawayBreakaway (Space: 1999)"Breakaway" is the first episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by George Bellak ; the director was Lee H. Katzin. Previous titles include 'Zero-G', 'The Void Ahead' and 'Turning Point'. The final shooting script is dated 22 November 1973...
", "Matter of Life and DeathMatter of Life and Death (Space: 1999)"Matter of Life and Death" is the second episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Art Wallace and Johnny Byrne; the director was Charles Crichton. The original title was 'Siren Planet'. The final shooting script is dated 8 January 1974...
", "Ring Around The Moon" and "Black Sun". Using the scripted stories and plot points as a springboard, Tubb weaves the four instalments into one continuous (and still-recognisable) narrative. (Fans expecting a word-by-word adaptation will be disappointed.) Characterisation is strong, especially among the three leads: Tubb identifies their personal loneliness and reasons for wanting to retreat from Earth to the "safety" of the MoonMoonThe Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
. Tubb also injects a great deal of science into the narrative, attempting to explain many of the inexplicable events in the language of 1970s scientific knowledge. He depicts the mental adjustment of the Alphans to a hazardous existence in deep space, with several personnel reportedly going mad or committing suicide, and their preparations to survive the voyage by adapting Moonbase AlphaMoonbase AlphaMoonbase Alpha is a fictional moon base and the main setting in the science fiction television series Space: 1999.-Moonbase Alpha:Located in the Moon crater Plato and constructed out of quarried rock and ores, Moonbase Alpha is four kilometres in diameter and extends up to one kilometre in areas...
's physical facilities. Significant changes include: (1) Commissioner Simmonds is a casualty of the "breakaway" – a bad fall and the subsequent crushing G-forceG-forceThe g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
s leave him dead from a severe skull fracture. (2) Meta and Terra Nova are made the same planet, lending credence to Commander John KoenigJohn KoenigJohn Koenig is a fictional character from the television series Space: 1999. He was played by Martin Landau. He is American, apparently in his early forties.-Character Biography:...
's optimism at the end of "Breakaway" that Meta holds hope for the future. (3) Helena RussellHelena RussellHelena Russell is a fictional character from the television series Space: 1999. She was played by Barbara Bain. She is American and apparently in her mid-thirties....
's experience of the destruction of Terra Nova and the reconnaissance party and its subsequent magical reversal is given the possible explanation of being a bad "tripPsychedelic experienceThe term "psychedelic experience" is vague – characterized by polyvalence or ambiguity due to its nature – however in modern psychopharmacological science as well as philosophical, psychological, neurological, spiritual-religious and most other ideological discourses it is understood as an altered...
" induced by hallucinogenic compounds in the native fruit that she samples. (4) Triton is not another planet light years from Earth, but the moon of NeptuneTriton (moon)Triton is the largest moon of the planet Neptune, discovered on October 10, 1846, by English astronomer William Lassell. It is the only large moon in the Solar System with a retrograde orbit, which is an orbit in the opposite direction to its planet's rotation. At 2,700 km in diameter, it is...
gone missing in this story. (5) Professor Victor BergmanVictor BergmanProfessor Victor Bergman is the name of a recurring character on the UK science fiction television series Space: 1999. The role was portrayed by actor Barry Morse.-Character Biography:...
creates the anti-gravityAnti-gravityAnti-gravity is the idea of creating a place or object that is free from the force of gravity. It does not refer to the lack of weight under gravity experienced in free fall or orbit, or to balancing the force of gravity with some other force, such as electromagnetism or aerodynamic lift...
force field in "Ring Around The Moon" to outwit the Tritonians, based on information obtained from the explosions at Disposal Areas One and Two, then adapts it to shield Alpha for the "Black Sun" segment. (6) The surviving Eagle Transporter cannot escape the gravitational pull of the black sun, so Carter opts to follow the Moon. (7) David Kano is present in the "Breakaway" portion of the novel, while no mention is made of Benjamin Ouma.
- Moon Odyssey by John RankineJohn RankineJohn Rankine is a British science fiction author, who has written books as John Rankine and Douglas R. Mason...
. Novelisation of "Alpha Child", "The Last SunsetThe Last Sunset (Space: 1999)"The Last Sunset" is the eleventh episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Christopher Penfold; the director was Charles Crichton. The final shooting script is dated 21 July 1974, with blue-page amendments dated 22 July 1974 and pink-page amendments dated 23 July...
", "Voyager's Return" and "Another Time, Another PlaceAnother Time, Another Place (Space: 1999)"Another Time, Another Place" is the sixth episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Johnny Byrne; the director was David Tomblin. The final shooting script is dated 20 January 1974, with blue-page amendments dated 25 January and 1 April 1974. Live-action filming...
". Rankine employs a much more conservative approach to the novel, with a faithful script-to-prose adaption of the four episode. Any linking of the four segments is minimal and does not alter events. Thankfully, no explanations are offered for the mysterious and mind-blowing events that the Alphans experience. Rankine's style is clean and fast-paced and, while maintaining character integrity, portrays the regulars as more down-to-earth, regular people in contrast to Tubb's über-intelligent, more tension-ridden interpretation. Changes from established episodes are few and usually because they were present in the final shooting scripts and reflective of last-minute alterations: (1) Sue Crawford was originally named Cynthia Crawford. (2) Jarak and Rena's pursuers from home appeared in a fleet of six ships identical to theirs rather than one large warship. (3) The conclusion of the "biological clock" dialogue between Sandra BenesSandra BenesSandra Benes is a recurring character in the British science-fiction television series Space: 1999. She is of Western European/Burmese origin and is in her late twenties. Her role was played by actress Zienia Merton.-Character Biography:...
and Paul MorrowPaul MorrowPaul Morrow is a fictional character who first appeared in 'Breakaway', the premiere episode of the science fiction television show Space: 1999, and was portrayed by Prentis Hancock. He is a British national who appears to be in his early thirties....
in "The Last Sunset" excised from the final print is restored (Sandra: "Do you know what sound I miss most in the silence of space?" Paul: "Birdsong?" And now, before the kiss, Sandra: "The sound of children".)
- The Space Guardians by Brian Ball. Novelisation of "Missing LinkMissing Link (Space: 1999)"Missing Link" is the seventh episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Edward di Lorenzo; the director was Ray Austin. The final shooting script is dated 5 April 1974...
", "Force of Life" and "Guardian of Piri". This novel's style is a hybrid of the first two; a continuous interlinking novel that can veer from the on-screen narrative, but with large portions adapted verbatim. Ball is much more liberal with the Alphans and their portrayals, while consistent within the novel, do not match up with the characterisations created on-screen. The protagonist is Commander Koenig, who is put through a tortured learning curve in these three segments. Alpha is depicted as a very realistic and interactive community. Changes are made both for creative and practical reasons: (1) The reconnaissance mission in "Missing Link" was not to explore the Cryton solar system, but searching for a detected mineral deposit on the Moon's surfaceGeology of the MoonThe geology of the Moon is quite different from that of the Earth...
. (This was also depicted in the final shooting script.) (2) Raan's faux-Bergman deceives Koenig for an extended time, revealing the sensor reading of the mineral deposit was actually that of a buried alien spacecraft boasting an interstellar propulsion system. During a visit to the excavated craft, he tries to tempt Koenig into abandoning the Alphans and using the ship to get the two of them home. (3) Koenig's love for Vana borders on epic and persists throughout the novel. In the "Force of Life" chapters, memories of Vana produce a fugueFugueIn music, a fugue is a compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject that is introduced at the beginning in imitation and recurs frequently in the course of the composition....
-like grief, causing him to withdraw from the normal routine and giving him crippling migraines. In "Guardian of Piri", he has come to terms with this, but its persisting memory gives Koenig the strength of will to resist the influence of the Guardian. (4) After Zenno, the Moon drifts out of the galaxy, encountering the heat-absorbing life force and the isolated Pirian solar system in the intergalactic void. (5) Piri alternates in appearance between the reality of a desert wasteland and the Guardian's vision of a lush paradise garden.
- Collision Course by E.C. Tubb. Novelisation of "Collision CourseCollision Course (Space: 1999)"Collision Course" is the thirteenth episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Anthony Terpiloff; the director was Ray Austin. The final shooting script is dated 13 August 1974...
", "The Full Circle", "End of Eternity" and "Death's Other Dominion". Tubb's second effort is much the same as his Breakaway. All four tales are blended into a single narrative, with the scientific explanations added for Operation Shockwave, the sudden appearance and ultimate fate of Atheria, the Rethan personal time warp and the means of Balor's immortality. He also debunks the normal complaint of critics of Space: 1999 by having Atheria, Retha, the Progron asteroid and Ultima Thule present in the same solar system. The stories bear a closer resemblance to their respective episodes with more on-screen action and dialogue represented. An interesting passage giving insight into the daily life on Alpha is added: Koenig converses with the head of nutrition in a mess hall, mentioning the poor flavour of the morning meal. The subordinate explains that an algae strain was contaminated, but used regardless to create the simulated butter, eggs and coffee. The alternative was to scrap the lot and provide survival rations. Changes made include: (1) Retha being revealed from behind Atheria after its disappearance and proposed as a possible "parting gift" from Arra. (2) The Alphans not attempting to destroy Balor's asteroid at the close of the story. Its power of indestructibility had been demonstrated at the top of this segment by an almost organic re-growth potential, rather than a magical post-destructive reappearance. (3) Captain Alan Carter being attacked by the hostile wildlife of Ultima Thule just as he locates the Eagle during the white-out.
- Lunar Attack by John Rankine. Novelisation of "War GamesWar Games (Space: 1999)"War Games" is the seventeenth episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Christopher Penfold; the director was Charles Crichton. The final shooting script is dated 15 October 1974...
", "The Troubled SpiritThe Troubled Spirit"The Troubled Spirit" is the nineteenth episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Johnny Byrne; the director was Ray Austin. The final shooting script is dated 11 November 1974...
", "The Last Enemy" and "Space Brain". Rankine's second outing is a solid novelisation in the same spirit as his first, and the four stories remain faithful to their script origins. His prose style remains brisk, but includes more descriptive passages (as if he had viewed these stories before getting down to writing). The attack theme is carried through all four stories, with three depicting assaults on Alpha from external forces and a fourth from within the mind of one of their own. Teleplay purists will note more than a few discrepancies as "The Last Enemy" and "Space Brain" were extensively re-worked after completion of the principal photographyPrincipal photographythumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
. Changes include: (1) The music programme in "The Troubled Spirit" is a string quartet led by Bergman. (2) In "The Last Enemy", Dione receives reports from a male Bethan regarding the status of the wandering Moon. (3) None of the action onboard Dione's battleship Satazius appears, as this was scripted and filmed after the fact as filler for this severely under-running episode. The whole "men v. women" idea is mostly lost without Dione's glamour-girl crew. (4) The ending of "The Last Enemy" is that of the unrevised shooting scriptShooting scriptA shooting script is the version of a screenplay used during the production of a motion picture. Shooting scripts are distinct from spec scripts in that they make use of scene numbers , and they follow a well defined set of procedures specifying how script revisions should be implemented and...
. The sequence with the two planets both threatening Alpha with destruction over Koenig's provision of co-ordinates for Satazius does not occur, nor does his desperate gambit to dispose of Dione and company. Koenig simply transmits the co-ordinates of the Bethan gunship to Talos on Delta, who immediately sends a missile strike to destroy it. (5) In "Space Brain", the lost fight between Carter and Kelly excised from the final cut is restored where a Brain-controlled Kelly attempts to send the Eagle into the centre of the Brain. (6) The ending of "Space Brain" is that of the unrevised shooting script. Koenig has a last-minute epiphany: if the antibodies are intentionally allowed into the Alpha complex, they cannot crush it, and orders all airlocks opened. The Brain survives intact, gently deflecting the Moon from its collision course.
- Astral Quest by John Rankine. Novelisation of "The Infernal MachineThe Infernal Machine (Space: 1999)"The Infernal Machine" is the twenty-first episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Anthony Terpiloff and Elizabeth Barrows; the director was David Tomblin. The final shooting script is dated 11 December 1974...
", "Mission of the DariansMission of the Darians"Mission of the Darians" is the twenty-second episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Johnny Byrne; the director was Ray Austin. The original title was ‘Mission of the Darya’. The final shooting script is dated 7 January 1975...
", "Dragon's DomainDragon's Domain"Dragon's Domain" is the twenty-third episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Christopher Penfold; the director was Charles Crichton. The final shooting script dated 21 January 1975, with blue-page amendments dated 29 January 1975 and yellow-page amendments dated...
" and "The Testament of ArkadiaThe Testament of Arkadia"The Testament of Arkadia" is the twenty-fourth and final episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Johnny Byrne; the director was David Tomblin. The final shooting script is dated 5 February 1975, with a revised final shooting script dated 25 February 1975...
". Rankine maintains his high-quality interpretation of the series with the last four stories of Year One, displaying a prose-style that is a bit more sophisticated than his previous outings. (However, he loses a bit of credibility when he has the elegant and refined Benes utter the expletive "Holy cow!" at the sight of Gwent.) He weaves the four segments together with a continuing story of Koenig and Bergman discussing the first steps of establishing a viable civilisation when they eventually settle on a planet. The quest theme is explored through Gwent's search for identity, the Darians' ambitions for a future, Jim Calder's quest for redemption and the culmination of the destiny that the unknown forces holds in store for the Alphans. Changes this time are few: (1) Morrow is present in "The Infernal Machine". (2) The mutants are referred to by the Darian survivor tribe as "Mutes". (3) The Tony Cellini and Monique Bouchere characters are known as "Jim Calder" and "Olga Vishenskya" as they were in the final shooting script.
- Alien Seed by E.C. Tubb (original novel)
- Android Planet by John Rankine (original novel)
- Rogue Planet by E.C. Tubb (original novel)
- Phoenix of Megaron by John Rankine (original novel - US only)
- Earthfall by E.C. Tubb (original novel - UK only) – notable in that it concludes the Space: 1999 odyssey, and features the descendants of the Alphans returning to Earth.
- "EarthboundEarthbound (Space: 1999)"Earthbound" is the fifth episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Anthony Terpiloff; the director was Charles Crichton. The final shooting script is undated...
" is the only Year One episode not included in this series of novelisations.
Year Two
- Planets of Peril by Michael ButterworthMichael ButterworthMichael Butterworth is a British author and publisher who has written many novels and short stories, particularly in the genre of science fiction...
. Novelisation of "The MetamorphThe Metamorph"The Metamorph" is the first episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Johnny Byrne; the director was Charles Crichton. Previous titles were 'The Biological Soul' and 'The Biological Computer'. The final shooting script is dated 19 January 1976...
", "The AB Chrysalis", "The Rules of Luton" and "New Adam, New EveNew Adam, New Eve"New Adam, New Eve" is the tenth episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Terence Feely; the director was Charles Crichton. The final shooting script is dated 29 April 1976...
". The new series receives a new style of writing. Butterworth has a complicated prose style, heavy with descriptive passages and character insights. The characters sometimes speak and behave melodramatically. Great licence is taken with the scripts and major changes are made in these stories to suit their assembly into one consistent plotline. Only some of this can be attributed to his being supplied with draft scripts. Butterworth acknowledges the never-mentioned backstory that the Alphans have relocated underground. Major changes include: (1) The use of the character names Simon Hays, Mark Macinlock and Jameson (later revised to Tony VerdeschiTony VerdeschiTony Verdeschi is a fictional character who first appeared in the second series of the science fiction television series Space: 1999. He is in his early thirties....
, Alan Carter and Petrov) as they appeared in the final draft of "The Metamorph". In a schizophrenic attempt to accommodate different drafts of the script, Butterworth has Hays accompany Koenig to Psychon (and sometimes forgetting that he is there) while Verdeschi is left in command of Moonbase AlphaMoonbase AlphaMoonbase Alpha is a fictional moon base and the main setting in the science fiction television series Space: 1999.-Moonbase Alpha:Located in the Moon crater Plato and constructed out of quarried rock and ores, Moonbase Alpha is four kilometres in diameter and extends up to one kilometre in areas...
. After the events of "The Metamorph", Macinlock would take a "well-deserved rest" and Alan Carter becomes the main pilot. (2) The mineral that would send the Alphans to Psychon is named Tiranium (as it was also called in the final shooting script). Tiranium is described as a radioactive metal that had replaced plutonium as fuel for the nuclear reactors due to its significantly higher potency and harmless by-products. (3) In "The AB Chrysalis", the shockwaves threaten the Moon directly after the destruction of Psychon. MayaMaya (Space: 1999)Maya is a fictional character who appeared in the second series of the science fiction television program Space: 1999. Played by actress Catherine Schell , Maya was introduced in the second series opener 'The Metamorph'...
accompanies the reconnaissance party to their planet of origin, not as an official crew member, but at Helena's request to give the girl refugee "something to do" to keep her from grieving over her losses. (With Maya unfamiliar to the Alphans, Butterworth actually makes sense of the filler where Koenig and Carter marvel over her extraordinary ability of mental arithmetic.) (4) Verdeschi replaces Koenig on the Luton survey mission with Maya, in an attempt to force these characters together and accelerate their romance. (5) Maya becomes the newly appointed scientific officer with a desk in Command Centre in "New Adam, New Eve". (6) Benes and Yasko appear in Command Centre together on several occasions.
- Mind-Breaks of Space by J. Jeff Jones and Michael Butterworth. Novelisation of "Brian the BrainBrian the Brain"Brian the Brain" is the ninth episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Jack Ronder; the director was Kevin Connor. The final shooting script is dated 5 May 1976, with amendments dated 11 May 1976...
", "The Mark of ArchanonThe Mark of Archanon"The Mark of Archanon" is the eighth episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Lew Schwarz; the director was Charles Crichton. The final shooting script is dated 12 April 1976, with amendments dated 21 April, 26 April, 27 April and 28 April 1976...
", "Catacombs of the MoonCatacombs of the Moon"Catacombs of the Moon" is the eleventh episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Anthony Terpiloff; the director was Robert Lynn. The original title was 'The Catacombs of the Moon'. The final shooting script is dated 18 May 1976, with amendments dated 26 May, 9...
" and "One Moment of HumanityOne Moment of Humanity"One Moment of Humanity" is the third episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Tony Barwick; the director was Charles Crichton. The original title was 'One Second of Humanity'. The final shooting script is dated 12 February 1976...
". Sources indicate Jones wrote the majority of the book. The four stories are again combined into a single narrative and a search for Tiranium is introduced (this would become a constant presence in the Butterworth novels, making the reader wonder why the Alphans designed their power source to be dependent on such a universally rare substance). Brian the Brain's interference with Alpha's Main Computer would cause the reactors to use too much too quickly. Tiranium would be the cause of the mining operations seen in "The Mark of Archanon" and "Catacombs of the Moon". The surface explosions caused by the hydrogen heat-storm would split open a rill on the lunar surface and expose a large vein of the valuable mineral. Butterworth also has Maya's transformations feature more distinctively alien creatures rather than terrestrial animals, addressing the complaints of both Catherine SchellCatherine SchellKatherina Freiin Schell von Bauschlott is an Hungarian-born actress best known for her work on British televison.Schell rose to fame in various British film and television productions in the 1960s and 1970s...
and the fans. Changes include: (1) Koenig's plan to break Brian's mind involves he, Helena and Maya confusing the Brain by each clamoring to provide it with maintenance, then Maya transforms into Captain Michael to send it over the edge. (This was from an earlier draft script). (2) Maya transforms into a bipedal headless bat creature to search for the fugitive Osgoods in the pitch-black catacombs. (3) The hydrogen heat-storm is a force of nature only and there is no speculation as to its possible sentience. (4) The first appearance of "Sahn" as a male Indian operative rather than Sandra Benes going by a new nickname.
- The Space-Jackers by Michael Butterworth. Novelisation of "Seed of DestructionSeed of Destruction (Space: 1999)"Seed of Destruction" is the thirteenth episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by John Goldsmith; the director was Kevin Connor. The final shooting script is dated 25 May 1976...
", "A Matter of Balance", "The Exiles" and "The Beta Cloud". Butterworth returns as solo author of this novel. The stories are more delinated and match their on-screen counterparts (except for "The Beta Cloud"). The hunt for Tiranium continues as Cantar and Zova exhaust Moonbase's supply using their matter transmitter jury-rigged from the life-support system and, by the end of the novel, it is stated that Alpha has only enough power for one more day. His use of imaginative alien forms for the Maya transformations continues with her selection to fight the Cloud robot: a two-headed, fire-breathing dragon beast with razor-like forearms. Changes include: (1) Botanist Shermeen's last name is "Goodwood" and he is only eighteen at the time, having been trapped on the runaway Moon as a teenager during an ill-timed holiday. (2) Hays makes another appearance the first half of "The Exiles" (the shooting script used his name till this point). He remains in Command Centre with Koenig when Verdeschi and Maya are dispatched to Life Support to check on Cantar and Zova's progress. He is not mentioned again. (3) The male Indian "Sahn" makes another appearance, substituting at the station normally occupied by Benes. (4) In "The Beta Cloud", major changes are made to the narrative (not the least of which is the disappearance of all the filler scenes added to this severely under-running episode). Maya is severely injured during her initial battle with the Cloud's robot and remains in Medical Centre for much of the story, and a recovering Carter joins Verseschi and Fraser in their attempts to repel the invader. Maya's epiphany about the robot's true nature is given to her by Ben Vincent with an off-hand remark: "If Tony and Alan can't stop that runaway robot, no one can." Maya then inexplicably escapes from the locked Medical Centre to join the three men for the final showdown at Life Support, sustained by stimulants and pain-killing drugs. There is no happy ending as they realise that the aforementioned power dilemma will mean the end of Alpha. As an aside, Macinlock is mentioned as the ill-fated pilot of Eagle Six, effectively writing the character out of the series.
- The Psychomorph by Michael Butterworth. Novelisation of "The Lambda FactorThe Lambda Factor"The Lambda Factor" is the nineteenth episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Terrance Dicks; the director was Charles Crichton. The final shooting script is dated 6 August 1976, with amendments dated 2 September, 15 September, 27 September, 28 September, 29...
" and "The Bringers of Wonder, Part OneThe Bringers of Wonder, Part One"The Bringers of Wonder, Part One" is the seventeenth episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Terence Feely; the director was Tom Clegg. The final shooting script is dated 23 June 1976...
" and "The Bringers of Wonder, Part TwoThe Bringers of Wonder, Part Two"The Bringers of Wonder, Part Two" is the eighteenth episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Terence Feely; the director was Tom Clegg. The final shooting script is dated 23 June 1976...
". Butterworth's fourth outing presents a behind-the-scenes manipulator: a million-mile wide sentient space amoeba. The amoeba has existed for billions of years and sustains itself on the radiation of the stars it absorbs. Now senile and powerless, its once massive body shrunken and dying, it must receive a massive influx of radiaton to survive. The arrival of the travelling Moon gives it its last chance and it attempts by any means to deceive the Alphans into causing a thermonuclear explosion to regenerate itself. The Tiranium crisis narrative from the end of The Space-Jackers is picked up with Alpha poised on the brink of oblivion. With only hours to go, mild-mannered mining engineer Carl Renton, under the influence of the amoeba's lambda waves, has his inner desire for success realised as he is given the courage to enter an unsafe tunnel and discovers a major Tiranium deposit. Only minor changes are made to the teleplays: (1) Sally Martin is another unfortunate teen trapped on the runaway Moon when visiting her favourite uncle at the age of fifteen. (2) Carl Renton and his bully (named Harry Garth) shoot craps rather than play their complicated electronic gambling device. (3) Carolyn Powell is influenced by the amoeba to order the meltdown of the Alpha nuclear reactors when she takes over Command Centre. (4) "Sahn" switches sex and is now portrayed as female due to appearance of fiancé, Peter Rockwell. (5) The jellyfish aliens are no longer the primary antagonists, but psychically synthesised pawns of the non-corporeal space amoeba. (6) Carter actually succeeds in inserting the nuclear fuel canister into the waste-dome core, but it becomes conveniently jammed part-way down the chute and will be have to be removed at a later date.
- The Time Fighters by Michael Butterworth. Novelisation of "Space Warp", "Dorzak", "Devil's PlanetDevil's Planet"Devil's Planet" is the twenty-second episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Michael Winder; the director was Tom Clegg. The original title was 'Devil's Moon'. The final shooting script is dated 9 September 1976...
" and "The Seance SpectreThe Seance Spectre"The Seance Spectre" is the twentieth episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Donald James; the director was Peter Medak. The original title was 'The Mutiny'. The final shooting script is dated 16 September 1976...
". Major plot adjustments abound in this novel. The most noticeable alteration is the blending of Devil's Planet with "The Seance Spectre", with both stories occurring simultaneously and replacing Koenig with Verdeschi in the latter story. Butterworth continues his use of very alien creatures in "Space Warp" with the first rampaging Maya monster described as a ten-foot-high, iridescent-scaled centaur-like being. Changes made include: (1) Maya's illness is a normal Psychon condition caused by a periodic imbalance of their super-intelligent minds. (2) The Croton spaceship is damaged after it, too, traverses the space warp, causing Sahala to seek help on Alpha. (3) Koenig's absence from "Dorzak" on is explained as a long-range reconnaissance mission to the solar system the Moon is approaching. Among its numerous members are the planet Ellna and its habitable moon Entra and the proto-planet Tora, with which the Moon will collide on its present trajectory. It is suggested that the local fabric of the universe was disturbed by the Moon's passage through the space warp and the collision with Tora is the ultimate result of this bad karma. (4) Koenig's crash on Entra goes unnoticed by the senior staff as this is the moment that Sandor (as Greg Sanderson was originally known in the script) and his many mutineers (more than three) choose to storm Command Centre and brutalise the staff into submission. No rescue Eagle is dispatched and Koenig is presumed missing during the collision crisis. (5) Sandor and his cronies are depicted as a bunch of malcontents rather than suffering from a psychological condition. They are no longer exterior workers, but ordinary Alphans. (6) Verdeschi is in command of Alpha during the Tora incident. He orders the detonation of the nuclear waste site and the evacuation of Alpha, personally performs the procedure to blow up the atomic waste and dispatches the maniacal Sandor before Koenig is rescued from Ellna.
- The Edge of the Infinite by Michael Butterworth. Novelisation of "All That GlistersAll That Glisters (Space: 1999)"All That Glisters" is the fourth episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Keith Miles; the director was Ray Austin. The final shooting script is dated 9 March 1976...
", "Journey to WhereJourney to Where"Journey to Where" is the fifth episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Donald James; the director was Tom Clegg. The final shooting script is dated 18 February 1976, with amendments dated 2 March, 4 March, 11 March, 17 March, 18 March, 22 March and 25 March 1976...
", "The DorconsThe Dorcons"The Dorcons" is the twenty-fourth episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Johnny Byrne; the director was Tom Clegg. Original titles were 'Last of the Psychons' and 'Return of the Dorcons'. The final shooting script is dated 17 November 1976...
" and "The Immunity Syndrome". The final novel in the series. Butterworth adds an ominous interlinking plotline: the Moon is approaching the edge of the galaxy it is presently travelling across and the Alphans are desperately gathering and hoarding supplies to survive the journey through the intergalactic void for as long as possible. Helena's opening status report gives the date as 25 December 2005. Changes to established plotlines include: (1) The initial "neutrone" transmission from Texas City is received on Alpha while Koenig and company are away battling the sentient rocks in the All That Glisters segment ("neutrone" is the term used in an earlier draft of the "Journey to Where" script). (2) The rock's death colour ("Red is death!") is black and it sends off opaque beams of blackness, which instantly dehydrate any living matter they touch. (3) The Alphans are initially horrified at the prospect of living on the sterile and polluted Earth as revealed by Doctor Logan and Carla. (4) For "The Dorcons", Butterworth adapted an earlier draft script ("Return of the Dorcons") with many minor differences in plot and dialogue. (5) The leader of the Alphan planetary survey team is a Pioneer Officer named Yuri Salkov (not Jerry Travis). (6) "The Immunity Syndrome" ends with the "I-That-Am-I" entity taking its own life. It could not stand the guilt of its murdering the beings it had encountered regardless of intention. The Alphans then seriously entertain the notion of relocating to the planet and the series ends with on optimistic note. This final installment was never released in the UK and only in a limited distribution in the US.
- "The Taybor" is the only Year Two episode not included in this series of novelisations.
- Since Michael Butterworth adapted his novelisations primarily from early drafts of Year Two scripts, many of the character names and personalities are considerably different from the later aired versions.
Foreign-language releases
Space: 1999 novels and novelisations were also written in other languages for specific markets, mainly Germany and Italy, where the series was highly popular.In Italy, adaptations of all 24 Year One episodes and eight of the Year Two episodes were published in oversized hardback volumes. These books typically contained two episodes and nearly 100 colour photos each. Like the Michael Butterworth
Michael Butterworth
Michael Butterworth is a British author and publisher who has written many novels and short stories, particularly in the genre of science fiction...
English-language editions, many of these books were adapted from early drafts of scripts, and events and details sometimes differ significantly from the episodes later aired.
In Germany, the Butterworth Year Two novels were translated into German, with one significant difference. The ending of "The Edge of the Infinite" was altered in order to set up events that would be continued in six original follow-on novels. To this day, these novels have never been translated into any other language.
- Das Andromeda-Rätsel (The Andromeda Mystery) by H.W. Springer
- Das Erbe der Roboter (The Legacy of the Robots) by H.W. Springer
- Die Ewigen von Luna (The Immortals of Luna) by H.W. Springer
- Invasion der Esper (Invasion of the Telepaths) by H.W. Springer
- Aktion Exodus (Operation Exodus) by Kurt Brand
- Der Stahlplanet (The Steel Planet) by Kurt Brand
The final novel, Der Stahlplanet is notable in that it concludes the Space: 1999 odyssey by having the Alphans teleport to Texas City, Earth via the neutrino transmission process introduced in "Journey to Where
Journey to Where
"Journey to Where" is the fifth episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Donald James; the director was Tom Clegg. The final shooting script is dated 18 February 1976, with amendments dated 2 March, 4 March, 11 March, 17 March, 18 March, 22 March and 25 March 1976...
". These books are also unique in that they are the only media tie-in novels for an English-language series written specifically for a foreign market.
2000s novels and novelisations
In 2002, FandersonFanderson
Fanderson is the official appreciation society for the works of Gerry Anderson. It is a not-for-profit organisation endorsed by Anderson Entertainment Ltd, Gerry Anderson Productions plc and ITC Entertainment Group Ltd...
published a new edition of the novel Earthfall which corrected the typographic errors of the original publication and, with the permission of the author, separated the novel into its three component sections: Part One, "Breakaway
Breakaway (Space: 1999)
"Breakaway" is the first episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by George Bellak ; the director was Lee H. Katzin. Previous titles include 'Zero-G', 'The Void Ahead' and 'Turning Point'. The final shooting script is dated 22 November 1973...
" (set in September 1999); Part Two, "Colony Alpha" (January 2000); and Part Three, "Earthfall" (October 2018). Fanderson went on to publish a new original novel, Earthbound, written by E. C. Tubb, in 2003. This book contained an adaptation of "Earthbound
Earthbound (Space: 1999)
"Earthbound" is the fifth episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Anthony Terpiloff; the director was Charles Crichton. The final shooting script is undated...
", the one episode which was not included in the original novelisation run, as well as adaptations of two scripts of Year Two stories which retained the Year One format in which the scripts had originally been written: "The Exiles" and "The Face of Eden" (or "The Immunity Syndrome"). Also in 2002, Eagle One Media published a new edition of the novel Alien Seed with a new preface by Tubb. The same year, Powys Media launched a new series of officially licensed original novels and related works of non-fiction, and revised and expanded omnibus editions of previously issued novelisations for Year Two. All books are English-language releases, available directly from the companies' websites.
Fanderson releases
- Earthfall by E.C. Tubb (original novel).
- Earthbound by E.C. Tubb, afterword by Chris Bentley (novelisation).
Eagle One Media releases
- Alien Seed by E.C. Tubb, preface by the author (original novel).
Powys Media releases
- Resurrection by William Latham, foreword by Johnny Byrne (original novel), 2002. A sequel to "End of Eternity" in the Year One format.
- The Forsaken by John Kenneth MuirJohn Kenneth MuirJohn Kenneth Muir is an American literary critic. He has written twenty-one reference books in the fields of film and television, with a particular accent on the horror and science fiction genres....
, foreword by Prentis HancockPrentis HancockPrentis Hancock is a British actor, best known for his television roles.He was a regular cast member of the first season of science fiction series Space: 1999 as Paul Morrow, and also appeared in a number of Doctor Who stories throughout the 1970s - Spearhead from Space and Planet of the Daleks...
(original novel), 2003. An original novel placed between Years One and Two. Paul MorrowPaul MorrowPaul Morrow is a fictional character who first appeared in 'Breakaway', the premiere episode of the science fiction television show Space: 1999, and was portrayed by Prentis Hancock. He is a British national who appears to be in his early thirties....
and Tanya AlexanderTanya AlexanderTanya Alexander is the name of a semi-recurring character on the UK science fiction television series Space: 1999. The role was portrayed by German actress Suzanne Roquette.-Character Biography:...
are written out of the series. - Survival by Brian Ball, foreword by Barry MorseBarry MorseHerbert "Barry" Morse was an Anglo-Canadian actor of stage, screen, and radio best known for his roles in the ABC television series The Fugitive and the British sci-fi drama Space: 1999...
(original novel), 2005. An original novel, placed between Years One and Two, that depicts the fate of Professor Victor BergmanVictor BergmanProfessor Victor Bergman is the name of a recurring character on the UK science fiction television series Space: 1999. The role was portrayed by actor Barry Morse.-Character Biography:...
. - Eternity Unbound by William Latham, afterword by the author (original novel), 2005. A Balor trilogy. Part One depicts the events on Progron 1000 years before the present, while Part Two is a script-to-prose adaption of "End of Eternity", and Part Three is a reprint of Latham's novel Resurrection.
- Year Two by Michael ButterworthMichael ButterworthMichael Butterworth is a British author and publisher who has written many novels and short stories, particularly in the genre of science fiction...
, foreword by the author, afterword by Mateo Latosa (novelisation omnibus), 2005. A re-issue of the six Butterworth novelisations published in the 1970s. The stories are now placed in production order and have been slightly re-written to conform more to their broadcast versions where necessary. "The Taybor" is finally adapted and inserted into the narrative. New material is introduced to link the stories together and give them some continuity not only with Year One, but with the range of published (and forthcoming) Powys Space: 1999 novels. - Shepherd Moon by various authors, foreword by Mateo Latosa (an anthologyAnthologyAn anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
), January 2010. - Born for Adversity by David A. McInteeDavid A. McIntee-Biography:McIntee has written many spin-off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, as well as one each based on Final Destination and Space: 1999. He has also written a non-fiction book on Star Trek: Voyager and one jointly on the Alien and Predator movie franchises...
, foreword and afterword by Catherine SchellCatherine SchellKatherina Freiin Schell von Bauschlott is an Hungarian-born actress best known for her work on British televison.Schell rose to fame in various British film and television productions in the 1960s and 1970s...
(original novel), February 2010. Set in Year Three. - Omega by William Latham, foreword by Christopher PenfoldChristopher PenfoldChristopher Penfold is an English scriptwriter and editor.Television shows that he has worked on include Pathfinders, Take Me High, The Tripods, One by One, All Creatures Great and Small, EastEnders, Casualty and Midsomer Murders.Penfold is perhaps most well-known for being one of the brains behind...
(original novel), February 2010. Set in Year Three. - Alpha by William Latham, afterword by Christopher Penfold (original novel), February 2010. Set in Year Three.
- Resurrection, an audiobook by William Latham, read by Barry MorseBarry MorseHerbert "Barry" Morse was an Anglo-Canadian actor of stage, screen, and radio best known for his roles in the ABC television series The Fugitive and the British sci-fi drama Space: 1999...
, 7 May 2010. Omits the foreword from the original publication. - Spider's Web, an audiobook by William Latham, read by Rupert Booth, 8 November 2010.
- Chasing the Cyclops by William Latham, foreword by Mateo Latosa (non-fiction), 17 December 2010.
- Android Planet by John RankineJohn RankineJohn Rankine is a British science fiction author, who has written books as John Rankine and Douglas R. Mason...
, foreword by John Mason (original novel), 3 February 2011.
Future releases
- Phoenix of Megaron by John RankineJohn RankineJohn Rankine is a British science fiction author, who has written books as John Rankine and Douglas R. Mason...
, foreword by John Mason (original novel), April 2011. - The Whispering Sea by John Kenneth MuirJohn Kenneth MuirJohn Kenneth Muir is an American literary critic. He has written twenty-one reference books in the fields of film and television, with a particular accent on the horror and science fiction genres....
(original novel), May 2011. - Eternity Unleashed by William Latham (original novel), date TBA
- Eternity Unleashed by William Latham, read by Rupert Booth (audiobook), date TBA
- Year One by Brian Ball, John RankineJohn RankineJohn Rankine is a British science fiction author, who has written books as John Rankine and Douglas R. Mason...
and E.C. Tubb, forewords by all three authors (hardcover novelisation omnibus), date TBA - Prodigal Moon by various authors (anthologyAnthologyAn anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
), date TBA - The Powysverse Compendium by Patricia T. Sokol (reference work), date TBA
The Making of Space: 1999
In 1976, Ballantine BooksBallantine Books
Ballantine Books is a major book publisher located in the United States, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. It was acquired by Random House in 1973, which in turn was acquired by Bertelsmann AG in 1998 and remains part of that company today. Ballantine's logo is a...
published a paperback behind-the-scenes guide, The Making of Space: 1999, by Tim Heald
Tim Heald
Tim Heald is a British author, biographer, journalist and public speaker.Heald was born in Dorchester, Dorset, England, and educated at Sherborne School, Dorset and Balliol College, Oxford, receiving an MA in Modern History....
. It focuses mainly on the early months of production of Year Two. The episode guide for that season is incomplete, sine the book was published while Year Two was still airing. It features an extensive photo section with more than 50 black-and-white photos.
The Moonbase Alpha Technical Manual
In 1977, StarlogStarlog
Starlog was a monthly science-fiction film magazine published by Starlog Group Inc. The magazine was created by publishers Kerry O'Quinn and Norman Jacobs. O'Quinn was the magazine's editor while Jacobs ran the business side of things, dealing with typesetters, engravers and printers. They got...
magazine published The Moonbase Alpha Technical Manual. It provides detailed blueprints of Moonbase Alpha
Moonbase Alpha
Moonbase Alpha is a fictional moon base and the main setting in the science fiction television series Space: 1999.-Moonbase Alpha:Located in the Moon crater Plato and constructed out of quarried rock and ores, Moonbase Alpha is four kilometres in diameter and extends up to one kilometre in areas...
, along with illustrations and information on various incarnations of props and costumes. It was intended to be updated on a regular basis, but this idea was abandoned due to low sales. Starlog had released the blueprints of the Eagle Transporter in its seventh issue (dated August 1977) as a possible preview of the The Moonbase Alpha Technical Manual, which was first advertised in the ninth issue. Starlog also released blueprints of the Mark IX Hawk
Mark IX Hawk
The Mark IX Hawk is a fictional spacecraft in the Space: 1999 television series. They are apparently designed specifically for combat, and are fast, maneuverable, and well-armed...
in issue 32 (March 1980), but these were not intended as an update to the The Moonbase Alpha Technical Manual.
Exploring Space: 1999
In 1997, McFarland & CompanyMcFarland & Company
McFarland & Company, Inc. is a book publisher of primarily academic and adult nonfiction based in Jefferson, North Carolina. Its president and editor-in-chief is Robert Franklin, who began the enterprise in 1979...
released a non-fiction, scholarly monograph
Monograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
of Space: 1999 by John Kenneth Muir
John Kenneth Muir
John Kenneth Muir is an American literary critic. He has written twenty-one reference books in the fields of film and television, with a particular accent on the horror and science fiction genres....
, titled Exploring Space: 1999: an Episode Guide and Complete History of the Mid-1970s Science Fiction Television Series. It was re-released in paperback by McFarland in April 2005.
Destination: Moonbase Alpha
In 2010, Telos PublishingTelos Publishing
Telos Publishing Ltd. is a publishing company, originally established by David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker, with their first publication being a horror anthology based on the television series Urban Gothic in 2001...
released the most comprehensive non-fiction book published on the subject of Space: 1999. Written by Robert E. Wood
Robert E. Wood (painter)
Robert E. Wood is a Canadian fine artist and author. He specializes in representational landscape paintings, which focus on the Rocky Mountains, lakes, rivers and forests of Alberta and British Columbia. Wood's diverse subject matter also includes street scenes, still life and floral subjects,...
and titled Destination: Moonbase Alpha: the Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Space: 1999, the book runs to 490 pages and contains a colour photo section featuring model spaceships created for Space: 1999 by special effects technician Martin Bower
Martin Bower
Martin Bower is a model maker and designer of special effects miniatures for both film and television. His credits include the television series Space: 1999 and the films Alien , Flash Gordon and Outland...
, as well as a foreword by Zienia Merton
Zienia Merton
Zienia Merton is a British actress born in Burma. Her mother was Burmese, and her father half English, half French. She was raised in Singapore, Borneo, Portugal, and England....
(Sandra Benes
Sandra Benes
Sandra Benes is a recurring character in the British science-fiction television series Space: 1999. She is of Western European/Burmese origin and is in her late twenties. Her role was played by actress Zienia Merton.-Character Biography:...
) and an afterword by Barry Morse
Barry Morse
Herbert "Barry" Morse was an Anglo-Canadian actor of stage, screen, and radio best known for his roles in the ABC television series The Fugitive and the British sci-fi drama Space: 1999...
(Professor Victor Bergman
Victor Bergman
Professor Victor Bergman is the name of a recurring character on the UK science fiction television series Space: 1999. The role was portrayed by actor Barry Morse.-Character Biography:...
).
Comic strips
In the 1970s, Charlton ComicsCharlton Comics
Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1946 to 1985, having begun under a different name in 1944. It was based in Derby, Connecticut...
published seven issues of a comic based on Space: 1999, as well as eight issues of a black-and-white illustrated magazine featuring more adult-orientated stories. German publisher Koralle Verlag produced 19 adaptations of Year One episodes and four original stories as part of their Zack colour comic anthologies, in addition to two full-length graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
adventures. Many of the episodic adaptations were translated and reprinted in Italy.
In the UK, a two-page comic strip appeared in Look-In
Look-in
Look-in was a long running children's magazine centred around ITV's television programmes in the United Kingdom, and subtitled "The Junior TVTimes". It ran from 9 January 1971 to 12 March 1994...
children's magazine from autumn 1975 to spring 1977. Writer Angus Allan
Angus Allan
Angus Peter Allan was a British comic strip writer and magazine editor who worked on TV Century 21 in the 1960s and Look-in magazine during the 1970s. Most commonly known as Angus Allan and sometimes credited as Angus P...
had previously contributed to a number of other Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
-based strips in the 1960s for TV Century 21
TV Century 21
TV Century 21, also known as TV 21, was a weekly British children's comic of the 1960s and early 1970s. It promoted the many television science-fiction puppet series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's Century 21 Productions...
comic. John M. Burns illustrated the first three stories, to be succeeded by Mike Noble
Mike Noble
Mike Noble was born in Woodford, 17 September 1930, his father being a stockbroker's clerk who had artistic talent himself. During the war he was evacuated, like many children, but returned to London and endured much of the blitz. After school Noble attended South West Essex Technical College art...
when the strip would convert to black-and-white in early 1976. In the autumn of 1976, the strip adopted the Year Two format, with Burns returning for a brief coda story that November. Some of these strips were reprinted in black-and-white as complete compilations in the Portuguese TV Junior comic.
Audio dramas
In the 1970s, Power RecordsPeter Pan Records
Peter Pan Records is a record label specializing in children's music. It was created in the late 1940s. The label was owned by the Synthetic Plastics Company of Newark, New Jersey until the 1970s....
produced seven child-orientated audio dramas based on Space: 1999, most of which on Year One episodes. "Breakaway
Breakaway (Space: 1999)
"Breakaway" is the first episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by George Bellak ; the director was Lee H. Katzin. Previous titles include 'Zero-G', 'The Void Ahead' and 'Turning Point'. The final shooting script is dated 22 November 1973...
", "Death's Other Dominion" and "Mission of the Darians
Mission of the Darians
"Mission of the Darians" is the twenty-second episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Johnny Byrne; the director was Ray Austin. The original title was ‘Mission of the Darya’. The final shooting script is dated 7 January 1975...
" were released on a single 33 rpm LP
LP record
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
, while a second album contains "End of Eternity" and "Dragon's Domain
Dragon's Domain
"Dragon's Domain" is the twenty-third episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Christopher Penfold; the director was Charles Crichton. The final shooting script dated 21 January 1975, with blue-page amendments dated 29 January 1975 and yellow-page amendments dated...
" accompanied by the two original adventures "Return to the Beginning" (in which, after the Moon passes through a violent space storm, the Alphans discover that they have returned to Earth, but arriving on the surface find themselves in Biblical times, encounter Noah
Noah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
and witness the Flood) and "It Played So Softly on the Ear" (in which a strange tune leads the Alphans to a habitable planet where solar flare
Solar flare
A solar flare is a sudden brightening observed over the Sun surface or the solar limb, which is interpreted as a large energy release of up to 6 × 1025 joules of energy . The flare ejects clouds of electrons, ions, and atoms through the corona into space. These clouds typically reach Earth a day...
s have placed the population in suspended animation
Suspended animation
Suspended animation is the slowing of life processes by external means without termination. Breathing, heartbeat, and other involuntary functions may still occur, but they can only be detected by artificial means. Extreme cold can be used to precipitate the slowing of an individual's functions; use...
; two remaining conscious scientists, who can reverse the process with blood transfusions, abduct the Alphans to serve as donors). In addition, Power Records published individual comic "book-and-record" editions of "Breakaway" and "Return to the Beginning" with 45 rpm vinyl records enclosed.
External links
- Destination: Moonbase Alpha: the Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Space: 1999
- The Moonbase Alpha Technical Manual
- Catacombs Guide to Space: 1999 Print Merchandising
- Catacombs Guide to Space: 1999 Comics
- Complete Comic History of the Space: 1999 in Charlton Magazines and Comics
- Complete Comic History of Space: 1999 in Look-In Magazine
- Mondstation: 1999 – a guide to the German-language Space: 1999 books and comic strips
- Powys Media – publisher of new, licensed Space: 1999 novels