From: Simon Morris 
Subject: Space1999: NOVELIZATIONS
Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 14:40:00 -0000

Hello All

All the recent talk of SPACE 1999 merchandise and licencing matters has
really concentrated on music and video matters. But looking recently at the
huge range of Star Trek fiction available in one bookshop led me to
consider the SPACE 1999 novels of 20 years or so ago. I well remember
buying the first book "Breakaway" by EC Tubb some 6 months before the
series premiered in the UK in Sept '75,and then I well remember picking up
a new book every few months after that,until 6 books by Tubb,Rankine and
Ball had novelised all the Y1 episodes except "Earthbound". If anything,I
was even more pleased when Orbit-Futura published some original novels by
Rankine and Tubb.

I suppose that Rankine was my favourite SPACE 1999 author: possibly he was
lucky in his novelisations in that he had some excellent scripts to work
with(I wonder how Johnny Byrne would have reacted to seeing his scripts
fleshed-out in print?). In those days I was much younger (13 or 14 to be
more precise) and I found that some of the technical/scientific aspects of
Tubb's stories were a bit hard to digest-though it is easier today. Also I
never thought that his characterisations were quite right. Even allowing
that they would not have seen episodes before novelising scripts,I assume
the authors eventually saw one or two episodes while writing their original
novels. On the other hand, I felt that Rankine scored highly both in his
novelisations and his original stories at focussing on the "human" aspects
of the stories. I also felt that his characters came across as more warm
and sympathetic...less "scientific" and more "human",if you like. Therefore
I think he was ideal to novelise(for example) the episode "Testament of
Arkadia". 

In solid science-fiction terms I suppose people might prefer the stories of
Tubb, Rankine's two original efforts being more Year Two-ish in their
concept(Alpha battles malevolent beings on other worlds).
Nevertheless,combined with well drawn Y1 characters,the Rankine novel
"Android Planet" remains my favourite SPACE 1999 novel(though "Phoenix of
Megaron" is a disappointment). Its a pity that Brian Ball did not have more
of an opportunity to develop a style in writing the novels.

I collected the six year two novels with the same enthusiasm,Michael
Butterworths books being published between February 1977 and October 1977(
the last one"The Edge of the Infinite" was not published here in the UK and
it wasn't until 1985 that I obtained a mint copy from a dealer in the US).
As workmanlike facsimilies of Y2 scripts(in the days before videos) the
books were adequate: I would like to have seen some original Y2 novels or
even novelisations by John Rankine.

Lets hope that one day we see some new novels published: a melding of Y1
concepts and perhaps some of the Y2 characters/characterisations could work
wonders. FANDERSON has published some highly creditable fan fiction,and now
there is more appearing on The 'Net....lets see some professional versions
appearing!

I wonder if there is any mileage in a book by book discussion somewhat
along the lines of the episode by episode analyses currently being done? We
all might get some idea of where we think the Rankine/Tubb/Ball/Butterworth
efforts went wrong(or indeed,right!), and perhaps arrive at some
conclusions as to what is needed in any new SPACE 1999 novels that may
happen in the future.

Simon Morris



Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 22:38:34 +0100
Subject: Re: Space1999: NOVELIZATIONS
From: Ekmar Brand (Ekmar.Brand@t-43-online.de)

In Germany the year two novels found a sequel with another six books:

MONDSTATION 1999 novels in Germany (printed 1977-1978 by Bastei-Lübbe Verlag):

     1. „Alpha 1 - Station der Verlorenen“ („Planets of Peril“) 
         Michael Butterworth, # 25001, ISBN 3-404-00752-2  
         - THE METAMORPH 
         - A B CRYSALIS 
         - THE RULES OF LUTON 
         - NEW ADAM, NEW EVE 

     2. „Die unheimliche Kraft“ („Mind-Breaks of Space“) 
         Michael Butterworth & J. Jeff Jones, # 25002, ISBN 3-404-00769-7 
         - BRIAN THE BRAIN 
         - THE MARK OF ARCHONON 
         - THE CATACOMBS OF THE MOON 
         - ONE MOMENT OF HUMANITY 

     3. „Der Doppelgänger“ („The Space-Jackers“) 
         Michael Butterworth, # 25003, ISBN 3-404-00780-8 
         - SEED OF DESTRUCTION 
         - A MATTER OF BALANCE 
         - THE EXILES 
         - THE BETA CLOUD 

     4. „Der Weltenfresser“ („The Psychomorph“) 
         Michael Butterworth, # 25004, ISBN 3-404-00800-6 
         - THE LAMBDA FACTOR 
         - THE BRINGERS OF WONDER 

     5. „Die Zeit-Attacke“ („The Time Fighters“) 
         Michael Butterworth, # 25005, ISBN 3-404-00807-3 
         - SPACE WARP 
         - DORZAK 
         - THE SEANCE SPECTRE 
         - DEVIL'S PLANET 

     6. „Kampf um die Zukunft“ („The Edge of the Infinite“) 
         Michael Butterworth, # 25006, ISBN 3-404-00899-5 
         - ALL THAT GLISTERS 
         - JOURNEY TO WHERE 
         - THE DORCONS 
         - THE IMMUNITY SYNDROME 

     7. „Das Andromeda-Rätsel“ (original story) 
         H. W. Springer, # 25007, ISBN 3-404-00903-7 

     8. „Das Erbe der Roboter“ (original story) 
         H. W. Springer, # 25008, ISBN 3-404-00914-2 

     9. „Die Ewigen von Luna“ (original story)  
         H. W. Springer, # 25009, ISBN 3-404-00928-2
 
     10. „Invasion der Esper“ (original story) 
         H. W. Springer, # 25010, ISBN 3-404-00953-3 

     11. „Aktion Exodus“ (original story) 
         Kurt Brand, # 25011, ISBN 3-404-00953-3 

     12. „Der Stahlplanet“ (Originalausgabe) 
         von M. F. Thomas, # 25012, ISBN 3-404-01054-X

Ekmar