Given that its a original novel this may be a slightly silly nit, but my beef is with the Eagle having a manned gun turret of all things. We never saw this in either season of the series, and I can't figure out exactly where it would be stuffed into an Eagle anyways.
Of the originals published in North America I think this is the best one. The story is interesting, including the Alphans considering if they have the right to interfere and seeing the consequences of what happens when they do.
From what I understand this one wasn't published in Britain. On the other hand Britain got the E.C. Tubb novel Earthfall, which was an original novel that included Tubb coming up with his own version of Breakaway and the events surrounding it.
No this wasn't published in the UK, but thanks to
visiting the US Cons I got hold of a copy anyway.
Anyone else notice how Rankine likes to describe
Helena in the nude? "Slim as a spear, nude as any
needle..." What is the guy
I never did understand that "nude as a needle" thing...guess it sounds more poetic than "naked as a jaybird"...
The Alphans plan to incite the Megaron populace to revolt via the drugging of their food reminds me very much of the way the crew of the Enterprise tries to incite the sundued populace of the feudal planet Mythra in Mack Reynolds' Mission To Horatius, the first original Star Trek novel ever written (in 1968, while TOS was still in production).
Well I finally got this novel on Bibliofind for £4.00. It's in good condition, and I will post an opinion once I've read it.
Anyone who is looking for Space:1999 books should look at bibliofind.com or abebooks.com.
Okay, I read this, and while I found it enjoyable there are two things that stick out. The already referred to manned gun turret. And who put in the line "A vibrator?"
I nearly split my sides laughing when I read that.
However, the book is very enjoyable, and well worth the money.
Nice touch mentioning the Voyager 1 data and the Ultra Probe Ship, even if just in passing.
SPOILER WARNING involving characters...
Cool! Carter got the girl! (Not to sound sexist, by the way.) I also like the fact that she comes back with him to Alpha. She's not Maya from Series 2, but I find it nice that a non-Earthling joins the Series 1 crew. I would like to have seen what direction other Series 1 novels may have taken from here.
It makes you wonder if the Maya idea might have come, in part, from this book. I recall in the book Rhoda (I think thats the girls name) having eyes with golden flecks or something like that. Early conceptions of Maya had her with funky eyes, but Catherine Schell couldn't handle the contact lenses, they made her eyes water.
I wondered that as well when I first read this book many years ago, but I THINK Series 2 may already have been in production, or at least pre-production. I may be mistaken.
So which came first...this novel or Series 2? (Nevermind; I just checked the copyright date in my copy, which says 1976, so I'm presuming Series 2--and Maya--came first.)
It should be noted that John Rankine took the basic plot details of an unpublished novel of his, Forgotten Rocket, as the basis for Phoenix of Megaron, so perhaps Rhoda predates Space: 1999 itself.
It's a fairly good book. Nicely paced and about the best of the original stories. I can't speak for the newest one of course.
tim gueguen on Sunday, September 05, 1999 - 8:22 pm:
Given that its a original novel this may be a slightly silly nit, but my beef is with the Eagle having a manned gun turret of all things. We never saw this in either season of the series, and I can't figure out exactly where it would be stuffed into an Eagle anyways.
Koenig used a directly operated traversable gun, which extended from the upper section directly behind the beak, in Devil Planet. Would that qualify?
Craig Rohloff on Monday, March 11, 2002 - 2:48 pm:
I THINK Series 2 may already have been in production, or at least pre-production. I may be mistaken.
So which came first...this novel or Series 2? (Nevermind; I just checked the copyright date in my copy, which says 1976, so I'm presuming Series 2--and Maya--came first.)
The novels by Rankin and E. C. Tubb are generaly classed as part of the semi official Season 1.5
The Eagles got up upgrade between S1 and 2.