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Our Main Mission (pun intended of course)–in terms of Space: 1999–is to create a body of work through novels, omnibi, and anthologies (etc) that, together, form a single, unified, internally consistent saga about the Alphans and their ulimate destiny or fate, as you prefer.
Our books are all interlinked and share a common continuity. Year Two (the omnibus) is a prime example of what we are attempting to achieve. All the novelized episodes have been rearranged to fit Helena Russell’s status reports (the order, not the actual dates–otherwise The Metamorph takes place in Year One). This single decision necesitated the writing of all new linking passages from episode to episode as well as discarding the original ones. This work was done by Michael Butterworth himself. Year Two also included hundreds of little references to previous episodes (not just in Year Two but also Year One) and to books in the Powys line–including those merely planned but not yet published.
As well, we have tried to show growth in the characters, changes in attitudes over time, the consequences of decisions made and the impact of losses inflicted upon them. We have eschewed the “reset” button, where Alpha never changes, the Alphans never change, etc. And we fixed numerous little plot holes that have bothered fans for decades!
We’ve also attempted to answer some of the long-pondered questions, while simultaneously creating new ones. The mystery of the Alphans’ journey is important. But we also felt, after 35 years, that some questions could be addressed. What happened to Victor Bergman? What happened to Paul Morrow? Why was Main Mission abandoned?
Not everyone will agree with every decision we make as shepherds of this new flock of stories. It would be an impossible goal! For example: from the outset, I made the decision to view Year One and Year Two as a single series (in the American sense) and so have tried to reconcile the two. When I saw Message for Moonbase Alpha (written by Johnny Byrne) in 1999, I found that Johnny had made the same decision.
I am proud that many of the series’ writers and actors have embraced the Powys novels and contributed forewords to various titles. Johnny Byrne wrote in his foreword from Resurrection: “…Powys Media pick[s] up the epic journey of Moonbase Alpha where it left off for me. Think of it not as a new series, but an old one that never ended.” We do our best to live up to that endorsement and we strive to make Johnny Byrne and Christopher Penfold proud.
Ulimately, we will have created a single, ongoing epic tale spanning decades in the lives of the Alphans (and in the lives of the people of Powys–we started working on this in 1999, appropriately) and tens of books (especially if one remembers that the two omnibi comprise 6 books each!).
We invite you to come along on the journey!
[b][i]Our Main Mission (pun intended of course)–in terms of Space: 1999–is to create a body of work through novels, omnibi, and anthologies (etc) that, together, form a single, unified, internally consistent saga about the Alphans and their ulimate destiny or fate, as you prefer.[/i][/b]
Mateo…I am loving your ‘Main Mission’…
I am so grateful to you and everyone else involved for making it all happen 🙂
I am really looking forward to seeing how lfe for the Alphans evolves.
[b][i]Not everyone will agree with every decision we make as shepherds of this new flock of stories. It would be an impossible goal! [/i][/b]
Desperately hoping that nothing awful happens to ‘my favourites’ but again none of us know what the future holds do we, so why should life on Moonbase Alpha be any different!
I am hoping to be thrilled, excited, saddened, frustrated, intrigued and most of all satisfied with what you are setting out to achieve and if ‘Born For Adversity’ is a good indicator, I’m not going to be disappointed.
I’m onboard Eagle One and very excited to be on the journey with you…
Mateo, thank you for your dedication to this meaningful science fiction series.
More than choose the right stories and the best new writers to enhance and further develop the continuity of the Alphans’ journey, you have amazingly brought back to Space:1999 great classic writers like Brian Ball, Michael Butterworth and E.C. Tubb as well. That’s no small feat!
The Catacombs website says these novels were announced. Are they currently in the works? Very exciting if true.
A Cry in the Wilderness by Shane Johnson Chronology: after Testament Of Arkadia
The Whispering Sea by John Kenneth Muir Chronology: after Metamorph
Children of the Gods by Mateo Latosa Novelisation of lost Johnny Byrne script
Odysseus Wept by John Kenneth Muir Chronology??
Syukhtún by Vicente Gallegos-Aguazul Chronology: the alternative Alphans from Another Time, Another Place.
Mateo, I know your personal involvement with Johnny Byrne, and your understanding of his intentions, will lead to more great storytelling in the future. I look forward to the day when Children of the Gods, is brought to light.
Thank you for the compliment and for your support! We’ll be posting information about future releases next month. Can’t say anything just yet. We’ve still got to get the audiobook of Resurrection out. Once that is done, we can start working on the next slate of books.
Mateo
After reading the latest Omega diary entry, I was just reflecting on stuff…
I remember a loooong time ago on Online Alpha (if it was even called that back then, I don’t remember), Mateo asked the group if we were to show Space:1999 episodes to a non-fan (or at least someone who had never seen the show), which would they be? Of course, Dragon’s Domain, End of Eternity, Testament of Arkadia and Black Sun were the overwhelming favorites. If any Y2 stories were suggested, I don’t recall which ones – this post isn’t about the Y1 vs. Y2 debate – goodness knows that’s a chocolate/vanilla quagmire.
After some period of time, he fessed up as to what he had in mind – which we now know was born of his literal dreams of a new series of books. (BTW, I still occasionally dream that I’m watching TV and a new series of episodes comes on, but I know *that* won’t come to fruition!). Of course, everyone was all “rah! rah!” about it, but I don’t think anyone would have guessed it would have reached this level. Nor do I think most of us appreciate all the really difficult work that went in to orchestrating the renaissance of a cult 70s TV program.
When publication of Born for Adversity was delayed so very long, I figured the venture had died a quiet death. Small businesses are notoriously difficult to launch, or keep aloft, even when there is 100% investment of time. Perhaps real life getting in the way of a dream, and so forth. I was even hoping ebooks might be released, just so we could at least read what David and all the others (ie, Shepherd Moon) had labored on.
But now, just 2 short months after re-emergence, we have three really excellent new novels, and the prospect of more in the future. So, I say THANK YOU. Thanks to all of you who got this started, got it off the ground, fired up the boosters when it looked like it might crash. Thanks to the writers for being clever. Thanks to family members who shake their heads but are ultimately supportive. Thanks for having vision. Thanks for not giving up. We appreciate it.
-Pat.
PS – As Mr. Magpie is up for writing more, I’d be more than happy to read more!
Oh – please forgive my unintentional slight…
The earlier books – Resurrection, The Forsaken, Survival – were also everything these current releases are. In fact, having started the ball rolling, they have a special place in the greater universe. Additionally, having read the Omega diary, it sounded like Omega’s release (and comprehension thereof) was dependent on BfA, so if the latter never made it out, well…
So – YES! Would also love to see more from Mr. Muir, Mr. Latham, Mr. Ball or anybody else!
Poor “Eternity Unleashed” feels so left out… 🙁
I’m TOTALLY kidding you!
Seriously, thank you right back. Mateo and I were just on the phone today, kidding each other about our long held belief that silence is unfortunately golden — if a Powys book is wonderful, you can hear crickets (not you, Meredith!), but heaven forbid there’s a typo!
During the doldrums last year (and the year before, ugh!), we knew we had all this cool stuff waiting on the tarmac — it feels really, really good to finally see things taking flight.
Did you know Spongebob Squarepants helped get Born for Adversity out? Spongebob entertained Tierney Grace Latham (age 5) for fifteen minutes while her dad was making quick updates on lulu.com to get the book out. It’s all a balancing act and it’s postings like yours that really, really, really make it all worth it for us. When we finish a book, we really don’t pat ourselves on the back and applaud ourselves for finishing a book. We imagine people at home with their noses in between book pages and imagine their expressions when they get the book in the mail — so the stories you tell us on this forum really mean a lot to us!
Thanks again, Pat!
[b]PatS wrote:[/b]
[quote]But now, just 2 short months after re-emergence, we have three really excellent new novels, and the prospect of more in the future. So, I say THANK YOU. Thanks to all of you who got this started, got it off the ground, fired up the boosters when it looked like it might crash. Thanks to the writers for being clever. Thanks to family members who shake their heads but are ultimately supportive. Thanks for having vision. Thanks for not giving up. We appreciate it.
[/quote]You are welcome. I am so grateful to you for such kind words. And in a larger sense to all the fans who read our books–we make them for you. It’s always nice to get a pat on the back once in a while, certainly.
So let me say, from all of us, thanks to you too!
Mateo
[b]blatham wrote:[/b]
[quote]
Seriously, thank you right back. Mateo and I were just on the phone today, kidding each other about our long held belief that silence is unfortunately golden — if a Powys book is wonderful, you can hear crickets (not you, Meredith!), but heaven forbid there’s a typo!![/quote]Oh, dear. Unfortunately, I [i]am[/i] guilty as charged. I have enjoyed the new books, and I have also been silent… my apologies! I plead an incredibly crazy work schedule just now, but even so, that is a feeble excuse given all the work that has gone into the creation of these novels. The quality of writing is wonderful, and IMHO, beats the writing of much of the original 1970’s books hands down. While I realize the portrayal of the female characters in the early books was a product of its era, I am also glad to see the Alphan women portrayed as much stronger characters in the Powys’ books. I do wish we could have seen more of Helena in BfA, but there was so much going on in that book that I realize not every character could shine. I have ordering [i]Omega[/i] on my list of things to do next.
Let this chirping cricket, at the least, chirp a song of gratitude. Thank you all.
A lot of the books that I have bought over the years tend to get the same sort of reception. People clamour for a book about X or Y. Then while the book is in the works, there are regular “when’s the book coming out?!” “How much longer!” “We’ve been waiting for this!” etc etc ad nauseum.
I’m not just taking about [b]Space:1999[/b] here either.
And when the book in question finally appears, there is a brief rash of “Thanks!” “Great!” “When’s the next one?” – and that is it. Hardly another word of discussion about what people liked, didn’t like, ideas…..
I don’t think this actually implies displeasure, or disinterest. I think it’s just that people find reading less of an effort than…actually putting any thoughts or opinions down themselves. A shame really. I think a similar attitude met the Fanderson re-release of [i]Earthfall[/i] (which ok, I don’t think as highly of as some people, but still…..) and their premiere publication of [i]Earthbound[/i]. People say they want these things and yet – when they deliver, as Fanderson [u]certainly[/u] did – they are met with something that seems like indifference (but probably isn’t). Maybe short message texting and emails are destroying the ability of people to actually [i]write[/i] a meaningful response?
To some extent, I think the same problem will arise with Robert Wood’s Destination Moonbase Alpha book (which I highly recommend incidentally). There has been quite a buzz in various forums and people quite impatient for it’s release…..and then people just go quiet. I don’t believe there is a genuine and committed writer around who works in a vacuum, so I can see how dispiriting that can be.
– Simon
[b]kalthon wrote:[/b]
[quote]I don’t believe there is a genuine and committed writer around who works in a vacuum, so I can see how dispiriting that can be.
[/quote]My apologies to Meredith! Crickets should sing when they want to sing!
But on Simon’s statement, we writers are only human — we always like to hear it when we do well and we always cringe a little when we hear we didn’t. A thick skin comes with putting your words out to the world — at least with time.
The excitement we saw when the new site was launched told us more than anything else that we’ve done good things — at least in the past. The sheer number of people who’ve visited the site and are actively posting feels really good.
The act of writing, as many here can attest, is its own pleasure. Being read is a very different pleasure, and both reading and writing are solitary activities (until Resurrection audio book parties begin to spring up). Getting people excited about some future event and then watching their anticipation build over time is also fun.
It’s all good. But Simon’s right — we live in age where appreciation must often be inferred rather than directly experienced. It’s part of the isolation that makes the modern world frustrating for many people.
Isolation and appreciation and how we all interact with each other — the timing of all this is fascinating to me (and thoroughly unplanned). You’ll be reading about these very things very soon as experienced through some guy named Koenig. Maybe even in the next week or two.
Nice to know we’re all on the same page! Or soon will be…
blatham wrote:
>You’ll be reading about these very things very soon as experienced through some guy named Koenig. Maybe even in the next week or two.Aack! Too much foreshadowing – or reading too much into nothing.
Just wondering – how much cross-talk was there among authors in Shepherd Moon? I ask because, when I read at the end of “Futility” how JK believed that as long as Victor and Helena were at his side, Alpha would thrive, little alarm bells went off in my head. We know which direction that took in [u]Survival[/u]…and “Spider’s Web.”
The CCR song, “Bad Moon Rising” keeps running through my head. The next week or so should be interesting. Hope my kid doesn’t get sick or have more snow days and ruin my “me” time. (Such a bad mom…)
-Pat.
Mateo and all,
I am so very grateful for Powys and for its Main Mission. I must say that I have joined the party somewhat late. As a young teen when the series ran in the ’70s, I was a big fan. But life marched on, and I forgot about Space:1999 until a few months ago when I saw Martin Landau on a local TV station. Which led to an “oh, yeah…I used to love that Space:1999 show” moment, which led to some internet searches, and then reading every bit of fiction online that I could find, then a flurry of purchases (the DVD set and lots of books) and a corresponding depletion of my bank account. Heh. Anyway, I really feel like I have been catching up with an old friend that I haven’t seen for 30 years.
The TV series told a captivating story of the human spirit by way of the Alphan’s struggles and their adaptability and strength throughout. What I’ve read of the Powys books successfully upholds the spirit of the series. The quality of the stories has been impressive and I am very much enjoying all of them.
So to Mateo and to the authors, I say…THANK YOU. And please keep them coming!
BTW, a very small part of me is glad I had forgotten about Space:1999 until recently. With new fiction about Moonbase Alpha only trickling in, those years must have been – well, like wandering about space hoping a new home was right around the corner. 😛
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