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Worse! He spilled the beans: there is no video. I was thinking I’d see some animated emoticons or something.
That’s okay, we still love ya!
I am not a very eloquent writer and will therefore not be able to do justice to Pat’s book with a good review as she herself would have done, but I want to say I enjoyed the Compendium very much, especially the in-depth look at the personalities of the main characters. It gives a glimpse into what is going on in their psyches, which explains what seems to be sometimes uncharacteristic behaviour (such as that of my favourite character, Helena Russell, in Omega and Alpha). I also appreciated the section on chronology of the novels, which gave perfect context to especially the short stories in Shepherd Moon. Reading the Compendium often had me going back to sections in the novels and the Shepherd Moon anthology, thereby discovering previously unnoticed nuances in the stories and motivations behind some of the characters’ actions. It is the kind of book that will be re-opened many times while reading the other Powys novels, and I can only congratulate Pat on her writing skills and the keen insight she has into our favourite characters on their odyssey!
[b]mateo wrote:[/b]
[quote]Thank you for our first review of Patricia Sokol’s Powysverse Compendium![/quote]I’ll second that. I’ve stated that if one person is able to understand the Powysverse differently or more completely, then I’ve accomplished my task. Whew! Good to see it’s happened! 🙂
for some reason I cannoat order this via LULU. I fill out the info and then hit checkout and nothing happens. Nothing. Any help is appreciated in advance, thanks.
seems to have worked somehow but paypal, which always works for everything else these days, does not work with lulu. Had to use another way.
btw when is the Season One omnibus coming out and the other novelization?
I’ts no secret that I hate the changes Powysverse has made to the exisiting Space: 1999 episodes. I also am dismayed (being a completist) that many of the comics and other spinoffs are being ignored. That said, however, Patrcia’s book has given me a renewed interest in the Powysverse and the decisions that they made as well as a growing respect for the company and the editros and writers of the books. While I still do not agree with many of the choices, they seem to make more sense thanks to Patrcia’s book.
Having written reviews and character guides and connections examining every Doctor Who ever made, all four of the main Irwin Allen tv shows, the Tomorrow People, and at this time 1095 episodes of Dark Shadows, not to mention their accompanying fan fic as well as a detailed timeline of Space: 1999 (which was removed from this site), I can appreciate the large amount of work and research and patience that went into Patrcia’s book. It’s huge, entertaining, and interesting. As the former reviewer on the thread stated, the connections between stories and episodes are fully explained and examined, and character development is seen much better thanks to Pat’s detailed work. In fact, I enjoy the book most of all of the Powyr’s books so far. I would have also preferrred a more detailed time line but you can’t have everything. I also now appreciate the need to exclude some material, even if I don’t like some of the changes–and never will (the whole Arra thing is still a big mistake and a mess, ruining one of my favorite episodes for me) and I do not like changes made to the Year Two Omnibus either—-but I still understand better the need to make some of these changes.
I’ve not finished the book…it is very long and that’s a good thing as I enjoy long books, especially books such as this but I am looking forward to it. I’ll probably never be a major fan of the Powyrs’s universe, however I am more of a fan now than before, and loving 1999 since 1977 or so, I will always want to follow what is being done with these characters so here’s to a very, very good book. I was just wondering if there will be updates to it from time to time or a new book in say ten years to update any new books and how they might fit into the compendium/universe.
Patricia Sokol is a fine example of Space: 1999 fandom, people who care deeply about the characters and universe created by the Andersons, Byrne, Penfold, and all the many other writers, actors and crew of the series. She has a keen mind and an attention to detail. Her analytical skills surprised even those of us involved in the production of the books–she recognized connections that our collective subconcious had made, but that we hadn’t consciously thought about (a fine Space: 1999 tradition, btw).
I salute Chase for his similar attention to detail. Though you may disagree with some of our decisions, Pat’s book helps show that we didn’t make them lightly. There is a “method to our madness”. 🙂
No matter who took the helm of “story editor” for the books, decisions would have to have been made. I saw a quote from Bill Cosby–which I will undoubtedly get wrong–which said that “I don’t know the secret to success, but the secret to failure is trying to please everyone.” If someone knows the actual quote, please correct me.
So we designed a geodesic universe of novels, short stories and audios. Our goal being an expanded yet consistent Space: 1999 epic tale, one that includes the original episodes and MFMBA as well as all the new stuff. A whole that is better than the sum of its parts but in which each part adds to the greater whole to one degree or another.
Pat’s book–a book about our books (and the original series, of course)–makes us believe that perhaps we’ve come close to realizing that goal.
Thanks to everyone who buys, reads and comments on the books!
Interestingly, Pat’s book also includes references to works not-yet-published. I wonder if anyone caught any of these? 🙂
[b]mateo wrote:[/b]
[quote]Interestingly, Pat’s book also includes references to works not-yet-published. I wonder if anyone caught any of these? :-)[/quote]SHHHH!
You’ll get them all riled up and wanting a new Space:1999 book a month! Then you’ll have to change your name to Mateo Kenyon Engel.
Tex
(and change the name of the company to Powys Creations Inc.)I’ve held off saying anything about the Compendium for now, as I haven’t bought a copy. I’m planning to buy a copy at the end of this month once I get paid (money has been REALLY tight recently and I’ve had to prioritise what I spend my money on. Books, no matter how much I want to read them, were not priority.)
I noted Chase’s comments in his review with some interest (thanks for posting your review Chase!). I disagree with some of the things he’s said & agree with others, but until I get my hands on a copy of the book, & read it fully from cover to cover, I can’t really say anything more than that at the moment.
From what I read of the version I was sent to proof read (a task I was unable to finish at the time due to ill health), the book is eye-opening to say the least! The layers of characterisation that Pat has uncovered reveals a richness to our Alphan friends backgrounds that is truly eye-opening. She also reveals the motivatons behind their various choices and actions both onscreen and in the Powys books. I only read a few snippets of what Pat wrote beyond the point where I had to stop proof-reading, but what I read really amazed me!
To give you an example, as a result of reading the Powys books and the bit in the Compendium that focuses on the character of Doctor Russell, I think the character I’m beggining to like/be intrigued by the most is Helena. Barbara Bain’s performance onscreen, put into the context of the character study Pat has done on her in the Compendium, actually spotlights the intelligence behind Barbara’s choice to play the character the way she did. In fact, Ms Bain is a genius! (if you take on board fully the insights into Helena’s psyche that Pat shares with us in this book!).
Anyway, I’ll write more once I’ve purchased a copy of the book and have started reading it 🙂
I always saw those things in Helena but this excellent book showcases these things in a better light. The book is amazing and I’m only on page 94. I definitely appreciate more of the choices made by Powys and even like a few of those choices. I do see the need for character growth, conflict, and change, however I cannot really accept that Tony and Maya’s relationship wasn’t as strong as it became later in the universe of the books. That said, I do see that it is possible on screen to view things a different way. I also like the whole Kano thing, again though, you’ve taken some of my favorite characters and killed them off or made them…I don’t know, different in ways I do not like and never saw: Jackie, Jim Haines, Mathias, Sahala, and others and even Helena. Not sure killing off Dorzak was a good move either. I DO like that the Space Brain’s death is why so many planets in later stories are filled with beings who are having a hard time surviving. That is a good tie in with the stories, however, other events seemed linked together when there is really no need for it. The Dragons seemed like a good one off monster or at least a good myterious life form. That brings me to the whole idea of the MUF and how you’ve used them. They’re too there and in our faces and I guess I’ve covered this before but I don’t agree with the idea of one MUF against another in the manner you’ve put them in and I also think there is too much of them in the light now. Yes, reveal more if you will but to reveal this much leaves me feeling cold for the 1999 universe, something I never felt before AND leaves me feeling you’ve got things totally wrong in this area. It seems that neither MUF is a good one, a beign one AND on top of that The Alphans heroism and survival methods seem…WRONG in that they are so totally wrong in their movements during the stories and the televised stories that their very actions might cause the end of the universe or two universes. I HATE what has been done with Arra and that John’s faith was being manipulated and what not.
The entire thing is very convoluted as well, the MUF stuff I mean.
Some of the concepts ring true as far as story and plot go but others are cliched or frankly boring: the whole Anti Matter or AltMoon; Bad Mike; the alt John, Robert coming from the future: we’ve seen this before in other sci fi and I don’t think it really seems fresh here. IT DOES bring home some points about the characters and that’s good but I also feel that a lot of the characters are being squeezed into the NEW GALACTICA mold of having to be dysfunctional in some way or having huge psychological problems. I do like that Maya’s people return, however, Maya herself: I never felt that she was adored just for her powers and what she could do rather than her own person. I always felt she was a well rounded character and that she herself was pretty well put together mentally. I also liked that she had her powers and felt that anychildren she might have might have also had those powers. To rob her of those…not sure I like that at all.
In any case, I do…even if it does not seem like it from all this…like the book a great deal and respect this particular universe vision of it but I guess I have my own ideas about the MUF or MUFs and they don’t all gell with what you’ve done. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy some of what you’ve done, I do and I see how a lot of the character stuff is really well done.
Still reading the book every chance I get. It’s a fascinating read and an interesting take on the 1999 universe, even if , again, it doesn’t really gell with what I think about a lot of the aired episodes and the characters at times. i guess STARLOG maybe swayed my thinking back when the show aired for the first time: I see the MUF, the main one as God leading the Moon back on its own Exodus into the desert, bringing back mankind and womankind’s seeds to where they orginally came from. The Alphans do not understand it or know a lot about it, they are just trying to survive. They should have died many times. Along the way, God has to teach them many things: about faith, about loyalty to the man he chose to lead, about belief and religion, fanaticism and love and hope and in not trusting in machines or fancy promises from aliens. Also along the way there may be another MUF, the devil if you will and those aliens who were once a part of man and womankind who have lost their way: the aliens in VOYAGER’S RETURN for example or Raan’s people who have to learn about love again and how to feel (in fact MISSING LINK talks about mind, spirit and soul, thinking and feeling) and the Moonbase people have to learn from them and have to teach them lessons, all without really realizing it. The “plantings” go on as the journey continues…when things look like they should be one way, they really have to be another. Again, the MUf cannot fully act because there is free will. the MUF does care about the Alphans and the aliens but cannot control what either do…but can try to influence and suggest, give messages to both groups, etc. I have an article on line someplace about God in 1999 and how he teaches the Alphans, spreads the “seeds” back to the stars, and helps them against an evil MUF, the devil if you will. It’s jsut another way of looking at things.
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