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Now on page 112 and still reading. I like this book a lot.
I do as always have a few criticisms and hope these are not taken the wrong way.
I am most likely in the minority but when there is a synopsis, I prefer everything to be in the synopsis from start to finish, rather than be scattered about in an encylopedia format. I DO like the dictionary section, which I am just into now but at the same time, I read one thing in the synopsis and then find out more about it much, much later in the dictionary. For one example, on page 112 Cellini accuses Koenig during the Venus mission…I read that and then had to go back and find out that Tony Cellini…or rather had to read ahead to find out Cellini was involved in the Venus mission. I’d like to have read it all together in the synopsis of whatever book that was revealed in.
Moreover, sometimes I don’t get…and perahps it is a matter of my intelligence…the actual prose. This entry under ALPHANS “Helena Russell is an unknown quantity within Moonbase Alpha’s senior staff. Some may see her as part of the disease rather than part of the cure, especially if Gorski were less than forthright about her motivations. Or, his, for that matter.” WHAT does that mean ? I assume it has something to do with his lyng and covering things up…but then do any of the Alphans discover that later on? Or is it about him making advances (yecch!) on her? These are things I want the book to make clear, not make me more confused on and it happens more than once.
More questions: does Alpha return to Arkadia AND the Earth from Another Time Another Place? I’m still not sure after reading the synopsis and I should be.
The writer also puts in Latin or French or some other language sometimes, which I can understand from the words around and from having read other parts of the book…one example is when she writes about Julia Vale’s near suicide.
The entry on Arra talks about her lying to Koenig BEFORE the Arra in the Powysverse section. IN my mind, she NEVER lied to Koenig at all. That entry is most misleading to anyone new to 1999. If they read that, they might think Arra in the episode lied to Koenig…but NO! she did not! In any case, Arra and the entire MUF explanation in powysverse will always be a sticking point for me.
stuff like the above occurs across the entire book and keeps me flipping pages back and forth to find out what happened where and to whom. That does not mean I do not like the book…I do. I know how much went into writing it and researching for it. I just wish it has a slightly different format but that’s just me and I’m probably in the minority.
[b]Chase wrote:[/b]
[quote]The entry on Arra talks about her lying to Koenig BEFORE the Arra in the Powysverse section. IN my mind, she NEVER lied to Koenig at all. That entry is most misleading to anyone new to 1999. If they read that, they might think Arra in the episode lied to Koenig…but NO! she did not! In any case, Arra and the entire MUF explanation in powysverse will always be a sticking point for me.[/quote]Just a quick reply for now Chase, but firstly, can I just say that I’m really enjoying your reviews. I think they’ll spark some thought provoking and healthy debate on here, which is always a good thing imho 😉
I did just want to comment on “Collision Cource” and the whole Arra/Adantia/MUF in the Powysverse issue.
I completely understand where you’re coming from on this… however, let me briefly offer you an alternative viewpoint.
“Collision Course” is one of my favourite Year 1 episodes. The performances (particularly Martin Landau’s), the character interaction, the set lighting, the special effects, the pace, the atmosphere of the piece… it’s just brilliant! Utterly gripping from start to finish & the last moment of the last scene between Landau and Bain/John and Helena is a real favourite of mine. “Seed of Destruction” in Year 2 (one of my absolute favourite episodes of the whole series), is, in a way, a response to “Collision Course”. No one will move against him… because they did in “Collision Course”, and they were TOTALLY in the wrong to do so (I love the fact that this is referenced in the “Year 2 Omnibus” to explain the actions of the characters in that episode).
Now, the reason I’m writing this is to say that now, having bought the Powysverse interpretation of just what the whole “Collision Cource” episode was about, and the explanation of Arra’s identity and the motivations behind her actions in the larger metastory it’s a part of… I find I enjoy the episode SO much more!
To go back and watch it… knowing that Arra’s a fake, a conwoman, a mask worn by an entity with an agenda all of it’s own… it’s fantastic! And you can see it in the late Margaret Leighton’s almost insane performance. For me, the deception is delicious. There’re moments where you can see… that these people are ants to her. They *must* do nothing or they’ll ruin everything. Personally, the Powysverse explanation of the MUF is one that I find very complex and deeply intriguing. I’m really glad everything has finally been explained and that the MUF story arc is now at a close allowing the Alphan’s to enter a new phase of their Odyssey.
If the MUF was God/Jehova etc. – where can a writer go with that? To me, the storyline dead ends. However, revealing that the MUF is not God, it’s a series of entities who act outside of science and physics… who can do pretty much anything… who have no hands but wear others faces… that’s extremely provocative.
I remember reading William Latham’s book “Chasing the Cyclops” outlining the thinking behind the creation of the OMEGA/ALPHA storyline & the reasoning and the choices made & I was surprised to find myself agreeing with each and every one.
Now of course, The Alphan’s are truly alone. No one is protecting or manipulating them anymore. Obviously, being a fan of Year 2, I miss Command Centre (although it is nice to think that people can look out the windows again & have meetings in John’s gorgeous office with that big revolving globe in the corner! Btw, I think that globe should be changed to a globe of the Moon – another sign that the Alphan’s have left Earth behind). I’m also a bit sad that Maya’s no longer a Metamoph so they can’t even rely on her powers to help them but on the plus side, she is now a stronger, wiser more empowered woman than she ever was before. She’s grown up. Her & Tony’s relationship has moved beyond flirtation and playful banter into more serious territory. I also miss some of the more humorous exchanges between her & Tony, but at the same time, I appreciate the efforts that are being made to deepen their love relationship with all the complications and heartbrache that that must inevitably involve. Sandra’s character is also evolving which is very satisfying to read about, Victor’s back, and so is Cellini. Bill Fraser and Alibe are both become quite important characters in Alpha’s command structure, Alan’s got a family, Bob’s dead (so hopefully Ed Spencer and Ben Vincent will be getting some much needed onscreen time in future novels), Alpha’s got a fleet of Hawk’s to defend them as well as their very cool and iconic Eagle’s and… well, it’s all just terribly exciting really! :cheer:
Year 3 in the Powys [b]SPACE: 1999 [/b]universe is going to be an exciting place to be. I’m rooting for the Alphan’s more than ever before & looking forward to “The Final Revolution” & “Odysseus Wept” very much indeed. It’ll be interesting to see what happens to the Alphans after “ALPHA” but before then, it’ll be great to journey back to my first love: Year 2 for “The Whispering Sea” and the first half of “Children of the Gods” (Bill Latham writes Year 2! How awesome is that!) and then forward to Year 3 for the resolution of that particular Johnny Byrne/William Latham masterpiece.
Anyway, I’m starting to gush so I’m going to stop! Haha! Keep sharing your thoughts and insights Chase. Not everyone will agree with them, and that’s OK because others will.
Nothing Powys has written will change the way you feel about Arra or the MUF… nor will it alter your interpretation of those events, those episodes, those actions the MUF took or who the MUF or Arra is… unless you let it. It has changed all of that for me, but I’ve found that change exciting and enjoyable.
I understand but that particular point: the Arra point (AP?) is just so plain…IMO…wrong. I liked that for once in sci fi the aliens (IF she is an alien and not an advanced human) actually thought highly of us and of Alpha but had their own part to play and thought we had our own part to play. That idea is so virtually unheard of in any sci fi that…that episode stands out as one of the best episodes ever and to have it reduced to the fact that here is this old evil b word of a female alien lying, thinking we are “ants”…is just WRONG. To dismiss the episode in this manner IMO lacks a basic knowledge and love of 1999 as it stood. Some of the other changes also make me wonder if the writers do indeed actually like either season of 1999 as it stood. I”m not saying the MUF was God even but it acted as if it were and/or as if it were the God of the Old Testament (and on some occasions New Testament) but to have it turn out to be what it or they turn out to be…uncaring cold and selfish just lacks the high level feeling that 1999 seemed to be going for. Let’s face: 1999 is grim enough but to add this element makes it even darker and grimer and almost totally unbearable. Everything good the Alphans believe seems to be WRONG based on this WRONG premise…and most of their actions seem to steer things in a worse direction for Alpha and the universe and other aliens. I find this..disturbing.
Another thing I wondered about: What is it with the Universes thing? I didn’t find this, as yet, well explained in the book. Is Alpha still in “our” universe and the MUF are from another one or another two? In the novels, it seemed (and maybe I’m thinking of EARTH FALL?) that Alpha had entered a new universe upon BREAKAWAY and the rules of physics did not work the same way in that pocket universe or closed universe (similar to the kid show LAND OF THE LOST from the mid 1970s, not to be confused wiht the better LAND OF THE GIANTS, which also involved a space/time warp). I’m not sure which entity is from which universe or what universe all the action is taking place in and in the confusing I began to find I realy didn’t care very much.
In any case, yeah, “I am hyper critical but it’s only because I like the show and the characters and situations so much. I also do not think that “getting serious” and having “less banter” as with Tony and Maya constitutes a “growing up” or “maturity”. In fact, as people get closer there should be a more relaxed feeling, shouldn’t there? Not sure.
Another thing unclear to me: when does Paul with Tanya actually leave? Wasn’t Tanya in at least one second season episode?
I do like some of the character arcs however.
Chase (especially),
First, glad you’re enjoying the read.
Second, just a couple of things I can tell you first hand about the thought process in writing some sections as you continue… When there is a term in a language other than English, it is to instill a subtlety that I didn’t think English could capture. For example, when you get to Psychon, you will see EXACTLY what [i]I[/i] think/feel in the first sub-heading… In the synopses, I was trying to be sensitive to people who had not read all the books perhaps because they are currently out of print, or whatever. I wanted to provide enough detail to stoke the fires a bit, without totally retelling the story… To paraphrase what I wrote to Robert Wood when his book came out: Who wants to read a commentary (which this is, in some parts) that only supports [i]exactly [/i]what you think? That would be boring. New depth? Alternate view? Something to give you pause? [i]That’s [/i]more interesting, IMHO.
Just wait until you get into the “P”s. You’ll find plenty you won’t agree with. Just think about it, objectively, though, and enjoy a bit of pareidolia.
-P.
Understood, however, part of why I want and likes books like this is to have a complete record of what went on, rather than something that just might make me more confused about what went on. The more I get into the book, the more I realize that is the case and that’s not that I don’t like the book, I do but I think it should have and could have been a better record of everything that happened in the novels since there are already spoilers by the dozens why not just have everything that happened as it happened?
that said, one can give a detail of what happened in every Space episode and not support every view of the explanation of why those things happened.
The more I read about Goma and Misl etc, the less I like them. Mostly because it more than implies the Alphans were just pawns, suckers who were used throughout season one and probably two as well rather than the object of a MUF’s attentions for greatness and loyality and love and caring and to be protected for some greater good they will perform. As for all the universes AltJohn, Bad MIke, AltMoon, FutureMoon, Robert, futuretimelines…I’m more confused now than ever about it all and not sure who was protecting what and what wanted what.
What did Goma want?
What did Misl want?
Was was their goal? If you’re going to explain that, then explain it plainly I feel.
What’s with the entire smaller universe? One wants to close it, one wants to keep it open.
I liked it better when I thought the MUF was one MUF and maybe two or even three but that the MUF had one goal: to allow Alpha to repopulate a space that once populated Earth, to bring the faith, spirituality, and love back to alien civilizations that had lost it (MISSING LINK), to teach Alpha that there are other things besides science and logic, and realize that everything had a purpose. Many events I see as showing Alpha examples of what they could have been had they chosen not to use their free will and choose to follow the rightous path or as close as they can get. As for Balor and the dragon: the other MUF could be the evil side, the one that wants to spread death, pain, and evil. Other aliens are ones that chose to stay away or turn away from the MUF and the help it can give. The MUF doesn’t want to force anyone to do anything, free will and all that. It cannot act if someone does not want it to and it can only act if there is some faith in some leader or leaders. And even some of the bad things that happen, can have an ultimate purpose (Anton Zoref).
I just rewatched BREAKAWAY a mere 20 min ago and it is even better than I remembered and I feel the MUF protected Alpha ford a good reason, not for some self serving one. Just my opinion.
I agree with Chase, I liked the fact that Alpha bumped into these mysterious beings who looked on them and children in need of protection, as if they were very ancient beings and the Alphans were a child race just emerging into the universe to become something as great as the mysterious beings they encountered. To lump all the MUFs together as one race overly simplifies the stories into one homogenised arc to be liked or disliked accordingly. You can dislike it or you can like it but for now it is the only Space 1999 we have. Sure we have promises of future projects and some comics have appeared on the horizon, but for now it is the only Space 1999 we have and I am happy to devour it as quickly as Mateo and co can produce it.
I feel that the Powysverse cheapens the grandeur of these beings and diminishes the scope of the overall Alphaverse created by Gerry Anderson. I read it from the perspective that it takes place in the Powysverse and not in My Alphaverse. My Alphaverse is just as grand and mysterious as ever.
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