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The way I did it, and sorry for the difficulty, is I went to http://www.lulu.com, signed in, then opened up another window in the same brower onto http://www.powysmedia.com, went to the PoM button to order and it worked.
Believe me, we’re frustrated by this problem too. There’s nothing we’d like better than to make it as easy as possible for everyone to order the book.
It’s not so much it took you back to the Android Planet page as that when you visited the Android Planet page, it added the book to your cart automatically, so that when you hit the PoM button, it showed AP as already in your cart.
Or at least that’s what I think is happening.
I logged in to Lulu, then opened a new browser window to Powys Media, clicked on the button and the book was in my cart.
I just now did it again, and again, it was all good. BTW, I didn’t clear my cache or cookies or anything.
I’ve added Bill’s instructions to the Phoenix of Megaron page, as well as a link to lulu.com to make it easier. I’ve also moved the Phoenix listing into the ‘released in 2012’ section and made that listing a link to the Phoenix page. The Black Doves SPECIAL ADVANCE PREVIEW is now listed there as well. Also, I put a higher resolution of the Powys Media logo and name on the main page.
The first person to order Phoenix via Lulu–please let us know!
Interesting discussion. I was offered Rogue Planet early on for republication. I was busy at the time trying to get new original novels out and said I’d like to do so, but at a future date. Alien Seed was already spoken for at that time.
I re-read both books during the ExE and Alien Seed once again afterwards. Gotta say, I was really impressed by both books, though there are some characters issues in AS not to mention a huge body count! I think AS is high on action and plot, where RP is steeped in atmosphere. I’d be honored to add them to the Powys line.
As for Simon, lots of lovely blue light and respect from all of us at Powys to you. 🙂 And it has always been gratifying to have your support. So thanks amigo!
An interesting note, we decided to make John Koenig Jewish in the Powys novels, only to find when working on John Rankines original novels that he had Koenig having a Passover meal. I have to say I smiled when I read that. I can’t remember which book!!
I’d have to go back and re-read Simon’s post. When I contacted the original authors about republishing their books, I told them I wanted to make changes to fit Powysverse continuity. My argument being, everyone already has the originals versions and fans are not going to buy reprints of books they have five times over. I’ve got ten copies of every title. Seriously.
The originals are there. On the shelf. And I love them. But this was an opportunity to have them be brought into the fold, include some subtle changes that the authors likely would have incorporated had they known about the characters of Year Two, the characters’ backstories, and an updated series bible. If you look at Survival by Brian Ball and the short stories in Shepherd Moon by Tubb and Ball, as well as Android Planet and Phoenix of Megaron, you can see how they embraced this idea. Michael Butterworth as well, and he says so explicitly in his foreword to Year Two.
John Rankine, more than anyone, tried to incorporate series continuity in his novels and novelizations. There are references to Voyager’s black box and Gwent, etc., in the novels. He was obviously treating the series as a unified whole (not just episodic stories). He was extrapolating the characters’ thoughts from the accumulation of experiences from previous adventures.
E.C. Tubb the same, but he built in his own continuity–primarily of characters. He knew that creating new Alphans at every turn would surpass the 311 very quickly. It is interesting how his created characters resurface from story to story. Brian Balll as well.
Granted, you do get to see their initiall drafts, but E.C. Tubb embraced Tony Verdeschi as a character and realized that he must have been on the base in Year One and rising in the ranks. We’ve tried to smooth the transition from Year One to Year Two by taking the sum total of Alphan characters (across Y1 and Y2), assuming three shifts (they can’t be on duty 24/7) and taking as a given that both seasons happening in one universe, one time-line. It hasn’t been easy, but I think we’ve been successful at the intergration.
Which brings us to the original question from earlier this century. Is Space: 1999 a richer universe for having Y1 and Y2 included, rather than just one or the other (read that as just Y1). I thought so. I still do.
We now know what the problem was with the Lulu button. I was getting ahead of myself. The book was not yet set for release on Lulu, yet I put up the book’s BUY button up. It was a “link to nowhere”. Sorry!
Once it’s ready, I’ll put the button back up.
Mateo
I think you’ll be pleased with Phoenix of Megaron. It’s a unique (except for Android Planet, of course) mix of old school 70s John Rankine and the more recent Powysverse Space: 1999 novels, plus there are fun continuity references (where they would occur naturally in the mind of the characters–I try not to put them in willy-nilly) to Year One, Year Two and the other Powys books and short stories. And at a certain point, if you are familiar with the original PoM, you’ll start to realize that they story has taken a new direction and is moving toward a very different ending!
And I have to mention that John Mason and I, early on, decided to make Rhoda a very modern, independent, intelligent and resourceful character. Yeah, sure, there is a romantic element to the novel, but it is balanced by the depth of their characters and the seriousness of their situation and their responsibilities. I think I can speak for both of us when I say we’re proud of the book.
Strangely, all of you have all the fun! We get to read early and then successive drafts (which is a different sort of fun), but we never get to read the novels fresh, with no knowledge of where the story will take us.
That’s why we love to hear your feedback! It lets us know if we’ve succeeded. After you’ve read seven drafts and worked on a book so long, it’s hard to tell.
Mateo
Working on Phoenix of Megaron (and Android Planet) with John R. Mason has been a truly wonderful experience. I have only 30 pages left to go on my read of his Phoenix of Megaron SEQUEL!
I tried to cut off sales of Phoenix before I ran out of convention overstock. I figured I had 25 left. I got 26 orders! Luckily, there were actually 26 copies left. EXACTLY 26!
Whew!
Of course, I would have just ordered copies sent directly from Lulu.com, but still…
Well, all the books are in their shipping envelopes, and they’re all made out. All I need to do is seal them and make out the customs forms for our international customers. Then they’re out of my hands and on their way to you!
