The Moonbase Alpha Technical Manual

During the original 1975–1977 run of '' Space: 1999'', the science-fiction series generated a number of media tie-ins, including novelisations, original novels, comic books and audio dramas. Due to the series' ongoing cult following, new tie-ins continue to be released to this day.

Some critics credit ''Space: 1999'' with bridging the gap between ''Star Trek'' and ''Star Wars''.

Books

1970s novels and novelisations

In the mid-1970s, a number of books were published by both American (Pocket Books) and British (Futura) publishers, consisting primarily of novelisations of ''Space: 1999'' episodes. These releases, mainly paperback, were supplemented by 16-page photo sections (Year One and Two in the United States, Year Two only in the United Kingdom), which comprised black-and-white stills from the episodes. Original novels, without photo section, also formed a part of the series. Many of the books were also translated for release in overseas markets, such as Germany, Turkey and Japan.

English-language releases

=Year One

=
*''Breakaway'' by E.C. Tubb. Novelisation of " Breakaway", " Matter of Life and Death", " Ring Around The Moon" and "Black Sun".
*''Moon Odyssey'' by John Rankine. Novelisation of "Alpha Child", " The Last Sunset", "Voyager's Return" and " Another Time, Another Place".
*''The Space Guardians'' by Brian Ball. Novelisation of "Missing Link", "Force of Life" and "Guardian of Piri".
*''Collision Course'' by E.C. Tubb. Novelisation of " Collision Course", "The Full Circle", "End of Eternity" and "Death's Other Dominion".
*''Lunar Attack'' by John Rankine. Novelisation of "War Games", "The Troubled Spirit", " The Last Enemy" and "Space Brain".
*''Astral Quest'' by John Rankine. Novelisation of " The Infernal Machine", "Mission of the Darians", "Dragon's Domain" and "The Testament of Arkadia".
*''Alien Seed'' by E.C. Tubb (original novel)
*''Android Planet'' by John Rankine (original novel)
*''Rogue Planet'' by E.C. Tubb (original novel)
*''Phoenix of Megaron'' by John Rankine (original novel - US only)
*''Earthfall'' by E.C. Tubb (original novel - UK only) This concluded the ''Space: 1999'' storyline and had the descendants of the Alphans returning to Earth.

Notes

"Earthbound" was the only Year One episode not included in this series of novelisations.

=Year Two

=
*''Planets of Peril'' by Michael Butterworth. Novelisation of "The Metamorph", "The AB Chrysalis", "The Rules of Luton" and "New Adam, New Eve".
*''Mind-Breaks of Space'' by J. Jeff Jones and Michael Butterworth. Novelisation of "Brian the Brain", " The Mark of Archanon", "Catacombs of the Moon" and "One Moment of Humanity". Sources indicate Jones wrote the majority of the book.
*''The Psychomorph'' by Michael Butterworth. Novelisation of "The Lambda Factor" and " ''The Bringers of Wonder'', Part One" and " ''The Bringers of Wonder'', Part Two".
*''The Time Fighters'' by Michael Butterworth. Novelisation of "Space Warp", "Dorzak", "Devil's Planet" and "The Seance Spectre".
*''The Edge of the Infinite'' by Michael Butterworth. Novelisation of " All That Glisters", "Journey to Where", "The Dorcons" and " The Immunity Syndrome".

Notes

"The Taybor" is the only Year Two episode not included in this series of novelisations. As Butterworth adapted his novelisations primarily from early drafts of Year Two scripts, many of the character names and personalities are different.

Foreign-language releases

''Space: 1999'' novels and novelisations were also written in other languages for specific markets, mainly Germany and Italy, where the series was highly popular.

In Italy, adaptations of all 24 Year One episodes and eight of the Year Two episodes were published in oversized hardback volumes. These books typically contained two episodes and nearly 100 colour photos each. Like the Michael Butterworth English-language editions, many of these books were adapted from early drafts of scripts, and events and details sometimes differ significantly from the episodes later aired.

In Germany, the Butterworth Year Two novels were translated into German, with one significant difference. The ending of "The Edge of the Infinite" was altered in order to set up events that would be continued in six original follow-on novels. The first two novels in the series were translated and published in Japan by Mikasa Shobo.
*''Das Andromeda-Rätsel'' (literally ''The Andromeda Riddle'') by H.W. Springer (Pseudonym of Hans Wolf Sommer)
*''Das Erbe der Roboter'' (literally ''The Robots' Heritage'') by H.W. Springer
*''Die Ewigen von Luna'' (literally ''The Eternals of Luna'') by H.W. Springer
*''Invasion der Esper'' (literally ''Invasion of the Espers'') by H.W. Springer
*''Aktion Exodus'' (analogously ''Operation Exodus'') by Kurt Brand
*''Der Stahlplanet'' (literally ''The Steel Planet'') by M.F. Thomas

The final novel, ''Der Stahlplanet'' is notable in that it concludes the ''Space: 1999'' odyssey by having the Alphans teleport to Texas City, Earth via the neutrino transmission process introduced in "Journey to Where".

2000s novels and novelisations

In 2002, Fanderson published a new edition of the novel ''Earthfall'' which corrected the typographic errors of the original publication and, with the permission of the author, separated the novel into its three component sections: Part One, " Breakaway" (set in September 1999); Part Two, "Colony Alpha" (January 2000); and Part Three, "Earthfall" (October 2018). Fanderson went on to publish a new original novel, ''Earthbound'', written by E. C. Tubb, in 2003. This book contained an adaptation of "Earthbound", the one episode which was not included in the original novelisation run, as well as adaptations of two scripts of Year Two stories which retained the Year One format in which the scripts had originally been written: "The Exiles" and "The Face of Eden" (or "The Immunity Syndrome"). Also in 2002, Eagle One Media published a new edition of the novel ''Alien Seed'' with a new preface by Tubb. The same year, Powys Media launched a new series of officially licensed original novels and related works of non-fiction, and revised and expanded omnibus editions of previously issued novelisations for Year Two. All books are English-language releases, available directly from the companies' websites.

Fanderson releases

*''Earthfall'' by E.C. Tubb (original novel).
*''Earthbound'' by E.C. Tubb, afterword by Chris Bentley (novelisation).

Eagle One Media releases

*''Alien Seed'' by E.C. Tubb, preface by the author (original novel).

Powys Media releases

*''Resurrection'' by William Latham, foreword by Johnny Byrne (original novel), 2002. A sequel to "End of Eternity" in the Year One format.
*''The Forsaken'' by John Kenneth Muir, foreword by Prentis Hancock (original novel), 2003. Reprinted in a revised edition on January 23, 2013. An original novel placed between Years One and Two. Paul Morrow and Tanya Alexander are written out of the series.
*''Survival'' by Brian Ball, foreword by Barry Morse (original novel), 2005. An original novel, placed between Years One and Two, that depicts the fate of Professor Victor Bergman.
*''Eternity Unbound'' by William Latham, afterword by the author (original novel), 2005. A Balor trilogy. Part One depicts the events on Progron 1000 years before the present, while Part Two is a script-to-prose adaption of "End of Eternity", and Part Three is a revised reprint of Latham's novel ''Resurrection''.
*''Year Two'' by Michael Butterworth, foreword by the author, afterword by Mateo Latosa (novelisation omnibus), 2005. A re-issue of the six Butterworth novelisations published in the 1970s. The stories are now placed in chronological order and have been re-written to conform more to their broadcast versions where necessary. "The Taybor" is finally adapted and inserted into the narrative. New material is introduced to link the stories together and give them some continuity not only with Year One, but also with the range of published (and forthcoming) Powys ''Space: 1999'' novels.
*''Shepherd Moon'' by various authors, foreword by Mateo Latosa (an anthology), January 2010.
*''Born for Adversity'' by David A. McIntee, foreword and afterword by Catherine Schell (original novel), February 2010. Set in Year Three.
*''Omega'' by William Latham, foreword by Christopher Penfold (original novel), March 2010. Set in Year Three.
*''Alpha'' by William Latham, afterword by Christopher Penfold (original novel), March 2010. Set in Year Three.
*''Android Planet'' by John Rankine, foreword by John Mason (revised reissue of original novel), 3 February 2011. Set in Year One.
*''Phoenix of Megaron'' by John Rankine, foreword by John Mason (revised reissue of original novel), September 14, 2012. Set in Year One.
*''Johnny Byrne's Children of the Gods'' by William Latham, foreword by Sandy Byrne, afterword by William Latham (original novel), January 23, 2013. Set in Year Three.
*''The Whispering Sea'' by John Kenneth Muir, foreword by David Hirsch (original novel), February 2014. Set in Year Two.
*''The Final Revolution'' by William Latham, foreword by Barbara Bain (original novel), July 2015. Set in Year Three.
*''Rogue Planet'' by E.C. Tubb, foreword by Philip Harbottle (revised reissue of original novel), November 2019, reissued September 2020. Set in Year One.
*''Year One (1st edition, hardcover edition)'' by Brian Ball, John Rankine and E.C. Tubb, forewords by all three authors, January 2020. A signed and numbered re-issue of the six first season novelizations published in the 1970s. The stories are now placed in chronological order and have been revised to conform more to their broadcast versions where necessary. "Earthbound" has been newly adapted and inserted into the narrative. New material is introduced to link the stories together and give them some continuity not only with Year Two, but with the range of published (and forthcoming) Powys ''Space: 1999'' novels.
*''Alien Seed'' by E.C. Tubb, foreword by Philip Harbottle, afterword by David Spencer (revised reissue of original novel), November 2020. Set in Year One.
*''Earthfall'' by E.C. Tubb, forewords by Philip Harbottle and Anton Phillips, afterword by Ian Sharpe (original novel), November 2021.
*''Earthbound'' by E.C. Tubb, forewords by Philip Harbottle and Patricia T. Sokol, afterword by Christopher Bentley (novelization), October 2022.
*''Year One (2nd edition, hardcover and paperback editions)'' by Brian Ball, John Rankine and E.C. Tubb, forewords by all three authors, January 2020. A re-issue of the six first season novelizations published in the 1970s. The stories are now placed in chronological order and have been revised to conform more to their broadcast versions where necessary. "Earthbound" has been newly adapted and inserted into the narrative. New material is introduced to link the stories together and give them some continuity not only with Year Two, but also with the range of published (and forthcoming) Powys ''Space: 1999'' novels. In addition, the second edition has been further revised to fix typos in the 1st edition.
*''Odysseus Wept'' by William Latham, foreword by Prentis Hancock, afterword by John Kenneth Muir (original novel), May 2023. This novel was released in hardcover, trade paperback and mass market paperback editions.
*''Alien Seed/Rogue Planet'' by E.C. Tubb, foreword by Tim Mallett (two 1970s novels, as originally published, in a single hardcover volume).
*''Android Planet/Phoenix of Megaron'' by John Rankine, afterword by Tim Mallett (two 1970s novels, as originally published, in a single hardcover volume).

Powys Media commentaries

*''Chasing the Cyclops'' (Powys Media. February 2011). William Latham, author of ''Space: 1999 Omega'' and its sequel ''Space: 1999 Alpha'', wrote a non-fiction book that detailed the conception, planning, and writing processes that went into the writing of the two novels. It contains a foreword written by Mateo Latosa, the publisher at Powys Media, a small independent publishing company that published officially licensed novels and other works in the ''Space: 1999'' series
*''Space: 1999 The Powysverse Compendium'' (Powys Media. February, 2012). Patricia Sokol's detailed analysis of the novels, short stories and audio books in the ''Space: 1999'' series published by Powys Media. It contains a detailed synopsis of each of the works, a timeline and an encyclopedic section of all the persons, places and things in the expanded ''Space: 1999'' universe, meaning the original series and the officially licensed works published by Powys Media. It features a foreword by Zienia Merton (Sandra Benes) and an afterword by Martin Willey.

Non-fiction releases

''The Making of Space: 1999''

In 1976, Ballantine Books published a paperback behind-the-scenes guide, ''The Making of Space: 1999'', by Tim Heald'' magazine published ''The Moonbase Alpha Technical Notebook''. It provides detailed blueprints of Moonbase Alpha, along with illustrations and information on various incarnations of props and costumes. It was intended to be updated on a regular basis, but this idea was abandoned due to low sales. ''Starlog'' had released the blueprints of the Eagle Transporter in its seventh issue (dated August 1977) as a possible preview of ''The Moonbase Alpha Technical Notebook'', which was first advertised in the ninth issue. ''Starlog'' also released blueprints of the '' Mark IX Hawk'' in issue 32 (March 1980), but these were not intended as an update to ''The Moonbase Alpha Technical Notebook''.

''Cosmos 1999: L'épopée de la blancheur''

By Pierre Fageolle, a socio-cultural analysis of the series, in French. (DLM Editions, Paris: 1993)

''UFO & Space: 1999''

By Chris Drake, overview and episode summaries. (Boxtree, London: 1994)

''Exploring Space: 1999''

In 1997, McFarland & Company released a non-fiction, scholarly monograph of ''Space: 1999'' by John Kenneth Muir, titled ''Exploring Space: 1999: an Episode Guide and Complete History of the Mid-1970s Science Fiction Television Series''. It was re-released in paperback by McFarland in April 2005.

''Destination: Moonbase Alpha''

In 2010, Telos Publishing released the most comprehensive non-fiction book published on the subject of ''Space: 1999''. Written by Robert E. Wood and titled ''Destination: Moonbase Alpha: the Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Space: 1999'', the book runs to 490 pages and contains a colour photo section featuring model spaceships created for ''Space: 1999'' by special effects technician Martin Bower, as well as a foreword by Zienia Merton (Sandra Benes) and an afterword by Barry Morse (Professor Victor Bergman).

''Cosmos 1999: Le fabulaire de l'espace''

Didier Liardet's analysis and commentary, in French (Edition Yris, September 2014)

''Maya: 1999 - Ovvero: I rovesci della seconda stagione''

Agamennone Palinsesti's analysis and commentary on the second season of Space: 1999, in Italian (Sfacelo chimico, 2019)

''To Everything That Might Have Been: The Lost Universe Of Space: 1999''

Robert E. Wood and David Hirsch present previously unpublished scripts and other material (Telos Publishing, March 2022)

''Space: 1999 - The Vault''

Coffee table book by Chris Bentley (Signum books, July 2022)

Comics

In the 1970s, U.S. publisher Charlton Comics released seven issues of a comic based on ''Space: 1999'', as well as eight issues of a black-and-white illustrated magazine featuring more adult-oriented stories. Well-known illustrators on the comics included John Byrne (later a well-known creator for DC and Marvel Comics), Joe Staton and Pat Boyette.

In Germany, publisher Koralle Verlag produced 18 adaptations of Year One episodes as part of their ''Zack'' colour comic anthologies, one adaptation and four original stories in their ''Zack Parade'' line, as well as two full-length graphic novel original adventures in their ''Zack Box'' imprint. Many of the episodic adaptations were later translated and reprinted in Italy.

In the UK, a two-page comic strip appeared in ''Look-In had previously contributed to a number of other Gerry Anderson-based strips in the 1960s for ''TV Century 21'' comic. John M. Burns illustrated the first three stories, to be succeeded by Mike Noble when the strip would convert to black-and-white in early 1976. In the autumn of 1976, the strip adopted the Year Two format, with Burns returning for a brief coda story that November. Some of these strips were reprinted in black-and-white as complete compilations in the Portuguese ''TV Junior'' comic.

In 2013, a rebooted and new graphic novel appeared, entitled ''Aftershock and Awe.'' In this context, the events of ''Space 1999'' occur in an alternate history. In this timeline, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was not assassinated, and the space race continued apace. In 1987, a Third World War breaks out between the United States and North Korea, causing widespread devastation, but limited harm. (International expenditure on the space race had diminished the intensity of that nuclear arms race.) Ronald Reagan and Kim Jong-Il are forced to resign their presidential offices after the catastrophe. On September 13, 1999, the Moon is blown out of Earth orbit by a nuclear accident and enters a space warp. The series was expected carry on the narrative into a comics version of a third season. s of 2019 the only other publication in this was ''To Everything That Was'', an omnibus featuring remastered comic strips from the Charlton and ''Look-In'' series.

Audio dramas

In the 1970s, Power Records produced seven child-oriented audio dramas based on ''Space: 1999'', most adapting Year One episodes; this differed from most other Power Records properties licensed from TV series that relied on original stories. " Breakaway", "Death's Other Dominion" and "Mission of the Darians" were released on a single 33 rpm LP, while a second album contains "End of Eternity" and "Dragon's Domain" accompanied by the two original adventures "Return to the Beginning" (in which, after the Moon passes through a violent space storm, the Alphans discover that they have returned to Earth; arriving on the surface, however, Koenig and Company find themselves in Biblical times; they encounter Noah and witness the Flood) and "It Played So Softly on the Ear" (in which a strange tune leads the Alphans to a habitable planet, where solar flares have placed the population in suspended animation; two remaining conscious scientists, who can reverse the process with blood transfusions, abduct the Alphans to serve as donors). In addition, Power Records published individual comic "book-and-record" editions of "Breakaway" and "Return to the Beginning" with 45 rpm vinyl records enclosed.

Powys Media releases

*''Resurrection'', an audiobook by William Latham, read by Barry Morse, 7 May 2010. Omits the foreword from the original publication.
*''Spider's Web'', an audiobook by William Latham, read by Rupert Booth, 8 November 2010.

Big Finish Audio Dramas

In 2019, Big Finish Productions received the license to create new full-cast audio dramas re-imagining the series, with Mark Bonnar as Commander Koenig and Maria Teresa Creasey as Dr. Russell. The series is written by Nicholas Briggs, and script edited by Jamie Anderson.
* ''Breakaway'' was released 13 September 2019. This one-hour drama replays the events of the TV pilot episode.
* A boxset containing Death’s Other Dominion and two new original episodes, The Siren Call and Goldilocks, will be released February 2021.Big Finish News announcement, 12 August 2019
/ref>

See also

* List of television series made into books

References

External links

*
*
''Destination: Moonbase Alpha: the Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Space: 1999''
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20061230070432/http://www.technodelic.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Upload01/Space1999a.htm Complete Comic History of ''Space: 1999'' in ''Look-In'' Magazinebr>''Mondstation: 1999''
– a guide to the German-language ''Space: 1999'' books and comic strips
''Powys Media''
– publisher of new, licensed ''Space: 1999'' novels
''Big Finish Productions''
– publisher of licensed, re-imagined audio dramas

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