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List of Space: 1999 books and other media

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The science fiction television series Space: 1999 has generated a wide range of licensed media, including novelisations and original novels, audio dramas, comic books, and toys and games.

With the exception of "The Taybor", all episodes have been novelised. The authors of these works wrote a number of original stories and have since written new stories and novels which were published after 1999.

At the time of the series' original run, several comic book series were also published. In the United States, a series of audio adaptations were recorded on record albums with the younger audience in mind. After 1999, many of these original comic book stories were revised and reprinted along with new stories.

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Books

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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

Releases in other languages

Space: 1999 novels and novelisations were also written in other languages for specific markets, mainly Germany and Italy.

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.

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 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, 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, sold only through the companies' websites.

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 23 January 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 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), 14 September 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), 23 January 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 by Brian Ball, John Rankine and E.C. Tubb, forewords by all three authors, January 2020. A re-issue of the six first season novelisations 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. The first edition is signed and numbered. A second edition was further revised to fix typos in the 1st edition.
  • 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 (novelisation), October 2022.
  • 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).
Commentaries
  • Chasing the Cyclops (Powys Media. February 2011) by William Latham, author of Space: 1999 Omega and its sequel Space: 1999 Alpha. A non-fiction book that details the conception, planning, and writing processes that went into 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 encyclopaedic 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.

Other releases

  • Earthfall by E.C. Tubb (original novel, Fanderson release)
  • Earthbound by E.C. Tubb, afterword by Chris Bentley (novelisation of "Earthbound", Fanderson release)
  • Alien Seed by E.C. Tubb, preface by the author (original novel, Eagle One Media release)

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. It focuses mainly on the early months of production of Year Two. The episode guide for that season is incomplete, since the book was published while Year Two was still airing. It features an extensive photo section with more than 50 black-and-white photos.

The Moonbase Alpha Technical Notebook

In 1977, Starlog magazine published The Moonbase Alpha Technical Notebook.[1] 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.

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

By Robert E. Wood and titled Destination: Moonbase Alpha: the Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Space: 1999, runs to 490 pages and contains a colour photo section featuring model spaceships created for Space: 1999 by special effects technician Martin Bower, a foreword by Zienia Merton (Sandra Benes), and an afterword by Barry Morse (Professor Victor Bergman). Published in 2010 by Telos Publishing.

Other releases

  • 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)
  • 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)
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Audio dramas

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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.[2]

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 releases

In 2019, Big Finish Productions received a licence to create full-cast audio dramas re-imagining the series, with Mark Bonnar as Commander Koenig[3] and Maria Teresa Creasey as Dr Russell. Also cast were Timothy Bentinck as Commissioner Simmonds, Clive Hayward as Professor Bergman, Jules de Jongh as Petra Nordstorm and Amaka Okafor as Kano.

The series was written by Nicholas Briggs and script-edited by Jamie Anderson of Anderson Entertainment. The first story, "Breakaway" – an adaptation of the TV episode – was released digitally in September 2019, with a CD edition following that October.

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Big Finish revealed that an additional boxed set would follow, with the full cast to be announced.[5] In July 2020, Big Finish announced a boxset of three stories. Bonnar, Creasey, Bentinck, Hayward and Okafor reprised their roles, while Anthony Howell, Chris Jarman and Nicholas Asbury joining the cast.[6]

The set, titled Space 1999 Volume 1, contains an adaptation of "Death's Other Dominion" and two new stories, "The Siren Call" and "Goldilocks". It was released in 2021 on both CD and digital download.[7] Space 1999 Volume 2 and Space 1999 Volume 3 followed in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

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Space: 1999 Volume 2: Earthbound was released in February/March 2022.

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Space: 1999 Volume 3: Dragon's Domain was released in May 2023.

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Comics

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In the 1970s, US 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 creators on the comics included John Byrne (not the same person as the television series's writer Johnny Byrne), Nick Cuti, Joe Staton and Pat Boyette. Charlton only published one issue each of the comic and magazine in the Year Two format.[10]

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 translated and reprinted in Italy.

In the UK, a two-page comic strip appeared in Look-In children's magazine from autumn 1975 to spring 1977. Writer Angus Allan 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 converted 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 graphic novel, the events of Space 1999 occur in an alternate history. To Everything That Was, an omnibus featuring remastered comic strips from the Charlton and Look-In series, was also published as part of this line.[11]

Toys and games

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Mattel created a line of toys to tie into the TV series, including the Eagle 1 Spaceship. Released in 1976, the Eagle 1 is over 2.5 feet long and a foot wide. The Eagle 1 is made mostly of injection-moulded plastic and has a number of parts and accessories.[12]

Dinky Toys also released various die-cast metal Eagle ships, with different colours and features. Released from 1975 onwards, these were approximately 9 inches in length and came in green, white or blue coloured metal with plastic trims and differing module sections for each colour.[13]

In 1975, Palitoy in the UK released several Space: 1999 8-inch action figures, including John Koenig, Paul Morrow and Alan Carter, along with two alien characters seen in the series.[14]

Several companies released Space: 1999 board games in the 1970s, each different from the others. Omnia released their board game in the UK and Denmark, Milton Bradley released one in the US, Clementoni released a board game in Italy, and Yuma released one in Turkey which was basically a reprinted version of Kenner's Star Wars – Escape from the Death Star board game but with Space: 1999 characters and designs instead.[15]

In July 2024, Modiphius Entertainment announced a tabletop role-playing game adaptation set to release in time for the 50th anniversary of the show in 2025.[16]

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Compilation films

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"Destination: Moonbase Alpha" redirects here. For the book, see § Destination: Moonbase Alpha.

In the 1970s and 1980s, several feature-length compilation films were assembled from various Space: 1999 episodes. One aim was to provide content for new American and European cable and satellite TV stations (and for theatrical release, which occurred in a number of European countries). One film, Spazio 1999, was created specifically for theatrical release in Italy. With the exception of Spazio 1999, the films were released on home video years before the individual episodes.

  • Spazio 1999[17] is a mid-1970s Italian release consisting of heavily edited segments from the episodes "Breakaway", "Ring Around the Moon" and "Another Time, Another Place". Released months before Space: 1999 was first broadcast in the country, it features a score by film composer Ennio Morricone, replacing the original score by Barry Gray.
  • Destination: Moonbase Alpha, released in 1978 by ITC London, was the first widely available re-edit of Space: 1999, based on the two-part story "The Bringers of Wonder". The narrator informs viewers that the year is 2100[18] and that Moonbase Alpha draws its power from nuclear waste. Until the series was released on DVD, for many countries this film remained the only way to see "The Bringers of Wonder", as the story was omitted from syndication.
  • Alien Attack, released in 1979 by ITC London, retroactively introduces foreign audiences to the premise of the series with a compilation of "Breakaway" and "War Games". It moves events from 1999 far into the 21st century. This film includes some original footage shot without the series cast, specifically scenes set in the offices of the International Lunar Commission on Earth.
  • Journey Through the Black Sun, released in 1982 by ITC New York, combines "Collision Course" and "Black Sun". Scenes from both episodes, such as Captain Carter confronting Commander Koenig in "Black Sun", were cut.
  • Cosmic Princess, also released in 1982 by ITC New York, focuses on the Year Two character Maya and combines "The Metamorph" and "Space Warp". The alien's dialogue from "Space Warp" is altered, and the alien's difficulties, as well as Maya's condition, are presented as being directly related to "The Metamorph" as if the events of that episode occurred only days before. Several scenes, such as Maya's father Mentor chiding her for what he views as misuse of her shapeshifting abilities, were cut. This film appeared in an early episode of the movie-mocking series Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Some American VHS editions of the English-language releases include specially filmed introductions by actress Sybil Danning, who never appeared in the series. Martin Landau and Barbara Bain were reportedly upset at this re-packaging and launched legal proceedings.[19]

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Short film: Message from Moonbase Alpha

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Message from Moonbase Alpha, with Zienia Merton as Sandra Benes.

Message from Moonbase Alpha is a fan-produced short film written by Space: 1999 script editor Johnny Byrne.

The premise of the film, set decades after the events of the series, is that Alpha's life support systems have started to fail. A space warp has propelled the Moon to within range of an Earth-like planet, which the Alphans have dubbed Terra Alpha. Following a vote, Commander Koenig has made the decision for everyone to evacuate Alpha and settle on the planet before the Moon travels out of range. Maya has devised a way for Alpha to send a message back to Earth using another space warp. Sandra Benes (Zienia Merton, reprising her role from the series) is the last to leave. She tearfully transmits the message to Earth, then shuts down Alpha's systems.[10] The film ends with the sound of the Meta signal (an exoplanetary transmission featured in the first episode), indicating that the transmission the Alphans picked up decades earlier originated from themselves in their own future.

Shot in a private home on 29 August 1999, the seven-minute film used a working replica of Alpha's technical section and the original prop of Koenig's Command Center desk, with Merton wearing her original Year Two costume.

The film was first shown at the Space: 1999 Breakaway Convention in Los Angeles on 13 September 1999 — the day the events of the first episode take place.[20] With the permission of copyright owners Carlton Media International, the film included a number of clips from the series. Journalist Shaqui Le Vesconte described the convention showing of the film as "a short but satisfying closure to Space: 1999."[10] Modified versions of the film were released on DVD bonus discs in the US, Canada, France and Italy. The original version appears as a special feature on the Space: 1999/UFO – The Documentaries DVD produced by Fanderson.

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See also

References

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