Space: 1999 Resurrection

This book is the sequal to "End of Eternity" episode from season 1 of Space 1999. The book answers a lot of questions from the original episode, such as: What made Baylor immortal? What was his home world like? Why was he so evil? How long was he on the asteroid? And so on. I liked the book a lot. It was steep [monetarily], but worth it for me. A very interesting and fun read!

The new line of Space 1999 books is something more than what's come before, taking advantage of the stasis Space 1999 has been in for the last 25 years. The opportunity is there to capitalize on all the what if's left dangling in the series, to fill in some blanks and to get people asking some new questions.The series starts off strong with William Latham's Resurrection, a short tightly plotted thriller that takes advantage of Space 1999's gothic horror legacy. A few things are added here and there to our Moonbase in the Latham work, most obvious is the meaty role given to Victor Bergman who gets to shine throughout the story. A few horrific elements are thrown in and we get to take a walk into the mind of the series most disturbingcharacter, Balor. The Balor character builds on what was already shown in the original episode, End of Eternity and he once again wrecks havoc in the halls of Moonbase Alpha. Full of style with a couple of surprises, Resurrection was a great read for me and even more for my friends who read through the book never having seen the episode it's based on. Most of all I enjoyed the sense of "place" within the story. The beginning exposition where Latham takes the reader through space finally into Main Mission, describing the events of the Breakaway in clever fashion, "The final revolution" is my favorite part breaking the long silence of 25 years between the series end and this new series of books. Latham was the right writer to do the first book in this new line of Space 1999 original novels.I'm looking forward to the upcoming books in this series!

This is the first a series of books based on the 1970s series Space 1999. It has a wonderful foreword by Johnny Byrne, the screenwriter who wrote many of the original episodes. That the book is a sequel to one of Byrne's episodes, End Of Eternity, should reassure the fans that the spirit of the series is preserved. Author William Latham perfectly captures the characters and atmosphere of the show. Coming to the series as self-confessed newbie, not a fan, Latham is not afraid of taking the story and characters in fresh directions. We get new depths and new dimensions to Koenig and Balor, with gripping psychological twists. The exploration of absolute power and immortality is both thoughtful and exciting. The horror themes of the original episode are skilfully developed, much darker than television could ever attempt. Yet this is still emotionally true to the characters. I recommend this book very highly. If you're not a Space 1999 fan, you discover an absorbing science fiction horror story with solid character development. If you are a fan, you'll see the universe you recognise taken to fascinating new directions.

All I can say is that Latham has succeeded in making his follow-up to the Year 1 episode END OF ETERNITY a gripping and compulsive story, where Balor(the alien) has been given added dimensions. Not only is he as evil as he ever was, but he appears to be a philosopher and something of a historian. He is as calculating as he is charming;a compulsive yet repulsive character by turns. There is much resonance with the series, no small feat for a writer who previously had been unfamiliar with it. Back story and various characters from the series are included. Jackie Crawford makes a (brief) appearance. The research of Cabot Rowland is referenced by Bob Mathias. Perhaps the most horrific reference is the revival (at least in part) of Mike Baxter as part of Balor's plan. Jean Koenig makes an appearance in a brief but very touching and possibly even poetic sequence. Lastly, in horrific echoes of the confrontational scenes in THE TROUBLED SPIRIT, the start of Chapter 7 sees Bergman confronting Latham's original character Ken Lucas. A man who has died and yet been brought back to (a sort of) life - or perhaps `undead' would be a better word - battles with the Professor in a scene that reminds me somewhat of Dan Mateo's evil spirit in that well-remembered first year episode.There are a number of twists in the book and many are due to the devious way in which Balor is this time trying to gain control of Moonbase Alpha. Don't expect pages of physical action, laser battles and fighting or arid technical detail.What is here is a compulsive thriller which works on several levels: a character study, a psychological thriller, and a science-fiction novel all in one. It would make a fine 2 parter in the Year 1 style. The character conflict and dialogue is such that it drives the entire novel forward and you really do wonder how the hell the Alphans are going to defeat Balor. Not only that, but their battle has to be fought on a number of fronts as readers will have seen (Balor is not the only enemy!)There is even a hint of the 'MUF' from the first series, something that is again alluded to in the final pages that wrap up the novel. What more can you ask for?This is different in tone to any Space:1999 novel you will have previously read. It's a Space:1999 novel for the 21st Century, but one that is firmly rooted in the best tradition of the series. Its neither a `trivial' read or candy-floss space opera. Its multi-faceted, multi-layered and thoughtfully written. It works as a thriller, a horror story, a psychological study and as a character examination. I urge every fan to try this book. Its engrossing,thought-provoking and a winner in every way. I hope there are more to come.

In Resurrection, author William Latham has written the best Space:1999 novel yet published. He successfully channels the personalities of all the Alphans, especially Barry Morse's Professor Victor Bergman. There are times reading this book that you will swear you hear the voices of Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Morse, Hancock and the others. It's eerie and very rewarding how closely Latham captures the gloom-laden atmosphere of the moody 1970s TV series. Resurrection is a sequel to an episode, and as such it "resurrects" the isolation, awe, mystery and creeping terror of many Year One Space:1999 episodes. And boy does this book have a breakneck pace! You will be carried along, turning pages with a combination of anticipation and anxiety. It is a suspenseful thriller, a highly literate and yes, even philosophical read. In all, Resurrection is a fantastic addition to the Space:1999 universe and feels like an episode we never got to see. Here's hoping that Latham is back to write many more "episodes" in this literary series.