Posted by Phil-3 on
URL: https://www.shado-forum.com/Your-advice-is-appreciated-tp1498012p1498017.html

At 03:22 PM 11/1/02 +0000, you wrote:


Hi Nick!

>While I'm here, I'd appreciate your advice on our recent "UFO Script
>Book". Sales have been slower than we anticipated which, as with all club
>merchandise, means that if we don't sell enough future volumes are
>unlikely. But we'd like to understand why sales may be slow, and who
>better to ask than the SHADO group? We know that scripts are popular, but
>as they're mostly available on the internet is a book pointless? Or is
>there some other reason?

Well, I ordered this book in my recent order but perhaps it's not the sort
of thing for everyone? Looking at the Fanderson site to refresh my memory
I like the extras offered in the book and I like the cover a lot. As for
enjoying reading it, I look at this item more as a collectable or a
reference instead of something I want to sit down with and read. Maybe the
other Fanderson members are less collectors than I am and wanted a book
easier to sit and read?

That being said, I have to say I really enjoyed Chris Bently's complete
book of Thunderbirds. The format and writing was pretty cool. I am also
enjoying reading the revised Gerry Anderson Bio, "What made Thunderbirds
Go!" I think I'm enjoying it more than the previous version but in this
case I am reading the new book Backwards! I started at a chapter I was
most interested in (Space 1999 and later) and read to the end. Then I read
each previous chapter, I am now right at the Thunderbirds chapter.

Also, I found the article in the recent FAB magazine, "who pulled your
string" by the late Christine Glanville very interesting reading. Reading
about her through Fanderson I've found her to be a fascinating
person. Maybe someday you can take this material collected by Christine
and put it into a book about her??? Along with other interviews and
convention talks from her? I'd be interested in a project like that.

>On the subject of books, as already announced our next title will be a
>reprint of EC Tubb's "Earthfall" Space:1999 novel which, again if sales
>are healthy enough, will be followed by an all-new "Earthbound" novel by Tubb.

I think it's a good idea to reprint Earthfall since it's been OP for so
long. I've never been a fan of Tubb's writing though and I had a tough
time reading Earthfall. To tried to convince myself that maybe my dislike
was limited to Earthfall as it was a media tie in and Tie In's from the
1970's were never that great to begin with so I read through two of Tubb's
Dumarest books. Same result. So I'll get Earthfall, because it will be a
limited new edition. If Tubb revises the text I'll check it out and see
where he went with it. I'd be interested to read Earthbound expanded into
a novel, perhaps more information on where Simmonds was for those earlier
episodes?

> Now, another respected science fiction author has approached us with the
> idea of writing new UFO fiction for us to publish. My question to you all
> is whether this would be popular with you and, if so, what kind of
> stories would you be interested in?

I'm not a reader of much fan fiction, but I loved the new Space 1999 novel
by POWYS media. The POWYS book is not "fan-fiction" it's a wonderfully done
novel in the style of the show . To me, that book accomplished many
things. It captured the sense of the show it was based on, set the premise
of the show in poetic terms and it also was a good suspenseful story in
it's own right.

I trust your author is a published writer and knows UFO very well. It
would be important for the book to be well edited, as the POWYS book
was. This was something missing from the earlier original Space novels
from the 1970's. Today there are so many more resources for the writer so
hopefully these won't be ignored.

> Please note that our brief to the author will be to remain within the
> confies of the series premise, so stories would appear as 'episodes'
> rather than spin-offs such as Ellis and Foster getting married etc.

Most important of all, the UFO novel would have to be a good story, a
premise that can stand on it's own and keep it's reader, with or without
the UFO connection. It's not enough for the book to be a Tie in with the
show....it HAS to be a good, well written story. And it ought to be edited
by someone who really knows the show and perhaps sent out to several test
readers before publication.

>As there are 447 members on this list, many of whom are club members, I
>look forward to receiving many replies!
>
>Nick Williams, Fanderson secretary and treasurer

Thanks again Nick for all the hard work!