Powys Media

I've still got a couple of stories left to go, but after a wait this long, I don't want the book to be over too quickly.

So far, so good. I'm enjoying the mix of stories, and I think it would be great to have more anthologies like this. Not least because the novels are moving forward in a certain direction, and anthologies like this can give fans stories set at various points in the series timeline. For example, Victor Bergman's gone by this point in the novels, but he's present in several of Shepherd Moon's stories. Then there's the first story, which is mostly a flashback to a time well before the moon leaves orbit; though it has some familiar supporting characters along with Koenig, it wouldn't make sense to do that kind of story as a novel unless the novels were coming out much more frequently.

However... I think the book needed a bit more copy editing. The story by the four fans has almost random shifts from past to present tense that don't seem to serve any stylistic purpose; the present tense should have been changed to past tense to make the story consistent. The word "reign" has been used in at least two places where "rein" is the correct word. One writer seems to have only a tenuous grasp of what commas are for. None of this detracts from the stories too much, but it's the sort of thing that can make something feel like better than average fanfic rather than pro material if it happens too often.

Do people on the forum and with the company only want to hear good things? I mean I like the prose and imagery and I think the writing is well done but I do have some criticisms. I just don't know if anyone really wants to hear them!

On an unrelated question: does the alien being in THE IMMUNITY SYNDROME, the "creature", die at the end?

I wouldn't have thought anyone on the forum - or indeed anyone from Powys - would have any problem at all with constructive (spoiler free) criticism - I have one or two very minor niggles myself, but I suppose in a way if I revealed them at this stage some people might construe them as spoilers.....

So post away. After all, it's a learning curve for everyone...!

As far as Steve's comments go, I hadn't really noted any major grammatical faux pas - at least those that spoiled my enjoyment anyway! I've read worse in some other sci-fi novels, and even some of the (very few) Doctor Who novels that I've read have occasionally contained some howlers



- Simon

The alien life force that was introduced in The Immunity Syndrome does not die. As a matter of fact, "SPOILER ALERT" it actually helps the Alphans in the end, once John, Helena, Maya, Alan, Alibe, and Jerry Travis find a way to establish contact and communication with it.

This is one of my favorite episodes from the series. Definately well written, well directed, and well acted out by the cast and guest artists.

Papillon wrote:
The alien life force that was introduced in The Immunity Syndrome does not die. As a matter of fact, "SPOILER ALERT" it actually helps the Alphans in the end, once John, Helena, Maya, Alan, Alibe, and Jerry Travis find a way to establish contact and communication with it.

This is one of my favorite episodes from the series. Definately well written, well directed, and well acted out by the cast and guest artists.




Really? My impression was that the life force does actually die after it has established contact with the Alphans - simply because it cannot deal with the grief having found out it has been unwittingly responsible for death?

Agreed - I like the episode, which is far superior to The Dorcons


- Simon

SPOILERS












I think I asked because Johnny Bryne in some of his interviews seems to say it does die. Even some of the guides I found on line mentions it dies, committing suicide because it cannot handle the greif. I always thought it didn't survive, preciously because it does help them. I must admit I rather that it did survive.

In any event, my main problem with SHEPHERD MOON is some of the plotting and the setting of the timelines. Many of the stories (and this is just my preference) occur at times that I feel are the most boring time spots of the timeline. These include just before BREAKAWAY, Tess and Sam's deaths, and Maya on Psychon before the Moon arrives. For me (and I haven't read all the stories FULLY yet, the best seems to be SPIDER'S WEB. The worst is, and again, I do like the way and style of the writing in all the stories, the one where Jackie Crawford dies.

I might be alone in this but I feel that Jackie has more mileage as a character and a story device if he were to live. It is one of the reasons I never continued reading THE FORSAKEN. It is also one of the reasons that I consider the Powyrs Media books NOT my 1999 chosen canon. To me it is some kind of alt universe thanks to that one thing. I don't like that idea that Jarak is back inside him and I don't like the idea that the boy has to die. It is just too sad. It is true that 1999 can be dark but even the First Season kept him alive at the end of ALPHA CHILD. The whole story sours for me thanks to that and I felt it was a sort of retread of FORCE OF LIFE.


SO those two problems are for me, why I really didn't enjoy SHEPHERD MOON. I guess after years of being a 1999 fan, I have...as we all must have...our own ideas as to what happened in between seasons one and two and what happened after season three. I'm overjoyed that these books even exist today and continue to come out...and as a fan, I'll always want to get them and read their visions. It just doesn't always match my own of 1999.

I do like some of the 1999 comics,both CHARLTON and LOOK IN. I guess I like more adventure and less negative dark stuff; more MUF stuff or even God stuff in the stories.

I also found some problems with how some of the characters are described. Gorski is called a fat bastard by Cellini. Simmonds is twice mentioned as either sweaty and/or disgusting looking. I found that...I dunno, disturbing to me as it might be the actors who played them.

I hope it's okay to say these things or write then rather as I do enjoy that 1999 is back in this format. I just feel that these are not the kind of books of 1999 I expected or enjoy.