Catacombs Reference LibraryFan critics
Catacombs Reference LibraryA few science fiction magazines have invited prominent fans of Space: 1999 to write articles about the series. Here we reprint extracts from two such articles. Mare Fitzgerald was president of the International Space: 1999 Alliance for a time; her 1978 article in Questar replied to some of the critics of the series. Terry Bowers has for many years run the Martin Landau and Barbara Bain fan clubs; her 1985 article for SFTV profiled the series and introduced an episode guide.
by Mare Ganea Fitzgerald, QUESTAR 2 (1978) (p55-57)
Space: 1999 has not relied solely on props, sets and special effects. Character development has grown steadily with each episode. Other series have shown man in space, but never in a position such as the Alphans find themselves. The central figures are not stereotypes; they are unique personalities who share one common trait. Each portrays not some perfect super hero, but a vulnerable entity with hurts, frustrations and self-doubts.
One important attitude maintained is the respect for other cultures. Unfamiliar lifestyles and beliefs are never condemned because they differ from human mores. Any interference is brought about only when the safety of Alpha is jeopardised.
The question often arises whether killing is necessary for survival. On the subject of war, & men killing one another, Maya summed up the Psychon attitude when she told Koenig simply, "That's disgusting." Koenig agreed as he told Maya the story of the world war of 1987, the war that had claimed his wife as a victim. Overall, the Alphans emphasise understanding rather than the annihilation of different societies.
The stories of Space: 1999 began with hard physical science fiction & went on to include the highly creative, more expansive psychic fiction. This combination permits greater flexibility & more personal interpretations. For this reason, many segments are best appreciated if taken symbolically rather than literally.
(Of Collision Course) Strict science is scandalised by such a premise, but looking at the story on a psychic rather than a physical level, it becomes a test of faith; an exercise in personal beliefs.
The overall feeling of a driving force, an order in the universe, is apparent in that story, as in the segment The Black Sun. The scene in the black sun reveals the 3 aspects of man : they age, a symbolism for man 's deep ties with the physical world. They become transparent, projecting man's spiritual nature. When they speak, they use no words; they use their minds. The force of destiny, that unscientific bugger which makes the die-hard realist cringe, had come into play.
This thing called destiny, or universal plan, has been one of the key criticisms of Space. Whoever said that good science fiction has all the answers? The writers have done us a great service in not explaining everything; this way we are able to come to our own conclusions & become a vital part of the action. That 's a much greater challenge than having a story tied up in a neat little package marked "this is the way it is". A story line more acceptable to the average science fiction fan is "Journey to Where"
The argument is often made that too many planets are encountered, too many alien ships just happen by. Space: 1999 is not a movie; it is a television series. As real as we'd like any programme to be, none will ever be a true day by day account. Let's allow Space the same bending of the rules of time that any other series is granted.
Another unfounded criticism of Space is that it is pessimistic. This complaint makes me wonder if those critics are watching the series at all. Their disappointment at not finding a habitable planet is not pessimistic; disappointment is human. The simple fact that this group can function so well & survive the uncertainties of space, while never giving up hope that a new home will be found, is sheer optimism.
Space: 1999 relates to all of us today in a very important way. Alphans are travellers on a moon which has become, for all intents, a space ship; the moonbase a tiny air bubble survival station on that ship. A new respect has to be learned for the resources at hand or survival would not be possible. Koenig and his people have to learn to depend on each other more than they'd ever relied on any others before. Buckminster Fuller has called Earth a giant space ship. Space is, in this sense, a reflection of our own position in the universe. For aren't we, for the present anyway, an isolated crew on a ship with a course not of our own choosing? And in a larger sense, Earth is an air bubble in a huge cosmos, which, like the Moon of Space, travels its own path, not knowing what lies ahead.
Aside from all the noble lessons to be learned from Space: 1999, one other notable reason remains why it should be continued. Space: 1999 is fun! Who wouldn't jump at the chance for a ride in an Eagle or a moon buggy? We've always been fascinated by complicated electronic wizardry & mysterious alien worlds. Moonbase Alpha tickles our adventure-some natures & sets us a little more free of self-limiting images.
Let's not become so rigid that we rule out any idea simply because it doesn't fit into present beliefs. The critics can judge Space: 1999 after they've been where Koenig, Russell, Carter & the others have been. For now, let true dreamers dream so that science will have a path to follow.
by Terry Bowers, SFTV 2 (1985) (p43-50)
At times, the "suspension of disbelief" common to many forms of science fiction was needed to watch Space: 1999, but the appeal of the characters & the intelligence of the storylines quickly made you forget about some of the scientific inaccuracies & the bending of the rules. In comparison to other science fiction shows popular at the time, 1999 invariably came up short, but few critics realised that 1999 was not like other science fiction shows. It was unique unto itself in that it did more than try to simply entertain & take the viewer away from the hassles of everyday life. Rather it tried to point out some of the problems humans will most likely get themselves into should they continue on their current paths. The critics also failed to realise that it takes a very special type of person to appreciate what the series has to offer. The shortcomings & inaccuracies on the surface vanish when a person cares to dig deeper into the messages of the series. For this reason alone Space: 1999 will never be as popular as some of its rivals, but those involved in its fandom don't complain. The feeling of home & family found among the fans must be something like those feelings experienced by the Alphans as they wandered through the universe in search of a new world.
Contents copyright Martin Willey