Stargate literature
Encyclopedia
Stargate literature comprises the novels and short stories in the Stargate franchise
fictional universe
(based on either the original Stargate
film or the Stargate SG-1
, Stargate Atlantis
and Stargate Universe
television shows) as well as non-fiction devoted to the franchise. Stargate literary works follow no strict continuity with the series or each other, and are often considered to be non-canon
. This is evident in the fact that there is a period of roughly a year between the original idea for a novel and the finalised product, causing problems for authors as they are unaware as to how the franchise will develop and change during the writing process. Despite this, the editors of Stargate literature function as the medium between the author and the production company.
There are three series of novels based on the Stargate franchise and short fiction has also been published in the official Stargate Magazine. It becomes difficult to discern what is and what is not canonical because much of the literature is based on the canon, whilst some of even this type of work deviates from the main productions, or is later contradicted. There's no official word from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
(MGM) about the canonicity of the Stargate written fiction. MGM does, however, approve each stage of novel's production, from initial outline to final draft. It remains up to the fans' discretion whether or not to accept Stargate literature as part of the combined Stargate universe.
Stargate literature centers on the premise of a "Stargate
", a ring-shaped alien device that creates a wormhole
enabling personal teleportation
to complementary devices located cosmic distances away. Under the control of the United States government, the Stargate discovered on Earth is kept a secret from the public. This allows storylines to present no contradiction
between depicted events and reality
, an effect compounded by setting Stargate in the present day
, and depicting Earth accurately, with any unrealistic technology originating solely from alien civilizations. Most of the time, Stargate literature follows SG-1 and the Atlantis flagship team on their journey through different galaxies.
Written by the movie creators, Dean Devlin
and Roland Emmerich
, the novelization of the original film, Stargate
was published by Signet Books, an imprint of Penguin Books
, in December 1994. Bill McCay had written a series of five novels continuing the story the original creators had envisioned, despite the success of the Stargate television series. McCay used the official notes by Emmerich to write his books.
A series of five novels written by Bill McCay
were published from 1996 to 1999, based on the story of the 1994 film, Stargate
. Each book was also produced as a book on tape read by David Fox. These were produced by consulting the original notes made by film director Roland Emmerich
, in an attempt to envision where the film "would have gone". Neither party has commented on whether McCay's interpretation was correct. The film's producer, Dean Devlin
, had his own ideas, but he did not bring them to light until interviewed much later, after the publication of all the novels. The subsequent television series Stargate SG-1
was an entirely independent development, making no attempt to reconcile with the plot line of the books. This marked the first major branching of the franchise.
The story continues immediately after the events of the film, with the United States armed forces interested in the mineral that is mined for Ra by the Abydans. As conflict arises in many forms on the planet of Abydos, a new threat comes when other gods from Ra's pantheon (namely Hathor) come looking. Bits of the Ancient Egyptian myth
, The Destruction of Mankind, is acknowledged in the novel's construction.
The first three books form one complete storyline:
The last two continue after the events in the first three books, but move the story forwards by dealing with the Abydonians and the events which happen at the climax of the trilogy.
The book canon of the franchise has been plagued with many differences with the television series Stargate SG-1
. In the books, Ra is the last of his race, and all of his lieutenants (such as Hathor and Ptah) are actually loyal humans who pose as the other Egyptian gods created by Ra to enslave the populace. The movie version of Ra inhabits a human body by possessing the human with his soul, rather than as the parasitic snake as seen in Stargate SG-1.
The books focus more on politics, with budget issues and human rights considerations playing a large role. The book's version of O'Neil is much more of a straight soldier, while Jackson remains the idealistic maverick scientist. The quartz-like mineral (called Naqahdah in Stargate SG-1) remains unnamed. The city that Kasuf and Sha'uri live in is called Nagada and more cities on Abydos are shown. While the first three books focus on the plight of the Abydan (called Abydonian in Stargate SG-1) people and the war between Ra's humans and the humans from Earth, the last two books introduce other worlds and other races.
novels written by Ashley McConnell
from 1998 to 2001. These novels were available only in the United States
. The United Kingdom
-based publisher Fandemonium specialises in Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis
, publishing the first book in 2005. The Stargate SG-1 novels were originally only available in the UK
, Australia
, New Zealand
and South Africa
because the company did not hold a licence to distribute them in North America
but the Stargate Atlantis books are available worldwide. The company's license was later extended to North America in June 2006. All books are written as canon
; that is, they try to recreate the show. MGM reads and approves all the novels.
The company held an open submissions policy in November 2004, inviting fans to submit proposals for a Stargate SG-1 novel. This proved very popular, and the aim was to find good fanfiction writers who would be able to write professional novels. Fandemonium's company runner and chief editor, Sally Malcolm
, started out as a fanfic writer herself. Several future books are works of authors found through this policy. Stargate Atlantis novels continue to be written only by professional authors.
The official Stargate Magazine, produced by Titan Publishing, began publishing short stories written by Fandemonium authors in their 8th issue. The stories alternate between both SG-1 and Atlantis. The magazine is available in the UK and internationally through Diamond Comic Distributors
' Previews catalogue. Thomasina Gibson and Sharon Gosling have written official companion guides for all seasons of Stargate SG-1 (seasons 1 through 8 as two seasons per companion guide) and Stargate Atlantis, published by Titan Books
.
Stepping Through the Stargate: Science, Archaeology, and the Military of Stargate SG-1 is a collection of works which are centered around the science fiction
TV series Stargate SG-1
. The book takes a thoughtful, but light-hearted look at the popular, award-winning television series. It was edited by P. N. Elrod
and Roxanne L. Conrad and published by BenBella Books
in 2004. The book is a non-fiction collection of essays, articles, and personal recollections by cast and crew members, scientists, military experts, and various science fiction writers, all of whom are fans of the show. James Tichenor special effects head of Stargate SG-1 and actor Tom McBeath
(who played Colonel Harry Maybourne) and Stargate comic book writer James Kuhoric. Even an Air Force Colonel were some of many who helped to write the collection of works.
Stargate comics are a series of comic book
s based on the film, Stargate
(1994), and the TV series' Stargate SG-1
and Stargate Atlantis
. The initial comics were tie-in
s with the 1994 film and the later output by Avatar Press
has been based on the two TV series. A series of Stargate film-related comics were published by the independent publishing house Entity Comics between 1996 and 1997, under the creative direction of John Migliore and Bill Maus. Along with a four-part comic book adaptation of the Stargate motion picture and three-part adaption of Bill McCay
's Stargate: Rebellion, Entity Comics also wrote their own continuation of the Stargate film. Stargate: One Nation Under Ra and Stargate: Underworld were later published as a trade paperback titled Stargate: The New Adventures Collection. There has been no official word as to whether or not the comics are canon
.
Stargate audiobooks by Big Finish Productions
, based on the long-running military science fiction
television franchise Stargate
. The "talking books" are each narrated by one of main Stargate characters and feature a second, guest-star voice along with music and sound effects.
to the e-mail address of the official Stargate literature webpage. Known writers need to send their publishing history and a short synopsis
of their planned plot behind the book.
German author Sabine C. Bauer wrote the first Stargate SG-1 novel, entitled Stargate SG-1 Trial By Fire. Bauer first noted the Stargate universe when studying theater in the United States
, when she traveled back to Great Britain
, Stargate SG-1 hadn't premiered yet. So she started to write a Stargate script (which eventually became Trial By Fire). She spent four years writing the book writing a main story arc
for the character Jack O'Neill
. She garnered a few minor awards for her novel and started writing Stargate novels behind the science
idea of quantum physics.
Jamie Duncan and Holly Scott have written two Stargate novels, the first being Stargate SG-1 Siren Song and second being Stargate SG-1 Hydra. Scott has commented on the writing process for the books, saying that she and Duncan both learned "Several things from [...] process" when writing the first book, she felt the most important thing she learnt was "Not to be afraid of revising the draft". She further commented that this became "Very handy" when developing their second book (Hydra), since the first draft of the book needed a lot of work, as she said "We had to learn to whack scenes that just didn't work."
Siren Song is set after the event of Stargate SG-1
episode, "Deadman Switch", while Hydra is set between "Tin Man" and "Shades of Grey". According to Duncan, "Deadman Switch" was a "Relatively stand-alone episode" for the series, which made it possible to make an exciting story and a "Fun secondary character" (Aris Boch) for the book. She further stated that she was able to explore the culture better with the book. Scott called the development of Siren Song a "wonderful challenge". As Scott explained, she has wanted to write stories for many of the Stargate SG-1 characters, but Aris Boch was at the top of her list, she called her experience in writing the book "Remarkable" to create a back story for the character and write new interaction between the character and SG-1.
Hydra followed the events of "Tin Man", and as Duncan puts it, the episode came with an "unanswered question", a "paradox" even. The main focus of the story was how to live with yourself when you knew that you were not the person you felt you were. The story follows the cloned SG-1 team being ripped off from all their "Heroic qualities" and what the differences are between them and the real team. The novel itself is told in multiples of view points, and it jumps back and forth in time. When writing the structure for the novel, they created a chart
. As Duncan puts it, the story could not been "Told in a linear fashion", if they wanted to achieve certain story effects within the plot. So they felt that if the story was going to achieve an "Emotional" status, it needed to be told in a "Non-linear structure". Scott further stated that some of the "Perspective" of the SG-1 members could not been told because of being to "POV" for the book itself.
Steven Savile
, writer of the Shadow series which consists of the books Shadows, Shapshifter and Trickster were released in 2009. These books were written to stand to true to the nature of Stargate SG-1 and its characters. After writing five about vampire
s in three years Savile was looking for a new topic to write about without "Repeating" himself. He then learned that Stargate writer Sally Malcolm
was looking for new writers for the franchise
. After a few E-mail
s with Malcolm he got the job as a Stargate writer. When commenting on how to make a good tie-in novel for the franchise, he said it was "Tricky on a page-by-page level". He further stated that he couldn't create new stories because by the end of the day the Stargate franchise belonged to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
(MGM).
and Lee Goldberg
.
Stargate
Stargate is a adventure military science fiction franchise, initially conceived by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin. The first film in the franchise was simply titled Stargate. It was originally released on October 28, 1994, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco, and became a hit, grossing nearly...
fictional universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
(based on either the original Stargate
Stargate (film)
Stargate is a 1994 American adventure-military science fiction film released through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco Pictures. Created by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, the film is the first release in the Stargate franchise...
film or the Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
, Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
and Stargate Universe
Stargate Universe
Stargate Universe is a Canadian-American military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. It follows the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team traveling on the Ancient spaceship Destiny many billions of light years distant from the Milky Way...
television shows) as well as non-fiction devoted to the franchise. Stargate literary works follow no strict continuity with the series or each other, and are often considered to be non-canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
. This is evident in the fact that there is a period of roughly a year between the original idea for a novel and the finalised product, causing problems for authors as they are unaware as to how the franchise will develop and change during the writing process. Despite this, the editors of Stargate literature function as the medium between the author and the production company.
There are three series of novels based on the Stargate franchise and short fiction has also been published in the official Stargate Magazine. It becomes difficult to discern what is and what is not canonical because much of the literature is based on the canon, whilst some of even this type of work deviates from the main productions, or is later contradicted. There's no official word from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
(MGM) about the canonicity of the Stargate written fiction. MGM does, however, approve each stage of novel's production, from initial outline to final draft. It remains up to the fans' discretion whether or not to accept Stargate literature as part of the combined Stargate universe.
Stargate literature centers on the premise of a "Stargate
Stargate (device)
A Stargate is a portal device within the Stargate fictional universe that allows practical, rapid travel between two distant locations. The devices first appear in the 1994 Roland Emmerich film Stargate, and thereafter in the television series Stargate SG-1 and its spin-offs...
", a ring-shaped alien device that creates a wormhole
Wormhole
In physics, a wormhole is a hypothetical topological feature of spacetime that would be, fundamentally, a "shortcut" through spacetime. For a simple visual explanation of a wormhole, consider spacetime visualized as a two-dimensional surface. If this surface is folded along a third dimension, it...
enabling personal teleportation
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
to complementary devices located cosmic distances away. Under the control of the United States government, the Stargate discovered on Earth is kept a secret from the public. This allows storylines to present no contradiction
Suspension of disbelief
Suspension of disbelief or "willing suspension of disbelief" is a formula for justifying the use of fantastic or non-realistic elements in literary works of fiction...
between depicted events and reality
Reality
In philosophy, reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined. In a wider definition, reality includes everything that is and has been, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible...
, an effect compounded by setting Stargate in the present day
Present day
The term "present day" is used to describe the approximate period of time that surrounds the present. Depending on the context, this period may be as narrow as referring to the immediate moment, or as broad as referring to the current year or decade...
, and depicting Earth accurately, with any unrealistic technology originating solely from alien civilizations. Most of the time, Stargate literature follows SG-1 and the Atlantis flagship team on their journey through different galaxies.
Film novelizations
Dean Devlin
Dean Devlin is an American screenwriter, producer, television director and former actor. He is the founder of the production company Electric Entertainment.-Personal life:...
and Roland Emmerich
Roland Emmerich
Roland Emmerich is a German film director, screenwriter, and producer.His films, most of which are Hollywood productions filmed in English, have grossed more than $3 billion worldwide, more than those of any other European director...
, the novelization of the original film, Stargate
Stargate (film)
Stargate is a 1994 American adventure-military science fiction film released through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco Pictures. Created by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, the film is the first release in the Stargate franchise...
was published by Signet Books, an imprint of Penguin Books
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
, in December 1994. Bill McCay had written a series of five novels continuing the story the original creators had envisioned, despite the success of the Stargate television series. McCay used the official notes by Emmerich to write his books.
A series of five novels written by Bill McCay
Bill McCay
Bill McCay is an American author and has written over seventy books in total. He has written five books for the Stargate franchise. His first Stargate book was released in 1995, two years before the premiere of Stargate SG-1. Because of this, it does not fit with SG-1 or the other Stargate spin...
were published from 1996 to 1999, based on the story of the 1994 film, Stargate
Stargate (film)
Stargate is a 1994 American adventure-military science fiction film released through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco Pictures. Created by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, the film is the first release in the Stargate franchise...
. Each book was also produced as a book on tape read by David Fox. These were produced by consulting the original notes made by film director Roland Emmerich
Roland Emmerich
Roland Emmerich is a German film director, screenwriter, and producer.His films, most of which are Hollywood productions filmed in English, have grossed more than $3 billion worldwide, more than those of any other European director...
, in an attempt to envision where the film "would have gone". Neither party has commented on whether McCay's interpretation was correct. The film's producer, Dean Devlin
Dean Devlin
Dean Devlin is an American screenwriter, producer, television director and former actor. He is the founder of the production company Electric Entertainment.-Personal life:...
, had his own ideas, but he did not bring them to light until interviewed much later, after the publication of all the novels. The subsequent television series Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
was an entirely independent development, making no attempt to reconcile with the plot line of the books. This marked the first major branching of the franchise.
The story continues immediately after the events of the film, with the United States armed forces interested in the mineral that is mined for Ra by the Abydans. As conflict arises in many forms on the planet of Abydos, a new threat comes when other gods from Ra's pantheon (namely Hathor) come looking. Bits of the Ancient Egyptian myth
Egyptian mythology
Ancient Egyptian religion was a complex system of polytheistic beliefs and rituals which were an integral part of ancient Egyptian society. It centered on the Egyptians' interaction with a multitude of deities who were believed to be present in, and in control of, the forces and elements of nature...
, The Destruction of Mankind, is acknowledged in the novel's construction.
The first three books form one complete storyline:
- Stargate: Rebellion (October 1995)
- Stargate: Retaliation (September 1996)
- Stargate: Retribution (October 1997)
The last two continue after the events in the first three books, but move the story forwards by dealing with the Abydonians and the events which happen at the climax of the trilogy.
- Stargate: Reconnaissance (May 1998)
- Stargate: Resistance (October 1999)
The book canon of the franchise has been plagued with many differences with the television series Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
. In the books, Ra is the last of his race, and all of his lieutenants (such as Hathor and Ptah) are actually loyal humans who pose as the other Egyptian gods created by Ra to enslave the populace. The movie version of Ra inhabits a human body by possessing the human with his soul, rather than as the parasitic snake as seen in Stargate SG-1.
The books focus more on politics, with budget issues and human rights considerations playing a large role. The book's version of O'Neil is much more of a straight soldier, while Jackson remains the idealistic maverick scientist. The quartz-like mineral (called Naqahdah in Stargate SG-1) remains unnamed. The city that Kasuf and Sha'uri live in is called Nagada and more cities on Abydos are shown. While the first three books focus on the plight of the Abydan (called Abydonian in Stargate SG-1) people and the war between Ra's humans and the humans from Earth, the last two books introduce other worlds and other races.
Other releases
ROC published four Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
novels written by Ashley McConnell
Ashley McConnell
Ashley McConnell is an American author. Her first novel, Unearthed, was a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers of America...
from 1998 to 2001. These novels were available only in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-based publisher Fandemonium specialises in Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
, publishing the first book in 2005. The Stargate SG-1 novels were originally only available in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
because the company did not hold a licence to distribute them in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
but the Stargate Atlantis books are available worldwide. The company's license was later extended to North America in June 2006. All books are written as canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
; that is, they try to recreate the show. MGM reads and approves all the novels.
The company held an open submissions policy in November 2004, inviting fans to submit proposals for a Stargate SG-1 novel. This proved very popular, and the aim was to find good fanfiction writers who would be able to write professional novels. Fandemonium's company runner and chief editor, Sally Malcolm
Sally Malcolm
Sally Malcolm is a published science fiction author and joint owner and chief editor of the Fandemonium publishing company. She started as a fanfiction writer...
, started out as a fanfic writer herself. Several future books are works of authors found through this policy. Stargate Atlantis novels continue to be written only by professional authors.
The official Stargate Magazine, produced by Titan Publishing, began publishing short stories written by Fandemonium authors in their 8th issue. The stories alternate between both SG-1 and Atlantis. The magazine is available in the UK and internationally through Diamond Comic Distributors
Diamond Comic Distributors
Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. is the largest comic book distributor serving North America. They transport comic books from both big and small comic book publishers, or suppliers, to the retailers. Diamond dominates the direct market in the United States, and has exclusive arrangements with most...
' Previews catalogue. Thomasina Gibson and Sharon Gosling have written official companion guides for all seasons of Stargate SG-1 (seasons 1 through 8 as two seasons per companion guide) and Stargate Atlantis, published by Titan Books
Titan Books
Titan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981. It is based at offices in London, England's Bankside area. The Books Division has two main areas of publishing: film & TV tie-ins/cinema reference books; and graphic novels and comics reference/art titles. The...
.
Stepping Through the Stargate: Science, Archaeology, and the Military of Stargate SG-1 is a collection of works which are centered around the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
TV series Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
. The book takes a thoughtful, but light-hearted look at the popular, award-winning television series. It was edited by P. N. Elrod
P. N. Elrod
Patricia N. Elrod is an American novelist specializing in urban fantasy. She's written in the mystery, romance, paranormal, and historical genres with at least one foray into comedic fantasy. Elrod is also an editor, having worked on several collections for Ace Science Fiction, DAW, Benbella Books,...
and Roxanne L. Conrad and published by BenBella Books
BenBella Books
BenBella Books is an independent publishing house based in Dallas, Texas. Founded by Glenn Yeffeth in 2001, BenBella specializes in non-fiction books on popular culture, health, and nutrition, along with books on science, politics, psychology, and other topics....
in 2004. The book is a non-fiction collection of essays, articles, and personal recollections by cast and crew members, scientists, military experts, and various science fiction writers, all of whom are fans of the show. James Tichenor special effects head of Stargate SG-1 and actor Tom McBeath
Tom McBeath
Tom McBeath is a Canadian actor living in Vancouver, Canada and is the winner of three Jessie Awards. He is best known for playing Harry Maybourne on Stargate SG-1. He is also a stage actor known to take a diverse set of roles.-External links:...
(who played Colonel Harry Maybourne) and Stargate comic book writer James Kuhoric. Even an Air Force Colonel were some of many who helped to write the collection of works.
Stargate comics are a series of comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s based on the film, Stargate
Stargate (film)
Stargate is a 1994 American adventure-military science fiction film released through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco Pictures. Created by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, the film is the first release in the Stargate franchise...
(1994), and the TV series' Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
and Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
. The initial comics were tie-in
Tie-in
A tie-in is an authorized product based on a media property a company is releasing, such as a movie or video/DVD, computer game, video game, television program/television series, board game, web site, role-playing game or literary property...
s with the 1994 film and the later output by Avatar Press
Avatar Press
Avatar Press is an independent American publisher of comic books, founded in 1996 by William A. Christensen, and based in Rantoul, Illinois.Avatar initially published only mini-series; however, they have since begun to branch out...
has been based on the two TV series. A series of Stargate film-related comics were published by the independent publishing house Entity Comics between 1996 and 1997, under the creative direction of John Migliore and Bill Maus. Along with a four-part comic book adaptation of the Stargate motion picture and three-part adaption of Bill McCay
Bill McCay
Bill McCay is an American author and has written over seventy books in total. He has written five books for the Stargate franchise. His first Stargate book was released in 1995, two years before the premiere of Stargate SG-1. Because of this, it does not fit with SG-1 or the other Stargate spin...
's Stargate: Rebellion, Entity Comics also wrote their own continuation of the Stargate film. Stargate: One Nation Under Ra and Stargate: Underworld were later published as a trade paperback titled Stargate: The New Adventures Collection. There has been no official word as to whether or not the comics are canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
.
Stargate audiobooks by Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...
, based on the long-running military science fiction
Military science fiction
Military science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction in which the principal characters are members of a military service and an armed conflict is taking place, normally in space, or on a planet other than Earth...
television franchise Stargate
Stargate
Stargate is a adventure military science fiction franchise, initially conceived by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin. The first film in the franchise was simply titled Stargate. It was originally released on October 28, 1994, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco, and became a hit, grossing nearly...
. The "talking books" are each narrated by one of main Stargate characters and feature a second, guest-star voice along with music and sound effects.
Development
Authors interested in writing a Stargate book need to send a manuscriptManuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
to the e-mail address of the official Stargate literature webpage. Known writers need to send their publishing history and a short synopsis
Summary
A summary, synopsis, or recap is a shorter version of the original. Such a simplification highlights the major points from the much longer subject, such as a text, speech, film, or event...
of their planned plot behind the book.
German author Sabine C. Bauer wrote the first Stargate SG-1 novel, entitled Stargate SG-1 Trial By Fire. Bauer first noted the Stargate universe when studying theater in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, when she traveled back to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, Stargate SG-1 hadn't premiered yet. So she started to write a Stargate script (which eventually became Trial By Fire). She spent four years writing the book writing a main story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
for the character Jack O'Neill
Jack O'Neill
Jonathan J. "Jack" O'Neill is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe, three science fiction shows about military teams exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
. She garnered a few minor awards for her novel and started writing Stargate novels behind the science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
idea of quantum physics.
Jamie Duncan and Holly Scott have written two Stargate novels, the first being Stargate SG-1 Siren Song and second being Stargate SG-1 Hydra. Scott has commented on the writing process for the books, saying that she and Duncan both learned "Several things from [...] process" when writing the first book, she felt the most important thing she learnt was "Not to be afraid of revising the draft". She further commented that this became "Very handy" when developing their second book (Hydra), since the first draft of the book needed a lot of work, as she said "We had to learn to whack scenes that just didn't work."
Siren Song is set after the event of Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
episode, "Deadman Switch", while Hydra is set between "Tin Man" and "Shades of Grey". According to Duncan, "Deadman Switch" was a "Relatively stand-alone episode" for the series, which made it possible to make an exciting story and a "Fun secondary character" (Aris Boch) for the book. She further stated that she was able to explore the culture better with the book. Scott called the development of Siren Song a "wonderful challenge". As Scott explained, she has wanted to write stories for many of the Stargate SG-1 characters, but Aris Boch was at the top of her list, she called her experience in writing the book "Remarkable" to create a back story for the character and write new interaction between the character and SG-1.
Hydra followed the events of "Tin Man", and as Duncan puts it, the episode came with an "unanswered question", a "paradox" even. The main focus of the story was how to live with yourself when you knew that you were not the person you felt you were. The story follows the cloned SG-1 team being ripped off from all their "Heroic qualities" and what the differences are between them and the real team. The novel itself is told in multiples of view points, and it jumps back and forth in time. When writing the structure for the novel, they created a chart
Chart
A chart is a graphical representation of data, in which "the data is represented by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie chart"...
. As Duncan puts it, the story could not been "Told in a linear fashion", if they wanted to achieve certain story effects within the plot. So they felt that if the story was going to achieve an "Emotional" status, it needed to be told in a "Non-linear structure". Scott further stated that some of the "Perspective" of the SG-1 members could not been told because of being to "POV" for the book itself.
Steven Savile
Steven Savile
Steven Savile is a British fantasy, horror and thriller writer, and editor living in Stockholm, Sweden...
, writer of the Shadow series which consists of the books Shadows, Shapshifter and Trickster were released in 2009. These books were written to stand to true to the nature of Stargate SG-1 and its characters. After writing five about vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s in three years Savile was looking for a new topic to write about without "Repeating" himself. He then learned that Stargate writer Sally Malcolm
Sally Malcolm
Sally Malcolm is a published science fiction author and joint owner and chief editor of the Fandemonium publishing company. She started as a fanfiction writer...
was looking for new writers for the franchise
Media franchise
A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters, setting and trademarks of an original work of media , such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. Generally, a whole series is made in a particular medium, along with merchandising and endorsements...
. After a few E-mail
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
s with Malcolm he got the job as a Stargate writer. When commenting on how to make a good tie-in novel for the franchise, he said it was "Tricky on a page-by-page level". He further stated that he couldn't create new stories because by the end of the day the Stargate franchise belonged to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
(MGM).
Reception
The book Stargate Atlantis Exogenesis was nominated in the category "Best speculative fiction novel" in the Scribe awards written by Sonny Whitelaw and Elizabeth Christensen, but did not win the award. Author Elizabeth Christensen won the Scribe award in the category "Best Speculative Original novel" at ComicCon 2008 for her book Stargate Atlantis Casualties of War. The award was organized and presented by the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers (IAMTW) which was founded by Max Allan CollinsMax Allan Collins
Max Allan Collins is an American mystery writer. He has written novels, screenplays, comic books, comic strips, trading cards, short stories, movie novelizations and historical fiction. He wrote the graphic novel Road to Perdition , created the comic book private eye Ms...
and Lee Goldberg
Lee Goldberg
Lee Goldberg is an American author, screenwriter and producer, known for his work on several different TV crime series, including Diagnosis: Murder, A Nero Wolfe Mystery, Hunter, Spenser: For Hire, Martial Law, She-Wolf of London, SeaQuest, 1-800-Missing, The Glades and Monk...
.
Related pages
- List of Stargate literature
- List of Stargate comics
- List of Stargate audiobooks
External links
- Stargate Novels Official Homepage
- Gateworld Reviews of Books
- Stargate audiobooks at bigfinish.com