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Maximum Power!
Maximum Power! is a new(ish) Blake’s 7 programme guide, telling the full untold story (aside from all the other books) most of which we made up, about this fantastic, ridiculous, fun and silly BBC TV hit series.
What you can’t learn from this book you could fit in a matchbox. Spray it silver. Stick a ping pong ball on it. Some staples. The nozzle from a glue bottle. Tie a bit of string to the top, dangle it from a light fitting and call it a Zeta Class pursuit ship .
With a foreword from second Federation trooper on the left (uncredited) Harry 'Aitch' Fielder, this book is set to break new sales records for Blake’s 7 merchandise. We might just shift more than twenty of them.
100% of authors' proceeds from this book will be donated to benefit Motor Neurone Disease.
What you can’t learn from this book you could fit in a matchbox. Spray it silver. Stick a ping pong ball on it. Some staples. The nozzle from a glue bottle. Tie a bit of string to the top, dangle it from a light fitting and call it a Zeta Class pursuit ship .
With a foreword from second Federation trooper on the left (uncredited) Harry 'Aitch' Fielder, this book is set to break new sales records for Blake’s 7 merchandise. We might just shift more than twenty of them.
100% of authors' proceeds from this book will be donated to benefit Motor Neurone Disease.
337 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2012
1 person is currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Matthew West
49 books85 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 24, 2012
I love a book which makes me laugh out loud. This is irreverent, yet a great reference at the same time. It rekindles your love for Blake's 7 (and don't we all inherently love B7?) and at the same time allows you to laugh at the absurdities and failings of the series. The book contains a review of all 64 episodes (I dare you to read it and without looking at wikipedia say which are the "other" 12!) along with memorable quotes and hors series items. I loved it and it's for charity - so don't be shy!!
July 3, 2014
Okay, for those of you who don’t already know, Miwk is a new genre publisher that has published two books, with quite a few more on the way. First up is the beautifully irreverant yet affectionate Maximum Power! - poking fun at a series we all love: Blake’s 7.
The first thing you notice about this book is the attention to detail. Unlike certain other small publishers out there, the paper quality is good, the design is excellent and you get the distinct impression that real care has been taken over the end product. The cover is a lovely homage to the early Blake’s 7 novels, and the faux-battered look is the finishing touch. Add to this the wonderful extras you get with it and you definitely ‘feel the love’… (the ‘Sorry We Missed You’ card is a particular delight)
So, having marvelled at the attention to outward detail, we start having a read. The complete and unauthorised guide to all 64 episodes? Hang on, weren’t there only 52? And I bet you’ve never heard of the two film treatments that didn’t quite get made, the Japanese remake or the short-lived spin off series; Space Commander Travis. I’d love to say the research into this book has been phenomenal however I’m pretty sure some of the information here is fairly spurious are blatant fibs!
The episode guide itself is hilarious – best read I would say as a ‘DVD commentary’ to each story but with plenty there for the casual reader. Categories include Opening and Closing Shots, Random Insult, Delightful Dialogue, Amateur Hour and Terrynation Street. One of my favourite guest cast lists (The Web) manages to include the official actors alongside Janine Wood (Claire), Joan Sanderson (Eleanor) and Jonathan Newth (Russell) who, for anyone who doesn’t know, are members of the cast of ITV and Radio 4 sitcom, After Henry! It’s important that you read everything on each page, as the authors have sneaked gags in everywhere.
If you’re a Doctor Who fan as well which, let’s face it, you probably are if you’re into Blake’s 7, then there are plenty of references in here for you too. The ludicrous A-Z at the back holds a particular favourite:
Kerril: Female mercenary. Distraught by her break-up with Vila Restal, she underwent gender reassignment surgery and joined the crew of Storm Mine 4 with tragic consequences.
I won’t say anymore about the content other than I’ve laughed a lot reading this book and can highly recommend it to anyone with a warped sense of humour, who thinks niche books full of obscure references poking fun at thirty-four year old cult TV shows are funny. And all the authors proceeds are going to charity – so buy it now!
The first thing you notice about this book is the attention to detail. Unlike certain other small publishers out there, the paper quality is good, the design is excellent and you get the distinct impression that real care has been taken over the end product. The cover is a lovely homage to the early Blake’s 7 novels, and the faux-battered look is the finishing touch. Add to this the wonderful extras you get with it and you definitely ‘feel the love’… (the ‘Sorry We Missed You’ card is a particular delight)
So, having marvelled at the attention to outward detail, we start having a read. The complete and unauthorised guide to all 64 episodes? Hang on, weren’t there only 52? And I bet you’ve never heard of the two film treatments that didn’t quite get made, the Japanese remake or the short-lived spin off series; Space Commander Travis. I’d love to say the research into this book has been phenomenal however I’m pretty sure some of the information here is fairly spurious are blatant fibs!
The episode guide itself is hilarious – best read I would say as a ‘DVD commentary’ to each story but with plenty there for the casual reader. Categories include Opening and Closing Shots, Random Insult, Delightful Dialogue, Amateur Hour and Terrynation Street. One of my favourite guest cast lists (The Web) manages to include the official actors alongside Janine Wood (Claire), Joan Sanderson (Eleanor) and Jonathan Newth (Russell) who, for anyone who doesn’t know, are members of the cast of ITV and Radio 4 sitcom, After Henry! It’s important that you read everything on each page, as the authors have sneaked gags in everywhere.
If you’re a Doctor Who fan as well which, let’s face it, you probably are if you’re into Blake’s 7, then there are plenty of references in here for you too. The ludicrous A-Z at the back holds a particular favourite:
Kerril: Female mercenary. Distraught by her break-up with Vila Restal, she underwent gender reassignment surgery and joined the crew of Storm Mine 4 with tragic consequences.
I won’t say anymore about the content other than I’ve laughed a lot reading this book and can highly recommend it to anyone with a warped sense of humour, who thinks niche books full of obscure references poking fun at thirty-four year old cult TV shows are funny. And all the authors proceeds are going to charity – so buy it now!
January 18, 2022
A demented and often very funny reference guide/pisstake of all things Blake’s 7. Maximum Power! features an episode guide with some made up episodes (and a real one is missing, see if you can spot), treatments for films and plot synopses for various spin-offs, a Japanese remake, video games and breakfast cereals, none of which exist. Highlights include a road safety video transcript featuring Sally Knyvette and a rubbish acronym.
Once you move past the episode guide the joke does threaten to wear thin, but a decent laugh out loud gag is rarely far away and the book was published (and republished) for good causes. If you’re familiar with the series and the book is in print, it’s worth picking up.
Actual rating: 3.5.
Once you move past the episode guide the joke does threaten to wear thin, but a decent laugh out loud gag is rarely far away and the book was published (and republished) for good causes. If you’re familiar with the series and the book is in print, it’s worth picking up.
Actual rating: 3.5.
October 23, 2015
Okay, for those of you who don’t already know, Miwk is a new genre publisher that has published two books, with quite a few more on the way. First up is the beautifully irreverant yet affectionate Maximum Power! - poking fun at a series we all love: Blake’s 7.
The first thing you notice about this book is the attention to detail. Unlike certain other small publishers out there, the paper quality is good, the design is excellent and you get the distinct impression that real care has been taken over the end product. The cover is a lovely homage to the early Blake’s 7 novels, and the faux-battered look is the finishing touch. Add to this the wonderful extras you get with it and you definitely ‘feel the love’… (the ‘Sorry We Missed You’ card is a particular delight)
So, having marvelled at the attention to outward detail, we start having a read. The complete and unauthorised guide to all 64 episodes? Hang on, weren’t there only 52? And I bet you’ve never heard of the two film treatments that didn’t quite get made, the Japanese remake or the short-lived spin off series; Space Commander Travis. I’d love to say the research into this book has been phenomenal however I’m pretty sure some of the information here is fairly spurious are blatant fibs!
The episode guide itself is hilarious – best read I would say as a ‘DVD commentary’ to each story but with plenty there for the casual reader. Categories include Opening and Closing Shots, Random Insult, Delightful Dialogue, Amateur Hour and Terrynation Street. One of my favourite guest cast lists (The Web) manages to include the official actors alongside Janine Wood (Claire), Joan Sanderson (Eleanor) and Jonathan Newth (Russell) who, for anyone who doesn’t know, are members of the cast of ITV and Radio 4 sitcom, After Henry! It’s important that you read everything on each page, as the authors have sneaked gags in everywhere.
If you’re a Doctor Who fan as well which, let’s face it, you probably are if you’re into Blake’s 7, then there are plenty of references in here for you too. The ludicrous A-Z at the back holds a particular favourite:
Kerril: Female mercenary. Distraught by her break-up with Vila Restal, she underwent gender reassignment surgery and joined the crew of Storm Mine 4 with tragic consequences.
I won’t say anymore about the content other than I’ve laughed a lot reading this book and can highly recommend it to anyone with a warped sense of humour, who thinks niche books full of obscure references poking fun at thirty-four year old cult TV shows are funny. And all the authors proceeds are going to charity – so buy it now!
The first thing you notice about this book is the attention to detail. Unlike certain other small publishers out there, the paper quality is good, the design is excellent and you get the distinct impression that real care has been taken over the end product. The cover is a lovely homage to the early Blake’s 7 novels, and the faux-battered look is the finishing touch. Add to this the wonderful extras you get with it and you definitely ‘feel the love’… (the ‘Sorry We Missed You’ card is a particular delight)
So, having marvelled at the attention to outward detail, we start having a read. The complete and unauthorised guide to all 64 episodes? Hang on, weren’t there only 52? And I bet you’ve never heard of the two film treatments that didn’t quite get made, the Japanese remake or the short-lived spin off series; Space Commander Travis. I’d love to say the research into this book has been phenomenal however I’m pretty sure some of the information here is fairly spurious are blatant fibs!
The episode guide itself is hilarious – best read I would say as a ‘DVD commentary’ to each story but with plenty there for the casual reader. Categories include Opening and Closing Shots, Random Insult, Delightful Dialogue, Amateur Hour and Terrynation Street. One of my favourite guest cast lists (The Web) manages to include the official actors alongside Janine Wood (Claire), Joan Sanderson (Eleanor) and Jonathan Newth (Russell) who, for anyone who doesn’t know, are members of the cast of ITV and Radio 4 sitcom, After Henry! It’s important that you read everything on each page, as the authors have sneaked gags in everywhere.
If you’re a Doctor Who fan as well which, let’s face it, you probably are if you’re into Blake’s 7, then there are plenty of references in here for you too. The ludicrous A-Z at the back holds a particular favourite:
Kerril: Female mercenary. Distraught by her break-up with Vila Restal, she underwent gender reassignment surgery and joined the crew of Storm Mine 4 with tragic consequences.
I won’t say anymore about the content other than I’ve laughed a lot reading this book and can highly recommend it to anyone with a warped sense of humour, who thinks niche books full of obscure references poking fun at thirty-four year old cult TV shows are funny. And all the authors proceeds are going to charity – so buy it now!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews