News

Third Prisoner Novel: Andrew Cartmel's "Miss Freedom" (November 29, 2005)

Andrew Cartmel, former script editor of Doctor Who, will be writing the third in Powys Media's series of Prisoner novels, scheduled for a fall 2006 release.

Miss Freedom tells the story of a special covert unit sent to free Number Six from the Village, in a tale which fuses the jet-set world of Sixties spy-thrillers with the cheerily sinister microcosm of the Village. As with the other Powys Prisoner novels, it is set towards the end of the series.

Cartmel, a longtime fan of The Prisoner, was script editor of Doctor Who during one of its most experimental periods in the late '80s -- during which time the production team wanted to film the story The Happiness Patrol in Portmeirion as a Prisoner homage, though the budget wouldn't allow it...

In related news, the second Prisoner book (The Other) is now scheduled for spring 2006; Lance Parkin has been given extra time to work on his manuscript. Robert Sheckley's previously-announced Prisoner book has also been postponed due to his illness. Meanwhile, The Prisoner's Dilemma has attracted strong reviews and is continuing to sell steadily.

Prisoner Revival Series Announced (November 21, 2005)

As widely reported in the UK press, Granada Television has announced the production of a remake of The Prisoner, for possible airing on Sky in the UK next year. The eight-episode run is being written by long-established TV writer Bill Gallagher (Conviction, Clocking Off). No involvement for Patrick McGoohan has been announced While it will not share the original Prisoner's Pop-art design, or the use of Portmeirion as the Village, producers say it will still take place in "a heightened reality" and remain true to the original's themes of identity and paranoia.

Prisoner's Dilemma Now Available (March 31, 2005)

After three successful launch events in the UK, The Prisoner's Dilemma is now generally available, and has shipped to pre-order customers. Details of the launch events -- including an interview in the Town Hall at the convention in Portmeirion, a live reading in the square, a couple of broadcasts over Village Radio, an impromptu game of Roverball, a signing in The Prisoner Shop and two signings in London -- will be posted shortly.

The US launch will be marked with a book-signing at the I-CON SF convention, on Saturday, April 9th at 1 PM -- featuring Jonathan Blum in his only American convention appearance this year.

While the books should be available at this point through any bookstore, and can definitely be ordered on this site, it's important to let shops know that there's a demand for these books. If you want to order through your local shop, and they have any questions about the book, point them to the Retailer Access page on this site for information!

Portmeirion Book Launch, London Signings Announced (February 24, 2005)

The Prisoner's Dilemma will be formally launched in the UK with a signing / reading event in Portmeirion -- site of the Village -- on Saturday, March 12th at 1 PM. This coincides with the Six Of One Prisoner convention at the hotel that weekend, but is not a convention-only event -- it's open to all visitors. Authors Jonathan Blum and Rupert Booth, and editor Mateo Latosa, will also be around the village all weekend -- being interviewed in the convention, chatting with day-visitors, possibly staging extra impromptu readings for all comers in the Village surroundings.

A number of UK signing events with Blum, Booth, and Latosa are also planned for the next week. Two are confirmed so far: at Who Shop International in East Ham, London at 2 PM on Saturday March 19th (Patrick McGoohan's birthday, and also Number 6's), and at Tenth Planet in Barking, London at 12 PM on Sunday March 20th.

Further signings elsewhere in the UK have yet to be confirmed. A US launch event is tenatively planned for I-CON on Long Island, the weekend of April 8th, and possibly an Australian one once Blum is back in the country, but neither is official at this point. Any local Prisoner fan groups who would be interested in meeting the authors around that time, please contact Powys to see if an event in your area can be arranged!

Prisoner's Dilemma Now Available For Ordering (January 26, 2005)

The first Prisoner novel is now available for pre-ordering; copies ordered on the website are expected to ship at the end of March. Even if your local store doesn't have the book on its shelves, ask for it; they should be able to order copies in.

This first novel -- a 327-page trade paperback of about 120,000 words -- is available for $14.95 on this website. The UK list price will be £9.99, and the Australian list price is $27.95. Full-scale UK and Australian distribution are not settled yet, but specialist SF shops in both countries are being contacted to ensure they can have the books imported immediately upon release.

J. Michael Straczynski To Write Introduction (June 25, 2004)

The man behind Babylon 5, longtime Prisoner admirer J. Michael Straczynski, has agreed to do the introduction for the first of the new Prisoner novels. "I can't count the number of times I've watched the Prisoner over the years," says Straczynski; "It's one of the best series ever made."

Trade Paperback To Precede Hardback (June 25, 2004)

In order to speed the release of the standard trade-paperback edition of the novel, so it can tie in with the current repeat seasons, Powys has decided to defer the planned limited-edition autographed hardback of The Prisoner's Dilemma. The hardback is still expected to go ahead at a later date, as part of a special package including additional material; details have yet to be determined.

Powys policy is not to confirm an exact release date for any title until they're absolutely certain the book will be ready to go on that date; however, the overall plan is to release one Prisoner novel approximately every six months.

Prisoner Reruns Back On The Air (May 27, 2004)

The BBC has announced that The Prisoner will be repeated as part of its Summer In The Sixties schedule on the satellite channel BBC Four, starting Friday June 11. For American viewers, the series will screen on the BBC America cable channel starting July 9.

While the release of The Prisoner's Dilemma has been put back (pending final approvals), Powys is now planning a late-summer release to tie in with the reruns on both continents.

Prisoner's Dilemma Author Wins Best Australian SF Novel (Apr. 12, 2004)

Congratulations to Jonathan Blum, co-author of the first Powys Prisoner novel, and his wife Kate Orman for winning the Aurealis Award for Best Australian SF Novel for 2003 for their Doctor Who book Fallen Gods!

The Aurealis is Australia's equivalent of the Nebula Award, judged by a panel of SF professionals. Fallen Gods was also nominated for a Ditmar Award, the Australian version of the Hugo, voted on by SF fans. The book has nearly sold out its print run, but copies are still available from Telos Publications.

The Prisoner's Dilemma is Blum's next novel; meanwhile, Orman is working on original novel proposals of her own.

Robert Sheckley To Write Prisoner Novel (Jan. 28, 2004)

Nebula Award recipient and long-time Prisoner fan Robert Sheckley is now scheduled to write a Prisoner novel for release in early 2005. Sheckley, a pioneer of comic SF who has been writing for more than fifty years, has worked with everyone from Roger Zelazny to the producers of Captain Video. (A special edition of Robert's book In A Land Of Clear Colors is about to be published by Powys.) His Prisoner book will come fourth or fifth in the line, and promises to give Number 6 an adventure in Sheckley's trademark surrealist, satirical style.

This makes three straight award-winning authors announced for the Prisoner series -- though Sheckley's Nebula is in rather a different league from the other two!

Preview Panel At Gallifrey Convention (Jan. 28, 2004)

Editor Mateo Latosa and authors Jonathan Blum and Robert Sheckley hosted a presentation on the Prisoner books at the Gallifrey One convention in Los Angeles, on February 13-16. The Powys team discussed their aims for the series, and supplied teasers for the forthcoming books...

Limited Edition Hardback Of First Novel Announced (Feb. 19, 2004)

In addition to the regular trade paperback release, a limited numbered edition of 250 hardback copies of The Prisoner's Dilemma will be produced. These books will be autographed by the authors of both the book and its introduction. More details will be announced when the book becomes available for pre-order.

The estimated price of the hardbacks is $30. As the first book is planned to total around 115,000 words, including the introduction, this will be a fairly substantial volume.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What's Patrick McGoohan's role in all this?
While Mr. McGoohan's participation and approval would of course be very welcome, it is in fact Granada Television rather than Mr. McGoohan who own and control intellectual and commercial rights to The Prisoner.
Nevertheless, through the proper channels Powys has offered Mr. McGoohan the opportunity to oversee the line should he decide to do so -- we've invited him him to give input on the proposals and manuscripts, and we're sending him the draft manuscripts of the novels for his feedback. No reply has yet been received.

2. How many books are you planning?
We like the number six.

3. How can I submit?
Never submit.
If you're talking about submitting a novel proposal, get your agent to talk to us. Unfortunately, any unsolicited submissions will have to be returned unread.

4. So when are the books set?
Late in the series, before the final episodes. Unless there's something to be gained by setting one elsewhere. As with the episodes themselves, they shouldn't rely too heavily on one another -- but you'll see a more interesting picture when you look at them as a whole.

5. Any chance that we'll see previous Number Twos return?
It's possible, but it's not a priority.

6. So who is Number One? Which side runs the village? Why did Number Six resign? Is he John Drake? What's it all about?
Answers are a prison for oneself.
We may suggest some possibilities in the books, but we're far more interested in starting debates than ending them. And over the past thirty-five years, there have been plenty of developments in our society which lend themselves to Prisoner</i>esque examination; there are all sorts of new questions to ask and mull over. There are new threats, new moral dilemmas, new battle lines being drawn.