The book , which has absolutely no connection with the TV series, is titled The Doomsday Planet and was written by American mechanical engineer and science fiction writer, Harl Vincent, and first published in 1966.
The cover photo shows the XL5 toy, which is supposed to be the space'ether'ship, 'Meteoric' on collision course with the titular Doomsday Planet.
Photo credit: Unknown
Photo credit: Unknown
I can't honestly say I feel particularly nostalgic about the MPC toy, as I think it was something that was only available to the American market, presumably because Fireball XL5 was networked across the USA at the time. I certainly don't remember seeing it on sale in the U.K., but it would have been something I would have loved to have owned.
That's a cracking paperback find, Scoop, especially for the MPC XL5 cover. Well spotted! I've not seen it before. The MPC XL5 is one of my all time fave vintage toys. Like yourself, I'd love to have had one as a lad. I agree, I don't think they were sold over here. I certainly can't recall ever seeing them. I think my first blog contribution was actually about this toy.
ReplyDeletehttp://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2015/11/tony-ks-mpc-toy-fireball-xl5.html
Yes, its a nice curiosity. It's not a particularly rare book, there's plenty of them about with this cover, although there's at least two other covers I'm aware of. Although it was published in the mid sixties, its very much a story left over from the fifties, not that that's a bad thing.
DeleteOddly enough, I've seen the MPC toy and the wonderful XL5 set at several toy fairs in relatively recent times, but I've always passed on it. Maybe I should re-evaluate my position. :)
Nice find Scoop. A great and tangential connection and the sort of thing I love. Oddly enough, we had that cover on MC in 2012 but it largely went unnoticed back then https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2012/11/vintage-toys-on-book-covers-ii.html
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Woodsy. I'm afraid I don't recall seeing that post at the time, but it's nice to know it's had a mention.
DeleteOddly enough, for some reason the paperback itself has had several reprints. I can't think why as it's no masterpiece, packed with fifties themes, although I suspect Harl Vincent may have some cult status as he wrote a lot of pulp sci-fi for various magazines during the thirties and early forties.
He wrote, 'The Doomsday Planet', his only novel, late in his publishing career, following a break from writing.
A second-hand version with the Fireball cover is actually available on Amazon along with a reprinted 2003 version.
Great cover Scoop.
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen that one over here. I go to the used bookstores pretty regular, searching for the old paperbacks with the great covers. When I was young and Fireball was playing on American TV (around 1964 or 1965) my next door friend got the Fireball XL 5 playset pictured. It was great! So I hinted (or so I thought)since my birthday was coming up. I got the Marx Cape Canaveral playset! Still a great space playset, but have always wanted the Fireball set to this day
Jim
Henderson NV
Ah, the Marx Cape Canaveral play set, I remember that. Wasn't it the one with a curved spring-loaded launch pad and gantry, complete with figures, and a set of rockets. I did have one of those which I found at a church jumble sale when I was a kid. Great stuff.
ReplyDelete