Battlestar Galactica (1970s) / Galactica 1980
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BATTLESTAR GALACTICA / GALACTICA 1980
60 Minute Drama
Science Fiction

ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION
1978 — 1979
1980

BROADCASTER
ABC

SEASONS / EPISODES
1 Season / 24 Episodes
1 Season / 10 Episodes

DVD RELEASES
UK (Region 2 / PAL)

United States (Region 1 / NTSC)
Battlestar Galactica was created by Glen A Larson (Knight Rider / Buck Rogers in the 25th Century / Street Hawk) and told the tale of the last remnants of humanity who were searching for the lost planet of Earth after their own worlds were destroyed by the robotic Cylons.

The main stars were Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict (best known as Face in The A-Team) who played hot-shot pilots Apollo and Starbuck, the former being the son of Commander Adama, played by Lorne Greene.

The series was cancelled after just one season and is now generally regarded as one of the greatest TV turkeys of all time.

Bizarrely, it was resurrected the following year in the form of Galactica 1980 which was set some years after the original series, as evidenced by the fact that Lorne Greene now sported a beard and all the rest of the cast were missing.

The revival saw the Galactica finally tracking down the "lost colony" of Earth (in reality a desperate attempt to keep costs down), but sadly its ten hours of screen time were about nine too many for most people as the only one of any note was the final one, The Return of Starbuck.

More recently the series has been revived in a more hard-edged version for the US Sci-Fi Channel to great critical acclaim, with Richard Hatch guest-starring in a number of episodes as Tom Zarek. See Battlestar Galactica (2000s).
Novelisations
Battlestar Galactica

Battlestar Galactica cover image
by Glen A Larson and Robert Thurston
  • USA
  • Paperback
  • Berkley
  • 1978
Novelised Episodes
Saga of a Star World
Other Editions
Battlestar Galactica
Click for cover image USA / Hardback / Berkley / 1978 (Book Club edition)
Click for cover image UK / Paperback / Futura / 1978 (contains ten pages of photos)
Click for cover image UK / Paperback / Futura / 1978
Click for cover image UK / Paperback / Titan / 1988 / No 1

Battlestar Galactica: Saga of a Star World.
Click for cover image USA / Paperback / I Books / 2005

Kampfstern Galactica
Click for cover image Germany / Paperback / Goldmann / 1978

Galactica: La Bataille de L'espace
Click for cover image France / Hardback / Laffont / 1979
Click for cover image France / Paperback / J'ai Lu / 1980

Battaglie Nella Galassia
Click for cover image Italy / Paperback / Pandora / 1979
Back Cover Blurb — Berkley (1978)
Zac and Apollo are brothers — and rivals — in the ultimate adventure, as humankind's heroic star-fighter crews battle the alien Cylon for control of the known galaxy! BATTLESTAR GALACTICA is an epic multi-media event: the triumphant ABC-TV spectacular with the most expensive special effects ever produced, designed by Oscar-winning genius John Dykstra...and a powerful science fiction novel, a gripping space-war saga of interstellar adventure!

Back Cover Blurb — Titan Books
At the end of a bloody thousand year war against an invincible enemy, the surviving remnants of humanity assemble on their only remaining warship — the Battlestar Galactica.

Bound by a common hope, the survivors must journey across time and space in search of a legendary sanctuary...Earth.
Notes
  • Saga of Star World was the three-hour opening episode to the series. The basic plot was used as the basis for the 2003 mini-series which was novelised by Jeffrey Carver in 2005 as Battlestar Galactica.
  • Battlestar Galactica was also included in the Battlestar Galactica Classic omnibus from I Books. An edited version of the book was released in the form of the Battlestar Galactica Storybook.
Battlestar Galactica Storybook

Battlestar Galactica Storybook cover image
by Glen A Larson and Robert Thurston
Story adapted by Charles Mercer
  • UK
  • Hardback
  • Brown Watson
  • 1978
Novelised Episodes
Saga of a Star World
Other Editions
Click for cover image USA / Paperback / Scholastic / 1979
Notes
  • Saga of Star World was the three-hour opening episode to the series.
  • The Battlestar Galactica Storybook is an edited version of the first novelisation accompanied by a large number of colour photographs.
Battlestar Galactica: The Cylon Death Machine

The Cylon Death Machine cover image
by Glen A Larson and Robert Thurston
  • USA
  • Paperback
  • Berkley
  • 1979
  • Book Number: 2
Novelised Episodes
Gun on Ice Planet Zero, Part One / Gun on Ice Planet Zero, Part Two
Other Editions
The Cylon Death Machine
Click for cover image UK / Paperback / Futura / 1979
Click for cover image UK / Paperback / Titan Books / 1988 / No 2

Kampfstern Galactica: Die Todesmaschine von Cylon
Click for cover image Germany / Paperback / Goldmann / 1979 / 2
Back Cover Blurb — Titan Books
Hounded by the Cylon fleet, the battlestar Galactica is being pushed into range of an awesome weapon of destruction. The Galactica's only hope lies in a team of tactical experts and hardened criminals led by Viper pilots, Apollo and Starbuck. Their mission — to infiltrate Cylon outpost Tairac and destroy the weapon before the Galactica is ripped apart!
Notes
Battlestar Galactica: The Tombs of Kobol

The Tombs of Kobol cover image
by Glen A Larson and Robert Thurston
  • USA
  • Paperback
  • Berkley
  • 1979
  • Book Number: 3
Novelised Episodes
Lost Planet of the Gods, Part One / Lost Planet of the Gods, Part Two
Other Editions
The Tombs of Kobol
Click for cover image UK / Paperback / Titan Books / 1988 / No 3
Click for cover image USA / Paperback / I Books / 2003 / Book 2

Kampfstern Galactica: Die Gräber von Kobol
Click for cover image Germany / Paperback / Goldmann / 1982 / 3
Back Cover Blurb — Berkley / Titan Books
As the vast and gallant Galactica plunges into the terrifying emptiness of the Great Void, one crew-member has been left behind. Starbuck! Sent on a dangerous scouting mission, he has been lured into a trap by a renegade human-robot team who have an even more dangerous mission for him — betray humankind to the Cylon invaders! Destroy the starfleet of his friends in the incredible battle by the ancient tombs that hold the final secret of the Lost Planet "Earth"!

Back Cover Blurb — ibooks
Female pilots must step into the breach when an unknown virus strikes down the Viper Corps, leaving only Apollo and Starbuck untouched. The Galactica reaches the planet Kobol in search of a clue to the location of Earth — but attaining such knowledge will come with a heavy price...
Notes
  • Despite the fact that the Titan Books edition lists The Young Warriors as being available, the book was never actually released in the UK.
Battlestar Galactica: The Young Warriors

The Young Warriors cover image
by Glen A Larson and Robert Thurston
  • USA
  • Paperback
  • Berkley
  • 1980
  • Book Number: 4
Novelised Episodes
The Young Lords
Other Editions
The Young Warriors
Click for cover image USA / Paperback / I Books / 2003 / Book 3

Kampfstern Galactica: Die Jungen Krieger
Click for cover image Germany / Paperback / Goldmann / 1983 / 4
Back Cover Blurb — Berkley
Marooned! Starbuck didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Sure, he was sick of war...but he also didn't want to spend the rest of his life stranded on this hunk of rock where he had crashed. It was too much for an adventure-loving skypilot to stand!

Then he met Miri, riding like the wind on her thinking unicorn, and agreed to lead her band of guerilla kids in their war against the Cylon killer robots...
Battlestar Galactica: Galactica Discovers Earth

Galactica Discovers Earth cover image
by Glen A Larson and Michael Resnick
  • USA
  • Paperback
  • Berkley
  • 1980
  • Book Number: 5
Novelised Episodes
Galactica Discover Earth
Other Editions
Kampfstern Galactica: Die Entdeckung der Erde
Click for cover image Germany / Paperback / Goldmann / 1983 / 5
Back Cover Blurb — Berkley
Galactica was trapped! A Cylon warfleet was lurking just a lightjump away. And Earth — hopelessly primitive! — was completely unaware that the renegade Xavier was rearranging history to make the planet into his private empire...

Only Captain Troy and Lieutenant Dillon knew just how dangerous Earth's predicament was. And if they had to save the ancient homeworld single-handedly — well, that was a warrior's job!
Notes
  • Galactica Discovers Earth is the three-part opening episode of Galactica 1980. No other novelisations based on the sequel series were ever released, and the original novels also steer well clear of the subject.
Battlestar Galactica: The Living Legend

The Living Legend cover image
by Glen A Larson and Nicholas Yermakov
  • USA
  • Paperback
  • Berkley
  • 1982
  • Book Number: 6
Novelised Episodes
The Living Legend, Part One / The Living Legend, Part Two
Other Editions
Kampfstern Galactica: Zu Lebzeiten Legende
Click for cover image Germany / Paperback / Goldmann / 1984 / 6
Back Cover Blurb — Berkley
A great warrior has returned to lead Galactica against its biggest challenge yet! Commander Cain, living legend of the cosmos, is marshalling his forces for a desperate counterattack against the Cylon marauders led by the ruthless Baltar. Yet, the young warriors at the beseiged battlestar wonder: is the mythical "Juggernaut" really a military genius — or just an eccentric despot made crazy by the wounds of time?
Notes
  • The two-part story The Living Legend has also been edited together as a feature-length TV movie under the title Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack. The basic storyline re-emerged in 2005/6 in the new Battlestar Galactica series in the episodes Pegasus and the two-part Resurrection Ship.
Battlestar Galactica: War of the Gods

War of the Gods cover image
by Glen A Larson and Nicholas Yermakov
  • USA
  • Paperback
  • Berkley
  • 1982
  • Book Number: 7
Novelised Episodes
War of the Gods, Part One / War of the Gods, Part Two
Other Editions
Kampfstern Galactica: Krieg der Götter
Click for cover image Germany / Paperback / Goldmann / 1984 / 7
Back Cover Blurb — Berkley
Cruising through a void of perilous cosmic forces and merciless marauders, the Galactica find a miraculous superhuman to guide it through the endless night. His name is Count Iblis. His powers are more awesome than any that humankind has ever encountered before.

The crew of the great Battlestar — especially the beautiful Sheba — lives in thrall of Iblis until they discover that their godlike savior conceals a diabolical secret. Until they learn that the most devestating weapon in his arsenal is...themselves!
Battlestar Galactica: Greetings from Earth

Greetings from Earth cover image
by Glen A Larson and Ron Goulart
  • USA
  • Paperback
  • Berkley
  • 1983
  • Book Number: 8
Novelised Episodes
Greetings from Earth
Other Editions
Kampfstern Galactica: Grüße von der Erde
Click for cover image Germany / Paperback / Goldmann / 1984 / 8
Back Cover Blurb — Berkley
In the vast emptiness of space, the Galactica at last makes the long-awaited contact — a spaceship of fellow humans from Earth! The Council wants to keep them under observation, but Apollo sets out with the Earthlings on a secret and perilous mission toward their destination, the planet Paradeen, that battleground of space giants where he must confront the old enemy — the Cylons — and the new — the awesome Alliance — and make it back to Galactica!
Battlestar Galactica: Experiment in Terra

Experiment in Terra cover image
by Glen A Larson and Ron Goulart
  • USA
  • Paperback
  • Berkley
  • 1984
  • Book Number: 9
Novelised Episodes
Experiment in Terra / Baltar's Escape
Other Editions
Kampfstern Galactica: Verschollen im Chaos
Click for cover image Germany / Paperback / Goldmann / 1985 / 9
Back Cover Blurb — Berkley
When the ruling council of the Galactica strips Adama of his powers of supreme command, the mighty ship is thrown into chaos. As if being caught in the middle of an all-out space war wasn't enough, Baltar has escaped and is streaking across the galaxy to his Cylon allies!
Battlestar Galactica: The Long Patrol

The Long Patrol cover image
by Glen A Larson and Ron Goulart
  • USA
  • Paperback
  • Berkley
  • 1984
  • Book Number: 10
Novelised Episodes
The Long Patrol
Other Editions
Kampfstern Galactica: Wächter in der Zeit
Click for cover image Germany / Paperback / Goldmann / 1985 / 10
Back Cover Blurb — Berkley
Starbuck discovers one of the strangest worlds in the galaxy when he sets out in an unarmed Viper for the prison planet Proteus. There he encounters a gorgeous Ambrosia smuggler, a headstrong computer named Cora, and a fleet of Cylon warships with deadly orders from their Imperious Leader — Destroy the Galactica!
Original Novels
Battlestar Galactica: The Nightmare Machine

The Nightmare Machine cover image
by Glen A Larson and Robert Thurston
  • USA
  • Paperback
  • Berkle
  • 1985
  • Book Number: 11
Other Editions
Kampfstern Galactica: Die Teufelsmaschine
Click for cover image Germany / Paperback / Goldmann / 1985 / 11
Back Cover Blurb — Berkley
When a missing Viper pilot returns to the Galactica, the mighty starship is infected by a mysterious form of madness. The evil Baltar and his cybernetic Cylon ally Lucifer have programmed the Galactica's crew to carry out one final order — self destruction — and it's up to Apollo, Starbuck, and Boomer to discover a cure before the alien intruders succeed in their ruthless plot!
Battlestar Galactica: Die, Chameleon!

Die, Chameleon! cover image
by Glen A Larson and Robert Thurston
  • USA
  • Paperback
  • Berkley
  • 1986
  • Book Number: 12
Other Editions
Kampfstern Galactica: Stirb, Chamäleon
Click for cover image Germany / Paperback / Goldmann / 1987 / 12
Back Cover Blurb — Berkley
A mutiny is raging aboard the fleet ship Eureka. A group of terrorists, intent on abandoning the Galactica caravan, have hijacked the ship — holding Apollo, Croft and Chameleon hostage. And while Starbuck attempts a most deadly rescue mission, the villainous Crutch toys with Chameleon's life — and the devastating truth about Chameleon's past is revealed!
Battlestar Galactica: Apollo's War

Apollo's War cover image
by Glen A Larson and Robert Thurston
  • USA
  • Paperback
  • Berkley
  • 1987
  • Book Number: 13
Other Editions
Kampfstern Galactica: Apollos Krieg
Click for cover image Germany / Paperback / Goldmann / 1987 / 13
Back Cover Blurb — Berkley
The beautiful planet Yevra is being ravaged by a decades-old conflict, a war that has gone on for so long no one can remember its cause. Lured to the planet by the promise of provisions for the Galactica fleet, Apollo, Croft and Sheba are captured. Quickly forged into a fighting unit, they are cannon-fodder in a war not their own. Apollo struggles to keep his comrades alive in the heat of battle — and wonders if he will ever see the Battlestar Galactica again!
Battlestar Galactica: Surrender the Galactica!

Surrender the Galactica! cover image
by Glen A Larson and Robert Thurston
  • USA
  • Paperback
  • Berkley
  • 1988
  • Book Number: 14
Other Editions
Kampfstern Galactica: Übergebt die Galactica
Click for cover image Germany / Paperback / Goldmann / 1988 / 14
Back Cover Blurb — Berkley
Apollo and Starbuck have been chosen to test-run the new SuperViper, the most awesome ship ever created to help wipe their enemies from space. But the deadliest enemy is among them, as a ruthless traitor plots to destroy the fleet from within. A Cylon assassin is on the loose somewhere on the Galactica — and Boxey is missing!
Battlestar Galactica: Armageddon

Armageddon cover image
by Richard Hatch and Christopher Golden
  • USA
  • Hardback
  • Pocket Books
  • 1997
Other Editions
Click for cover image USA / Paperback / Pocket Books / 1998
Battlestar Galactica: Warhawk

Warkawk cover image
by Richard Hatch and Christopher Golden
  • USA
  • Hardback
  • Pocket Books
  • 1998
Battlestar Galactica: Resurrection

Resurrection cover image
by Richard Hatch and Stan Timmons
  • USA
  • Hardback
  • I Books
  • 2001
Other Editions
Click for cover image USA / Paperback / I Books / 2003
Battlestar Galactica: Rebellion

Rebellion cover image
by Richard Hatch and Alan Rodgers
  • USA
  • Hardback
  • I Books
  • 2002
Other Editions
Cover image needed USA / Paperback / I Books / 2003
Battlestar Galactica: Paradis

Paradis cover image
by Richard Hatch and Brad Linaweaver
  • USA
  • Hardback
  • I Books
  • 2003
Other Editions
Click for cover image USA / Paperback / I Books / 2004
Battlestar Galactica: Destiny

Destiny cover image
by Richard Hatch and Brad Linaweaver
  • USA
  • Hardback
  • I Books
  • 2004
Other Editions
Click for cover image USA / Paperback / I Books / 2005
Battlestar Galactica: Redemption

Redemption cover image
by Richard Hatch and Brad Linaweaver
  • USA
  • Hardback
  • I Books
  • 2005
Photonovels
Battlestar Galactica: The Photostory

The Photostory cover image
Compiled by Richard J Anobile
  • USA
  • Paperback
  • Berkley
  • 1979
Adapted Episode
Saga of a Starworld
Other Editions
Click for cover image UK / Paperback / Futura / 1979
Back Cover Blurb — Futura
ALL-NEW!
THE FULL-COLOR DEEPSPACE ADVENTURE BASED ON THE SPECTACULAR NEW UNIVERSAL MOVIE!


The galaxy explodes in a fantastic light-speed war — and only the heroic warrior crew of the Battlestar Galactica can stop the alien Cylon marauders as they begin the final phase of their thousand-year quest for total power.

The Cylons are attacking! And their goal is the total extermination of the life-form known as man!

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
THE PHOTOSTORY
Notes
  • Saga of Star World was the three-hour opening episode to the series, and was also novelised by Robert Thurston and Glen A Larson.
Omnibus Editions
Battlestar Galactica Classic

Battlestar Galactica Classic cover image
by Glen A Larson and Robert Thurston
  • USA
  • Paperback
  • I Books
  • 2002