Thunderbirds (later retitled as "1", and subsequently as "Terror from the Stars" for 2021 reprints) is the premier paperback novel released by Armada Books in 1966. The novel was written by John Theydon (pseudonym of John W. Jennison) and features a new adventure starring International Rescue's family of heroes.
Blurb[]
1966 Armada Books edition[]
You have seen it on television - International Rescue, a team of brave men, based on a Pacific Island, equipped with fantastic vehicles way ahead of their time.
Jeff Tracy, millionare ex-American astronaut, heads the team of five sons and 'Brains.' There is a villain, of course - The Hood, that master of disguises - and the six-wheeled Rolls Royce owned by aristocratic Lady Penelope, chauffeured by Cockney "Nosey" Parker.
They all appear in this exciting story of Thunderbirds, TV's most compelling programme.
2021 Reprint[]
Thunderbird Five is attacked by an unknown enemy with uncanny powers. An unidentified object is tracked landing in the Gobi desert, but what’s the connection? Scott Tracy races to the scene in the incredible Thunderbird One, but he cannot begin to imagine the terrible danger he is about to encounter. Alone in the barren wilderness, he is possessed by a malevolent intelligence and assigned a fiendish mission - one which, if successful, will have the most terrifying consequences for the entire world. International Rescue are about to face their most astounding adventure yet!
Plot[]
Scott Tracy and the Hood must form an uneasy alliance to overpower an incredible parasitic invader from outer space before it can dominate the planet Earth.
Chapter Titles[]
- Mystery Satellite
- Strange S.O.S.
- Desert Search
- Dangerous Encounter
- The Invaders
- Calling Lady Penelope
- Stop Scott Tracy!
- The Hunt
- The Capture
- The Hood Strikes
- Brain Probe
Characters[]
(in order of appearance)
- Scott Tracy
- Alan Tracy
- John Tracy
- Jeff Tracy
- Brains
- Kyrano's Doctor
- Virgil Tracy
- Gordon Tracy
- Tin-Tin Kyrano
- Kyrano
- The Hood / "Kabul"
- Sphere
- Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward
- Parker
- Car driver
- Farmer
- Emergency operator
- Police radio announcer
- Grandma Tracy
- Dartmoor police officers
- Cafe patron
- Cafe manager
Notes[]
1989 reissue
- The story makes reference to the events of both Trapped in the Sky and Desperate Intruder, when International Rescue recall their past encounters with the Hood.
- The events of Brains is Dead is also foreshadowed, as the Hood muses about the engineer after getting an opportunity to assassinate him. This is impressive, as the novel pre-dates Brains is Dead by some two years.
- The 1966 Armada Books edition contains a number of subtitled illustrations by Peter Archer interspersed throughout the novel.
- The book would later be adapted as Terror from the Stars for Anderson Entertainment's first relase in their Thunderbirds audio series, accompanied by a reprint of the book under the same name.