More Stargate sets from Best Lock

A little while ago I reported on the surprise appearance of Stargate Best Lock construction sets - Lego compatible, but much lower quality, simplistic, and cheaper. Something of a mixed blessing, as you will see in the pictures below, even Best Lock's own PR department can't make their bricks stick together very smoothly, but they are Stargate Lego-like toys, which makes them at least a little bit cool...

At the time four sets had appeared, but it seems that was just the tip of the iceberg, as various retailers are now offering a much wider range, including minifigure sets, minifigure scale playsets and ships, and mini ships as well. Here's a run-down of the sets so far available:

BC-304 Daedalus

• One of three Atlantis branded sets in the range so far, although you could imagine it as an SG-1 304 as well I'm sure. Looks like one of the better made models of the series too.
• Purchase: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Think Geek.

F-302

• One of two mini starfighter sets.
• Purchase: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr.

Wraith Dart

• The second mini starfighter set, and one of the three Atlantis sets.
• Purchase: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr.

Deathglider

• The classic Jaffa fighter, complete with serpent guard pilot.
• Purchase: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr.

X-301

• Earth's first attempt at a starfighter, unfortunately built up from a Deathglider (which didn't go so well), with Teal'c figure.
• Purchase: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr.

 X-302

• Earth's second try at a fighter, built from scratch this time. With Sam Carter figure.
• Purchase: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr.

F-302

• The final version of Earth's fighters, introduced in SG-1 but later seen in Atlantis and Universe. With Jack O'Neill.
• Purchase: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr.

Wraith Dart

• The final Atlantis branded set, a minifigure scale Wraith Dart, with Wraith.
• Purchase: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr.

SGC

• Stargate Command's gateroom, with SG-1 and attacking Jaffa.
• Purchase: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr.

Abydos

• The largest set in the range, includes an X-302 and Deathglider, with assorted scenery, SG-1, soldiers and Jaffa!
• Purchase: Amazon.de, Think Geek.

Battle Over Abydos

• Smallr version of the Abydos set, swaps the X-302 for an F-302 and omits some of the scenery.
• Purchase: Amazon.de, Think Geek.

Deathglider Attack

• Deathglider, with the bits of scenery from the Abydos set left out of the Battle Over Abydos set.
• Purchase: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Think Geek.

Jack and Daniel Off World

• Jack and Daniel with a stargate. If you just want a molded stargate to use with proper Lego I guess this is the one to get!
• Purchase: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr.

Jaffa Defense Tower

• Jaffa with a turret...
• Purchase: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr.

Jaffa Hunt

• If this is based on an episode it's not one I remember! A buggy thing for hunting Jaffa, apparently?
• Purchase: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr.

Jack and Teal'c

• Minifigure set with O'Neill, Teal'c and what I guess is a MALP.
• Purchase: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr.

Apophis and Jaffa

• Minifigure set with Apophis and a serpent guard, plus an obelisk and some random palm trees
• Purchase: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr.

Almost Stargate Lego!

A dream come true, almost: Best-Lock, a Lego rip-off that makes Mega Bloks look positively high quality, has apparently acquired a license to produce Stargate construction toys. As reported by Gateworld, these have so far only appeared on the Canadian Sears website, but Best-Lock is a global brand, so they should pop up elsewhere too.

Four sets have so far been revealed, based on SG-1 and Atlantis. although the largest set is basically a combination of the same things in two of the others. Quite frankly they look amateurish compared to Lego's latest offerings from Star Wars, or their Pharaoh's Quest line (their most recent Egyptian theme), but, they're Stargate almost-Lego, so I'm still quite excited; I think the Daedalus looks like the best of the bunch:

 

 

 

Perhaps what's most encouraging about this is that at least someone seems to be interesting in the Stargate franchise. What with the novels now only coming as ebooks, the last comics publisher managing all of two miniseries, new audiobooks only just starting to appear again, and recent talk of rebooting back to the movie continuity, I'm glad there's some glimmer of interest in the TV series still.

Now the conundrum, buy sub-standard fake Lego with a Stargate flavour, or get a bunch of Pharaoh's Quest, snakes from Ninjago, and some other Lego to make your own proper Lego Stargate stuff?

Stargate novels switch to ebooks

Fandemonium Books, publisher of Stargate novels, have announced (in their last email newsletter) a change in their publishing, with a shift to ebook releases taking priority over print editions:

Some of you might have noticed that times are changing in the publishing world, and after much deliberation we at Fandemonium Books have decided that now is the right time to make the move to ebooks as our prime publishing media.

All our new books will be available for download from Amazon and all major ebook distributors, and in the coming months we’ll be releasing our entire back catalogue in ebook format.

I'm not an ebook convert yet, but this does at least been some of the stupendously expensive out-of-print books will become much easier to get hold of in some form. And there is an option to get print-on-demand copies of new releases too:

But, for those lovers of all things paper, we’re not abandoning you. We will offer all of our new titles as print-on-demand books, so you can still get hold of a paperback copy of our books including the newly released STARGATE SG-1: Transitions.

The two most recent Stargate novels have launched this model. The third book in the post-finale Atlantis series, Legacy: Allegiance:

Reeling from the shocking discovery of Rodney McKay's fate, Colonel Sheppard and his team retreat to Atlantis to regroup. With Rodney not only in the hands of the Wraith, but apparently working for them, Atlantis faces a new danger - their own man, turned against them.

While Zelenka and Colonel Carter work frantically to crack the security protocols McKay embedded in Atlantis's computer system, Ronan revisits his past and finds much is changing on Sateda. Meanwhile, Queen Death prepares to make use of her most valuable prisoner; with Rodney still unaware of his true identity, the fate of Atlantis hangs in the balance…

Set after the TV series' exciting finale, STARGATE ATLANTIS: Allegiance is book three of the gripping new Legacy series.

           Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.es, Amazon.it.

And the new crossover novel, Transitions:

After her mother’s death, Cassie Fraiser is moving on. So she thinks. But there are dangerous forces at work and she soon finds herself caught up in a situation far beyond her control. It’s a good thing Colonel Carter was keeping an eye on her.

But while Carter rallies SG-1 to Cassie’s aid, events on Atlantis are going from bad to worse. Facing a deadly plague and a computer virus that’s shutting down the city, it looks like Colonel Sheppard’s team will provide rich pickings for the incoming Wraith hive ship.

But sometimes events galaxies apart are connected in unexpected ways— and help comes from the most surprising of places. In this action-packed story, Sabine C. Bauer brings together the heroes of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis in the fight of their lives…

           Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.es, Amazon.it.