Sevencyclopaedia - Fan Lore
Sevencyclopaedia - A number of "Facts" about the characters and settings of
Blake's 7 have entered into some degree of consensual acknowledgement
among fans, despite a distinct lack of corroboration in the series itself.
These points of fan lore largely have their origin in BBC publicity material,
especially for the 1st and 4th seasons, as well as Trevor Hoyle in his three
novelisations, and the series' creator Terry Nation. None of these sources
are regarded as "canonical" as far as this index is concerned, and so are
omitted in the main text.
This appendix is merely a summary of the more enduring aspects of fan lore,
and does not claim to be exhaustive. The origins of a least some of the
entries below are obscure. Fan lore also enlarges on some of the entries in
the main text, citing (for example) that Blake worked for the Engineering
Division of the Civil Administration on Earth. Fan generated fiction has
also generated many (often conflicting) additional details about the regular
characters and their origins, entirely beyond the scope of this appendix.
The clip guns developed by Dorian were allegedly made of argentium. Since
there is no known element of that name, argentium can be presumed to be an
alloy.
The planet close to and on which the events of 'Duel' took place, also
called 'Memorial to the Dead'. (Trevor Hoyle, "Project Avalon", Part 1,
Chapters 4, 6.)
The Federation supposedly arose out of the chaos generated by the Atomic
Wars, with no reference to who fought who or why.
(C-5: THE HARVEST OF KAIROS) By Murray Smith and Judith Proctor
The name used by Sheelagh Wells to describe one of the species of
spider-like creature on Kairos. The reason for the name was due to her
dislike of spiders, and her desire to come to terms with this problem, 'working
on the principle that anything with a name couldn't really be terrifying', a
strategy which proved successful. (Joe Nazzaro and Sheelagh Wells,
Blake's 7: The Inside Story,
(Virgin, 1997), p.54.)
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Ravella was 'an electronics technician, grade three, in the Communications
Division'. (Trevor Hoyle, _Blake's 7_, Chapter 1.)
The civilian version of the T-16 troop transporter featured in Moloch.
The CAS London was presumably a C-16, as was the freighter Blake
followed to Horizon and the Salvager sent up from Fosforon. It is a moot
point as to whether the T-16 was a modified C-16 or vice-versa.
The supposed version of the pursuit ship Tarrant stole when he absconded from
the Federation.
[Hoyle in Scorpio Attack, Part 1, Chapter 3.]
Del was the first name of the sole survivor of the massacre conducted by
Travis' mutoids in "Project Avalon". (Trevor Hoyle, "Project Avalon", POart
2, Chapters 2-3.)
Cited as Soolin's home world. It has been variously suggested that she moved
to Gauda Prime soon after being born on Darlon IV, or that the planet's name
was changed to Gauda Prime (perhaps when the world was given Open Planet
status).
Blake was a member of the Engineering Division prior to his arrest in _The
Way Back_. (Trevor Hoyle, _Blake's 7_, Chapter 1.)
The planet on which Maryatt was born, according to his ID folder. (Trevor
Hoyle, "Project Avalon", Part 2, Chapter 4.)
Artix was the Flight Operator of the London. (Trevor Hoyle, Blake's 7,
Chapter 4)
The ship in which Sleer and Investigator Reeve travelled to Virn.
(Designated FT-7 by Martin Bower, who built the original model).
(C-4:DAWN OF THE GODS, C-13:TERMINAL) Written by Judith Proctor
In Terminal, Dayna and Cally are playing a board game which bears a resemblence
to Monopoly. Among fans, the game is often referred to as Galactic Monopoly
although it is not given a name in the actual episode.
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The rules include Rule 10. A player may miss two turns while on a penal colony
planet. On his third turn, he must pay a ten thousand credit
fine, and leave the colony. - this is very close to the rules for
getting out of jail in Monopoly.
Players may own hotels as in Monopoly, but they may also own spaceships and
battle fleets.
Dal Richie was said by Ravella to be 'with the Hydrophonic Division, Level
19'. (Trevor Hoyle, _Blake's 7_, Chapter 1.)
Gan told Jenna that the implantation of his limiter was done before his
trial, as 'They needed humans for their research, so I was just handed
over'. (Trevor Hoyle, _Blake's 7_, Chapter 11)
MAGNI-VIEWER
(D-1: RESCUE) By Murray Smith
The optical instrument used by Avon in 'Rescue'. (Trevor Hoyle, "Scorpio
Attack", Part 1, Chapter 1.)
Maja Varon and Tel Varon were frequently referred to as husband and wife.
(Trevor Hoyle, _Blake's 7_, Chapter 3)
Hoyle's 'Project Avalon' gives his first name as Tal and says he was
born on EPISILON FOUR.
Maryatt's first name was Tal, according to his ID folder. (Trevor Hoyle,
"Project Avalon", Part 2, Chapter 4.)
(B-7: KILLER) written by Murray Smith
The nickname used by some B7 fans to describe the four members of a
boarding team of the Federation's Q-Base on Fosforon, sent aboard the
recovered Earth Wanderer Class One Spacecraft K47, due to the white
protective suits they wore. Such suits made them resemble the Michelin Man,
one of the best - if not the best - known company symbols on Earth in the
twentieth century.
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The Michelin Man, whose real name is Bibendum, was created in 1898,
as symbol of the Michelin tyre company, founded on 28 May 1889 in
Clermont-Ferrand, France. In the next century, the company grew into a
large international group, becoming the largest tyre manufacturer on Earth,
with the largest share of the market.
The standard issue federation sidearm. Described by Trevor Hoyle as a "V911
para-handgun".
A federation sidearm, at first only issued to 'the guards of the Security Division',
but which later became standard issue by the time of Project Avalon.
[Hoyle, in Blake's 7, says that it was only issued to the guards of the
Security Division; later in Project Avalon, he said it was standard issue.
This entry is a way of papering over this discrepancy.]
Ravella said that the population of West-Europ Dome City was 800 million.
(Trevor Hoyle, _Blake's 7_, Chapter1.)
Events in the series are often placed in the third century of the Second
Calendar, which would suggest that Blake's deportation to Cygnus Alpha
occurred in the year 252.
The teleport bracelets used by the crew of Scorpio were allegedly made
of titanium. These bracelets also allegedly differed from those used by the
Liberator crew in that landing co-ordinates could be programmed into
the bracelet itself, rather than controlled solely from the ship.
The assassination squad aboard the projectile picked up by the _Liberator_
in _Time Squad_ had a mission to destroy political leaders on the planet
Velgan. (Trevor Hoyle, _Blake's 7_, Chapter 12.)
The dome city on Earth in which Blake worked for the Engineering Division
before his illegal meeting with Bran Forster.
Supposedly the world on which Gan was born, though his comments in
Pressure Point suggest he was more likely a native of Earth.
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