Regular readers of this blog will be aware that I am a big fan of Blake’s 7 which was one of my science fiction influences when growing up.
The final episode in which *spoiler alert* Avon apparently kills Blake and then, due to a fade to black, meets an uncertain fate, always left an opening for a sequel which never seemed to arrive.
Paul Darrow was best known for his portrayal of Avon clearly felt there was scope for a new series and went ahead and wrote one in this book which was published in 2013 when Darrow was already 72 years of age. Unsurprisingly, the story features an older Avon and no doubt Darrow would have been ready to step in for any TV adaptation but, sadly, no adaptation arrived and Darrow died in 2019, aged 78, but not before writing two more books to create a trilogy.
The events of the book occur 20 years after Blake’s death. Here is how the publisher describes it:-
Many legends surround the aftermath of the collapse of The Federation, including the fate of Kerr Avon…. What happened to Avon after the death of Blake and the crew of the Scorpio?
Paul Darrow’s vivid reimagining picks up Avon’s story at the final moments of the final episode of Blake’s 7 and follows him on his fight for survival, this time with no crew and no ship to help him.
The adventure continues years later as Avon, now an old man, finds himself a key player in the game of power politics being played out on a grand scale by The Quartet – four ruthless leaders in an uneasy alliance who govern the world in place of the Federation.
Old enemies resurface and dangerous new ones appear as the time comes for old scores to finally be settled….
As the blurb alludes, characters from the original series appear and the result is an enjoyable space adventure bordering on military sci-fi.
For Blake’s 7 aficionados, Darrow’s first novel, written in 1989, explores the back story of Kerr Avon a delight with which I still have to treat myself.
so, if you’ve always wondered what happened next, this is your chance to find out. Go for it.
M J Dees 
Reblogged this on Meenaz Lodhi. Blog.
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