Not just a source for mail order
rubber Spock ears,
Starlog is a monthly entertainment magazine devoted to
science fiction media, with a heavy emphasize on TV shows and movies.
The first issue of
Starlog debuted August 1976 as a quarterly magazine. It had a
Star Trek episode guide, an interview with
Gene Roddenberry, a review of
David Bowie's odd ball
The Man Who Fell to Earth movie, a stunning behind-the-scenes look at
The Bionic Woman TV show, and a first peek at an exciting new sci fi series called
Babylon F... err I mean
Space: 1999.
Starlog Issue #2 did a larger feature on
Space: 1999 and coined the phrase "
Mysterious Unknown Force" to describe the first season's habit of advancing episode plots in a rather disjointed manner with little explanation why things were happening. How could a nuclear explosion propel
Moon Base Alpha into another galaxy? Hrm... well "Mysterious Unknown Force", of course. In the vastness of space, how does this small dark
moon get noticed by so many space aliens? Hrm... well "Mysterious Unknown Force", of course. So move on, nothing to see here. Much like "
Go To Statement Considered Harmful",
Starlog's "Mysterious Unknown Force" quip has since been adopted by sci fi fans to poke fun at sci fi stories that make similar demands of readers or viewers.
The magazine is published by the
Starlog Group, based in
New York. The
Starlog Group publishes about 20 magazines in total, including
Fangoria and some bloody pro wrestling magazines, and grosses about $25 million a year.