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A Match Made in Space

The front cover of George McFly's first novel...

Georgeyourfirstnovel

...and its back cover depicting the author himself.

This article is about the novel. You may be looking for the movie of the same name.
"Oh, honey! It's your first novel."
—Lorraine
"He [George] held up the book, which was entitled A Match Made In Space. The art work showed a bedroom with a space alien very reminiscent of Marty's Darth Vader speaking to a young man cowering beneath the covers. The author's name, in large letters, was George McFly. / "Holy cow," Marty said. "You wrote that, Dad?" / George nodded proudly. "My first novel," he said. "I sure hope it sells." / "Of course it'll sell," Lorraine gushed. "After all, it's not like you're a nobody. You've been selling stories ever since college." / "That's right, Dad," Dave added. "You're the one who's always telling us to have confidence and a positive attitude. Where's yours now?" / "You're right," George said. "I'm sure this book is going to do just fine." / Then, turning to Marty, he put a strong hand on his shoulder and said: "And that tape of yours is going to do just fine, too." "
—From Back to the Future by George Gipe (pages 245 and 246)

A Match Made in Space was the first novel by George McFly, which was published by Probert Publishing[1] in 1985. Two of the characters were Garth D'Vade and Raylene.

History[]

The story was inspired by a "vision" that woke George from sleep when he was a teenager in 1955, in which he saw an extraterrestrial named Darth Vader who threatened to melt his brain unless he asked Lorraine Baines to the Enchantment Under the Sea dance. He didn't know that the alien he saw was actually his future son Marty, wearing a radiation suit from 1985.

George wrote the novel with the same science fiction aspect that he had grown up on, but his marriage to Lorraine led him to also make the book a love story. The illustration on the front cover depicted a couple brought together by an alien that resembled the one that he saw. The title of the book was derived from the old saying that compatible couples are "a match made in Heaven". A black-and-white head-and-shoulders photograph of George was on the back cover.

In 2015, Marty noticed that his father's book was made into a movie, sold in a video software store.[2] Jennifer Parker additionally noted that the book was turned into a videobook that sat on a shelf in their home.

According to a story by Michael Klastorin on the front page of the October 22, 2015 issue of USA Today,[3] Hollywood was planning a remake of the movie, to be directed and co-written by Robert Zemeckis, as the original 1989 adaptation — which had featured martial arts elements and country western songs — was considered "a creative misfire as well as a box office bomb". When Klastorin spoke to George about casting ideas for the remake, according to George there was only one man in his mind who could play the alien, and hoped he could convince Zemeckis to cast Christopher Lloyd in the role.

The name of the business A Match Made on Earth in 2015 was possibly inspired by the title of the novel.

On September 7, 1893, Dr. Emmett Brown traveled in the second DeLorean time machine to October 27, 2017 to find an eighth wedding anniversary gift for his wife Clara; he eventually bought a copy of Lighthouse at the End of the World by Clara's favorite author, Jules Verne, from the Blast from the Past antique/memorabilia store. While in 2017 Hill Valley, Doc passed the Holomax Theater where the movie remake of A Match Made in Space was being shown. The exterior of the building created a giant holographic image of the alien which appeared to reach down to grab Doc, during which he remembered that although the original movie hadn't been great, "the book was really something special".

Behind the scenes[]

  • The front cover of A Match Made in Space has a different illustration in George Gipe's novelization (see second Quote above).
  • In the novelization, the arrival of the novel at the McFly residence is not in a large cardboard box filled with bubble wrap and containing several copies, as seen on-screen, but is instead described as follows:
" Biff entered a moment later and handed George a hardcover book. / "Oh, Mr. McFly," he said. "This just came in." / "Good," George nodded. "
—(Quote, page 245)

Appearances[]

References[]

  1. According to the replica book cover of A Match Made in Space on La La Land Studios' Back to the Future page (see 'External links' below).
  2. Back to the Future Part II novelization, page 30
  3. Special "front page wrap" for real life October 22, 2015 issue of USA Today (see 'External links' below)

See also[]

External links[]

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