The Space Quest Companion is an official Sierra hint guide written by Peter and his son Jeremy Spear (with assistance from Mark Crowe).
Background
It contains novelized versions of each of the games, as well as detailed walkthroughs and maps. According to the authors, Roger Wilco had sent disks from the future into the Terra III's past to Sierra On-line to be given to the Two Guys from Andromeda at the time Roger brought them to Earth (after he had traveled through the black hole). Copies of the disks had ended up in the author's hands, before Space Quest I had ever been made. The disks contained Roger's autobiography of his adventures, including Space Quest I to Space Quest V, as well as Roger Wilco's day dreams. It is said the disks also include other adventures as well (but the author has chosen not to publish those "yet").
According to a note from Roger, he had sent the autobiography so that the Two Guys would receive it and be able to create the adventure game series that would lead to Grandma and Grandpa Roger Wilco (x-number of times removed) and the birth of their daughter Roger Wilco and start the family tradition of a Roger in the Wilco family every generation, leading to his own birth. By making sure to send his history back to the Two Guys he assured his own existence and protected the fabric of history.
The book was released in two editions, the first covered Space Quest 1-4 (with a bonus preview of SQ5 novel) and the second covers 1-5.
The book is also notable in that it connected Sludge Vohaul to all the major villains of the series including Elmo Vohaul Pug and Raemes T. Quirk.
This book covers a variation of parallel universe timeline B, which was created by influence of time travel on the original timeline. Roger Wilco's published archives begins with the Space Quest I: Roger Wilco in the Sarien Encounter (time sector) and covers up to Space Quest V: The Next Mutation (time sector).
Behind the scenes
Peter Spear and his son Jeremy were able to work with Scott Murphy and Mark Crowe in obtaining behind the scenes information about the games used to write the book. Mark Crowe assisted the Spears and relayed the information on Space Quest V. Of the two Guys from Andromeda it seems Mark Crowe had the most direct involvement with the Spears.[1] He was the one who considered the book to be a legitimate SQ source. Dave Selle one of the developers of SQ5 also offered assistance in the book's creation. The Space Quest VGA Hintbook makes a reference or two the Space Quest Companion, one including in reference to the naming of alien, Tunuctipin. John Williams appears to have much involvement in both editions as well. It is possible that Mark Crowe's perspective is a little different that Scott Murphy's position, and it seems Scott had very little input into the Companions in comparison.
The preview for SQ5 in the first edition covers Roger's landing on Thrakus. It is noteable in that it is based on a very early version of the planet based on information from Mark Crowe, during the game's development. The details of the planet are very different than those in the final version of the game (a planet closer to Estros in description with sandy cliffs and dry ocean beds).
References
- ↑ SQC2E, pg xii-xiv