Did anyone read the book?

I've read the book at least three times. It is actually quite good, and it paces itself better than the movie with richer details on H.G. Wells and his time machine. The book also goes a bit deeper into the minds of the main characters, such as Wells and the Ripper. The plot details are somewhat different, with several more added to make the story longer than the movie. For example, there is a whole scene in which H.G. goes into a clothing store to buy some modern-day apparel. Also, [spoiler warning] there is an entire epilogue briefly describing what H.G. and Amy do after they return to 1893.

I highly recommend the book, especially because it digresses from the film version and gives the reader a newer, fresher look at the story.

There is one question in my mind concerning the author of the book. The name on the cover reads Karl Alexander, who is also credited, along with Nicholas Meyer, for the screenplay. Yet, on Wikipedia.org, it is claimed that Karl Alexander was a pen-name for Meyer (that they were actually the same person). Furthermore, on the DVD commentary by Meyer, we hear Meyer say that he "met Karl Alexander" who then agreed to write the novel based on the screenplay. Why would Meyer say that if it weren't true? What would he have to gain by hiding behind a pseudonym when writing the novel? Anyone else know the simple truth as to whether Karl Alexander is a real person or not?