Babylon 5

[Jan]

For those interested, here's a list of the novels, novelizations, trilogies and short stories. Posted with permission of KoshN over at B5TV.com:

The Dell novels (except 7 and 9) are what JMS said were only "canon in broad strokes". The trilogies were written from extensive outlines by JMS. "To Dream in the City of Sorrows" was written by the then-Mrs. JMS

NOVELS: (Dell Books #7 and #9, and the three Del Rey Trilogies are considered canon. I would say that the short stories are also canon, except possibly "Space, Time, and the Incurable Romantic" which is more of a flight of fancy written to satisfy Ivanova/Marcus "shippers.") (NOTE: JMS has said it's canon. ~~Jan)

Title: Book #1 Voices
Author: Vornholt, John
Timeframe: After Points of Departure & before A Race through Dark Places
Isbn1: 0-440-22057-2
Copyright1: March 1995
Publisher1: Dell

Title: Book #2 Accusations
Author: Tilton, Lois
Timeframe: After The Coming of Shadows & before All Alone in the Night.
Isbn1: 0-440-22058-0
Copyright1: May 1995
Publisher1: Dell

Title: Book #3 Blood Oath
Author: Vornholt, John
Timeframe: Historian's Note: This story takes place prior to the events in The Coming of Shadows.
Isbn1: 0-440-22059-9
Copyright1: October 1995
Publisher1: Dell

Title: Book #4 Clark's Law
Author: Mortimore, Jim
Timeframe: 11/15/2242 - 12/24/2259
Isbn1: 0-440-22229-X
Copyright1: February 1996
Publisher1: Dell

Title: Book #5 The Touch of Your Shadow, the Whisper of Your Name
Author: Barrett, Jr., Neal
Timeframe: Historian's Note: The events of this novel take place in early 2260, before A Day in the Strife.
Isbn1: 0-440-22230-3
Copyright1: April 1996
Publisher1: Dell

Title: Book #6 Betrayals
Author: Stirling, S.M.
Timeframe: Historian's Note: The year is 2259, during the Narn-Centauri War.
Isbn1: 0-440-22234-6
Copyright1: June 1996
Publisher1: Dell

Title: Book #7 The Shadow Within MOSTLY CANON
Author: Cavelos, Jeanne
Timeframe: 11/2256 - 01/2257
Isbn1: 0-440-22348-2
Copyright1: April 1997
Publisher1: Dell
Isbn2: 0-345-45218-6
Copyright2: December 2002
Publisher2: DelRey

Title: Book #8 Personal Agendas
Author: Sarrantonio, Al
Timeframe: Historian's Note: The events of this novel take place in 2261, before Falling Toward Apotheosis.
Isbn1: 0-440-22351-2
Copyright1: May 1997
Publisher1: Dell

Title: Book #9 To Dream in the City of Sorrows CANON
Author: Drennan, Kathryn M.
Timeframe: Marcus in 10/2260, recalling events of 1/2259-9/2260.
Isbn1: 0-440-22354-7
Copyright1: July 1997
Publisher1: Dell
Isbn2: 0-345-45219-4
Copyright2: July 2003
Publisher2: DelRey

Title: Dark Genesis - The Birth of the Psi Corps CANON
Author: Keyes, J. Gregory
Timeframe: 2115-2189
Isbn1: 0-345-42715-7
Copyright1: October 1998
Publisher1: DelRey

Title: Deadly Relations - Bester Ascendant CANON
Author: Keyes, J. Gregory
Timeframe: 2189-2258
Isbn1: 0-345-42716-5
Copyright1: March 1999
Publisher1: DelRey

Title: Final Reckoning - The Fate of Bester CANON
Author: Keyes, J. Gregory
Timeframe: 2271-2281
Isbn1: 0-345-42717-3
Copyright1: October 1999
Publisher1: DelRey

Title: Legions of Fire - Book I - The Long Night of Centauri Prime CANON
Author: David, Peter
Timeframe: ~10/2262-12/2266. Dates corrected to line up with A Call to Arms and Crusade.
Isbn1: 0-345-42718-1
Copyright1: December 1999
Publisher1: DelRey

Title: Legions of Fire - Book II - Armies of Light and Dark CANON
Author: David, Peter
Timeframe: 12/14/2266-04/18/2272. Dates corrected to line up with A Call to Arms and Crusade.
Isbn1: 0-345-42719-X
Copyright1: May 2000
Publisher1: DelRey

Title: Legions of Fire - Book III - Out of the Darkness CANON
Author: David, Peter
Timeframe: 05/14/2273-01/21/2277. Dates corrected to line up with A Call to Arms and Crusade.
Isbn1: 0-345-42720-3
ISBN-13: 978-0-345-42720-5
Copyright1: November 2000
Publisher1: DelRey

Title: The Passing of the Techno-Mages - Book I - Casting Shadows CANON
Author: Cavelos, Jeanne
Timeframe: 11/2258-12/31/2258
Isbn1: 0-345-42721-1
Copyright1: March 2001
Publisher1: DelRey

Title: The Passing of the Techno-Mages - Book II - Summoning Light CANON
Author: Cavelos, Jeanne
Timeframe: 1/2259-2/2259
Isbn1: 0-345-42722-X
ISBN-13: 978-0-345-42722-9
Copyright1: July 2001
Publisher1: DelRey

Title: The Passing of the Techno-Mages - Book III - Invoking Darkness CANON
Author: Cavelos, Jeanne
Timeframe: 8/2260-2261
Isbn1: 0-345-43833-7
Copyright1: December 2001
Publisher1: DelRey


OMNIBUS EDITIONS OF THE DEL REY TRILOGIES CANON

"The Psi Corps Trilogy" CANON
by J. Gregory Keyes
Product Details
Hardcover: 712 pages
Publisher: Science Fiction Book Club (January 1, 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0739406566
ISBN-13: 978-0739406564


"Legions of Fire" CANON
by Peter David
Product Details
Hardcover: 733 pages
Publisher: Science Fiction Book Club; 1st edition (2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0739414852
ISBN-13: 978-0739414859


"The Passing Of The Techno-Mages" CANON
by Jeanne Cavelos
Product Details
Hardcover: 874 pages
Publisher: Science Fiction BookClub; 1st edition (2002)
ISBN-10: 0739423959
ISBN-13: 978-0739423950


NOVELIZATIONS:

Title: A Call to Arms CANON
Author: Sheckley, Robert
Timeframe: 12/2266-01/2267
Isbn1: 0-345-43155-3
Copyright1: January 1999
Publisher1: DelRey

Title: In the Beginning CANON
Author: David, Peter
Timeframe: Events of 2245-2248, as told by Londo in 01/2277.
Isbn1: 0-345-42452-2
Copyright1: January 1998
Publisher1: DelRey

Title: Thirdspace CANON
Author: David, Peter
Timeframe: 6/2261
Isbn1: 0-345-42454-9
Copyright1: July 1998
Publisher1: DelRey


SHORT STORIES (all out of print): CANON

Title: The Shadow of His Thoughts CANON
Author: Straczynski, J. M.
Timeframe: 10/2262
Ss_pub_in: Amazing Stories
Ss_issue: Summer 1999, Number 597
Ss_commnts: The Londo Story

Title: Genius Loci CANON
Author: Straczynski, J. M.
Timeframe: 01/2263
Ss_pub_in: Amazing Stories
Ss_issue: Winter 2000, Number 599
Ss_commnts: The Lyta / G'Kar Story

Title: Space, Time, and the Incurable Romantic CANON
Author: Straczynski, J. M.
Timeframe: 2560-2592
Ss_pub_in: Amazing Stories
Ss_issue: Summer 2000, Number 602
Ss_commnts: The Marcus / Ivanova Story

Title: Hidden Agendas CANON
Author: Straczynski, J. M.
Timeframe: 2262
Ss_pub_in: Babylon 5/Crusade Magazine
Ss_issue: May 2000, Number 22
Ss_commnts: The Ivanova/Warlock Destroyer/Ulkesh's Vorlon
Transport/Sheridan/Lyta Story

Title: True Seeker CANON
Author: Avery, Fiona
Timeframe: late 2269
Ss_pub_in: Babylon 5/Crusade Magazine
Ss_issue: July 2000, Number 23
Ss_commnts: The Narn Story (carries on from episode 17 "Legacies" http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/guide/017.html )

Title: The Nautilus Coil CANON
Author: Keyes, J. Gregory
Timeframe: 2263, or maybe even sometime in 2264
Ss_pub_in: Babylon 5/Crusade Magazine
Ss_issue: August 2000, Number 24
Ss_commnts: The Garibaldi/Lyta/Psi Corp/Vorlon story. Connects with "Dark Genesis - The Birth of the Psi Corps"
*************

 

[DonIago]

I'd love to get my hands on copies of the short stories. Having the omnibus editions would also be nice as my copies of the novels are well-loved at this point.

 

[Gov Kodos]

I'd love to get my hands on copies of the short stories. Having the omnibus editions would also be nice as my copies of the novels are well-loved at this point.

The sucky part is getting them at a decent price. Amazon often has absurdly priced used editions but $10-20 US editions show up there and elsewhere but you have to shop around.

 

[Tim Walker]

Reverse Engineering alien tech....

www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/7792963-reverse-engineering-and-the-third-scenario-in-the-human-vs-alien-debate

I suspect that if you had any success at all, it would be in the form of a hybrid device, based mostly on human/Earth technology. It would be an ersatz product at best.

 

[RJDiogenes]

For those interested, here's a list of the novels, novelizations, trilogies and short stories. Posted with permission of KoshN over at B5TV.com:

Thanks for all that. I wonder if JMS would be interested in self-publishing an anthology of those short stories through Lulu or something.

 

[Reverend]

I'd love to get my hands on copies of the short stories. Having the omnibus editions would also be nice as my copies of the novels are well-loved at this point.

Aside from tracking down old copies of the original magazines the stories were published in (not impossible) the only recourse is to seek them out through non-legitimate means. Not that I'd encourage anyone to go looking for out of print publications that are no longer making their authors any royalties on a torrent site or anything. That'd be wrong.

 

[Jan]

Thanks for all that. I wonder if JMS would be interested in self-publishing an anthology of those short stories through Lulu or something.

If there's a most-asked question the B5 Books team has gotten over the years, that's probably it. From what little I know, the rights questions are non-trivial and not helped by both magazines not existing any longer.

When it comes to finding the magazines, it takes some patience but the B5 Magazine issues come up on Ebay fairly regularly. A copy of the issue with 'Nautilus Coil' just sold the other day for $15 which is very reasonable...relatively speaking. I've seen the short stories sell for *lots* more.

 

[Forbin]

For a while, Pat Tallman's fan club published a snail mail newsletter. It featured some continuing fanfic about Lyta and G'Kar's traveling adventures together. That stuff is probably lost to the ether now.

 

[Kail]

I just finished the episode with the doctor's general dad. Without spoiling anything that comes later, can someone explain to me what happened to Delenn? I know she was in a vacoon, and became a type of human/alien hybrid, but what caused that? She didn't know what was going to happen? I must have missed something.

 

[dahj]

^^
It'll be explained later on.

 

[Gov Kodos]

I just finished the episode with the doctor's general dad. Without spoiling anything that comes later, can someone explain to me what happened to Delenn? I know she was in a vacoon, and became a type of human/alien hybrid, but what caused that? She didn't know what was going to happen? I must have missed something.

^^
It'll be explained later on.

Delenn will face many mysteries and explanations will come.

Spoiler: Cooperation

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[Kail]

But what did she do to bring this on? Or did it just happen? What did she think would happen?

 

[Gov Kodos]

But what did she do to bring this on? Or did it just happen? What did she think would happen?

Delenn is religious caste so Valen and the whole religious caste's ideas motivate a lot of what she does. There's more on all that to come.

 

[Reverend]

But what did she do to bring this on? Or did it just happen? What did she think would happen?

If you're asking about the literal mechanism: it was that glass sculpture/machine she'd been building in her quarters for most of season 1, topped off by an artefact called a triluminary, which we saw was given to her in 'Babylon Squared', though it actually first appeared briefly in 'And the Sky Full of Stars'.

And yes, she did know what would happen...broadly speaking. Recall that her last words to Lennier before going in were "Goodbye. You will not see me again as I am now." Knowing it however doesn't mean the prospect didn't frighten her or that the process didn't hurt. A lot. For obvious reasons it's not something that any Minbari has done before.

That's about as much as I dare say since this is a very spoilery subject that will be addressed later in greater detail and put everything else in context.

 

[tomalak301]

Yeah, Chevok might be his most famous role, but Bester is definitely his best (no pun intended) role. I've been rewatching the show, and you can tell Koenig is having a blast playing Bester. Chevok is just a guy with a funny accent, but there is some psychological depth and nuance to his character that was never available to him in Star Trek.

I'm rewatching Star Trek and I'm not a fan of Chekov at all. He's better in the movies but Bester was Koenig at his very best. One of the best written and realized characters of the 90s.

 

[Kail]

Thanks. I will go back and rewatch that episode. Any other season 1 ep vital to this subject?

 

[tomalak301]

Thanks. I will go back and rewatch that episode. Any other season 1 ep vital to this subject?

I would suggest keep going forward. If you want to revisit some things in the series, do it after you have seen the episodes.

 

[Gov Kodos]

Thanks. I will go back and rewatch that episode. Any other season 1 ep vital to this subject?

There will be explanations. That's what makes season 1 so much fun after watching the whole series. All the parts are there but not the context to make sense of them without spoiling the show to death.

 

[Jan]

Thanks. I will go back and rewatch that episode. Any other season 1 ep vital to this subject?

I agree that continuing on is fine. When you watch the whole thing through a second time, you'll see a lot that you may have missed. But it's stuff that will enhance your enjoyment, not major revelations.

As for your question, she knew that she'd be changed but she didn't know exactly how. She did it for a very particular reason but you won't know the whole of that for a while now.

 

[Reverend]

I agree, it's best to continue on at this point. A lot of thing in B5 are presented without context on purpose and will only make sense on the second viewing. No joke, there are lines in *the very first episode* that will resonate all the way to the penultimate episode.

As Jan says, on of the joys of B5 is going back and watching it a second time and seeing all the little things you missed or the things that didn't make sense or seemed to be throwaway lines suddenly scream with meaning and significance.

As for Delenn, it's worth remembering that one of her core motivations is faith. She's willing to do things, even drastic things without fully understanding them because she has faith. It's not blind faith though as you may recall she demanded Kosh lay her doubts to rest and in response he opened his encounter suit. That too will make sense in time.

incidentally, I misattributed the quote before, it was Kosh she was addressing, not Lennier. I got those two scenes mixed up in my head. Her last exchange with Lennier was actually: -

-"Are you sure there's no other way?"
-"What must happen will happen. Valen said this day would come. Who are we to stand in the way of prophecy?"
-"But what if you're wrong?"
-"Then speak well of me when I'm gone. If he comes, it must be soon. We have little time."