Babylon 5

[Jan]

I just spent $150 for three books, so yes, I do want information. As for the Scientology comment, when you require people to buy a lot of other books before you get to the important stuff that not just anyone is allowed to buy... it's not an unreasonable analogy.

For somebody coming along several years after the books were originally released to be taking your tone, yeah, it's more than slightly unreasonable.

Did the people running the book operation know the remastered version of B5 was being released this year? It would have been a great opportunity to take advantage of the spike of interest in the show.

Since JMS himself didn't know that the remaster was happening it would seem that B5 Books probably didn't. And if it's the rest of the 'What the Hell Happened' books you're wondering about, the answer's simple and requires no snark: The simple fact is that JMS A) got busy and then B) chose to tell much of the story behind the cancellation in his autobiography which was expected to have a wider audience. There's still talk about the scripts being published but I don't know if he'll do introductions for them. Note: All of this is information that JMS has posted on Twitter. In addition, Captain Jaclyn has answered many questions about it, as have I as a sometimes consultant to B5 books.

Again, email help@b5books.com. But I'm afraid that Captain Jaclyn's answered the question so often that you may end up with me answering if she's busy.

 

[Jan]

I don't recall if I've posted this here before or not? JMS has been doing some 'sync-up' commentaries on some B5 episodes and Sense8. After a period of exclusivity for his Patreons, he's making them available here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/StudioJMS2012

 

[Steve Roby]

For somebody coming along several years after the books were originally released to be taking your tone, yeah, it's more than slightly unreasonable.

Coming along years later? I ordered volume 1 of the B5 scriptbooks from Cafepress on November 1, 2005, order number 19110560, though I didn't keep up with the series because of the cost. I've commented in a few places over the years about how the B5 books were being published, but sure. It was getting back into B5 with the remasters that made me look into the B5 books situation for the first time in a long time, though.

 

[Smiley]

Is there any chance that any of the B5 books will be made available as ebooks one day? Del Rey is listed as the publisher of the paperbacks, and they are still in business. If renewed interest in the show happens because of the remaster, do they have the rights to publish ebooks of those original 18 stories?

 

[Jan]

Is there any chance that any of the B5 books will be made available as ebooks one day? Del Rey is listed as the publisher of the paperbacks, and they are still in business. If renewed interest in the show happens because of the remaster, do they have the rights to publish ebooks of those original 18 stories?

Unknown. Recall that when the books came out, e-books weren't much of a thing. No idea what the contracts might have looked like. Also, it's unfortunate that (thanks to lack of marketing), the books never sold that well so a publisher might be reluctant to sink any money into bringing them back in any form.

 

[David cgc]

Coming along years later? I ordered volume 1 of the B5 scriptbooks from Cafepress on November 1, 2005, order number 19110560, though I didn't keep up with the series because of the cost. I've commented in a few places over the years about how the B5 books were being published, but sure. It was getting back into B5 with the remasters that made me look into the B5 books situation for the first time in a long time, though.

As it happens, JMS just reiterated that the current edition of the script books is missing the bonus material from the original run. I’m not sure if I agree with his broad use of the term “out there” with regards to the information in the limited edition.

 

[Steve Roby]

As it happens, JMS just reiterated that the current edition of the script books is missing the bonus material from the original run. I’m not sure if I agree with his broad use of the term “out there” with regards to the information in the limited edition.

Yeah, I just tweeted in response to that. I just don't understand JMS's attitude about all this. I never did, frankly. He went all out early on to try to build fan interest and fan involvement, he engaged with fans in many places online, but then restricted the material a lot of fans would have liked to see to those willing to spend hundreds of dollars. It's wildly counterproductive, if he has any interest in keeping interest in B5 alive.

 

[Booji]

I really wish JMS would get around to the rest of the Crusade scripts. I have no interest in a blurb in his autobiography.

 

[Commander Troi]

This is a bit odd, but perhaps he's just looking forward instead of back now that he's finished the autobiography.

A few years back, I was lucky enough to be at our local convention when nearly the entire cast and JMS did a B5 panel. It was awesome! And most of them are still friends, even those who aren't in "the business" anymore.

 

[Steve Roby]

It's depressing to realize how many of the B5 cast are gone now. In a better world, someone's making a What You Leave Behind-style documentary about B5 and everyone's still alive and participating. In this world, I wonder if JMS would even allow something like that to go ahead.

 

[David cgc]

It's depressing to realize how many of the B5 cast are gone now. In a better world, someone's making a What You Leave Behind-style documentary about B5 and everyone's still alive and participating. In this world, I wonder if JMS would even allow something like that to go ahead.

I've wondered if one of the two Babylon 5 projects in the hopper that he's been talking about is exactly that. My theory is that the one the actors have been getting together because of is a documentary of some kind, and the one one they haven't been involved with is the animated project (though it's entirely possible the actors are working on the animation project, all rumors apply to that project, and nothing about the second project has been leaked or teased beyond its prospective existence).

 

[Jan]

Yeah, I just tweeted in response to that. I just don't understand JMS's attitude about all this. I never did, frankly. He went all out early on to try to build fan interest and fan involvement, he engaged with fans in many places online, but then restricted the material a lot of fans would have liked to see to those willing to spend hundreds of dollars. It's wildly counterproductive, if he has any interest in keeping interest in B5 alive.

Not trying to speak for JMS, of course but I think there are a few factors at work. First, the first script books started coming out several years after the show last aired and it wasn't then available in reruns (at least in the US), thus already limiting the potential audience. Second, the books were, indeed expensive. While Print On Demand prices have probably gone down since then, the price point did indeed take a lot of an already limited pool of buyers out.

Two other factors were also likely. First, JMS has always been a collector. Captain Jaclyn has a background in marketing and a key tenet of that is getting people to buy an item now, not later. The two factors my have dovetailed.

But the bottom line is, the promise was made that the essays wouldn't be made available except in the limited editions. So even though I'd love to see them freely available for a lower price, I don't think that's likely.

 

[nedski]

Many are gone indeed.... I remember they made a documentary about Nikola Tesla ... I believe it was called Teslafy Me .... it was the last time I've seen Mira Furlan; she was answering some questions (because it was a documentary) from a terrace and you could see the Holywood letters written on those hills somewhere in the background....
I believe it was one of the best conceived tv shows .... and a bit different from ST.
I'll always miss good old Zathras, G'Kar and the others ....

 

[Commander Troi]

Many are gone indeed.... I remember they made a documentary about Nikola Tesla ... I believe it was called Teslafy Me .... it was the last time I've seen Mira Furlan; she was answering some questions (because it was a documentary) from a terrace and you could see the Holywood letters written on those hills somewhere in the background....
I believe it was one of the best conceived tv shows .... and a bit different from ST.
I'll always miss good old Zathras, G'Kar and the others ....

Thanks for the documentary info!

Yeah, they talked about Richard, and Andreas, and Zack at the panel, but what really had me crying was when they talked about Michael O'Hare. I think it was the first time JMS talked about Michael's struggles in the first season.

I found videos of the panel. It's in 2 parts.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...rm=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.969u0sY4P1Ne1pEUjHs3HAEsDh

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...rm=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.969u0sY4P1Ne1pEUjHs3HAEsDh

 

[nedski]

Thanks for the documentary info!

Yeah, they talked about Richard, and Andreas, and Zack at the panel, but what really had me crying was when they talked about Michael O'Hare. I think it was the first time JMS talked about Michael's struggles in the first season.

Yes I've seen a small footage where Straczynski was talking a bit about Michael's condition....
And later they replaced him with Boxleitner....
Straczynski had this great vision and created a beautiful story
My favorite race were the Vorlons But I liked the idea with the keeper from the Drakh race....in the end of the show pretty interesting !

 

[Steve Roby]

Not trying to speak for JMS, of course but I think there are a few factors at work. First, the first script books started coming out several years after the show last aired and it wasn't then available in reruns (at least in the US), thus already limiting the potential audience. Second, the books were, indeed expensive. While Print On Demand prices have probably gone down since then, the price point did indeed take a lot of an already limited pool of buyers out.

I printed a few books through Lulu in the mid-00s. (I didn't write anything, just printed some things I wanted in hard copy.) The basic printing cost was surprisingly low.

Two other factors were also likely. First, JMS has always been a collector. Captain Jaclyn has a background in marketing and a key tenet of that is getting people to buy an item now, not later. The two factors my have dovetailed.

But the bottom line is, the promise was made that the essays wouldn't be made available except in the limited editions. So even though I'd love to see them freely available for a lower price, I don't think that's likely.

All of which is extremely shortsighted, unless they believed Babylon 5 was totally dead and would soon be forgotten, with no hope of generations of new fans or any kind of revival of the show. Whitfield's The Making of Star Trek has sold a lot of copies over the years, going through any number of reprints, and there's no shortage of similar books for the other Trek series, for Doctor Who, and other SF TV series. Twenty years from now those will still be easy to track down. The B5 books? Nope. It's not just at the expense of fans, it's at the expense of Babylon 5's own posterity.

 

[Jan]

I printed a few books through Lulu in the mid-00s. (I didn't write anything, just printed some things I wanted in hard copy.) The basic printing cost was surprisingly low.

Indeed, for a single individual, I'm sure it was. however, B5 Books had staff and customer service and editor/proofreaders to pay on top of wanting some profit from the venture. Cafe'Press' POD unit is long gone but what I do remember clearly is that *each cover* cost $7-8 and there were per-page charges. That's a hefty starting point for books over 400 pages.

All of which is extremely shortsighted, unless they believed Babylon 5 was totally dead and would soon be forgotten, with no hope of generations of new fans or any kind of revival of the show. Whitfield's The Making of Star Trek has sold a lot of copies over the years, going through any number of reprints, and there's no shortage of similar books for the other Trek series, for Doctor Who, and other SF TV series. Twenty years from now those will still be easy to track down. The B5 books? Nope. It's not just at the expense of fans, it's at the expense of Babylon 5's own posterity.

Not wanting to sound like I'm slamming you but it doesn't really matter whether it was short sighted or not. It is what it is and you're comparing a very small boutique publisher to Ballentine Books. Again, not meaning to sound like a slam, it makes no sense at all to try to compare B5's fanbase to Treks. Maybe if WB had made the show available for constant reruns the way Paramount did with Trek, we'd be having a different conversation. They didn't (talk about shor-sighted!) so we're not.

 

[JD]

Is there any chance that any of the B5 books will be made available as ebooks one day? Del Rey is listed as the publisher of the paperbacks, and they are still in business. If renewed interest in the show happens because of the remaster, do they have the rights to publish ebooks of those original 18 stories?

We'd probably only get e-books if they rereleased the paperbacks. That kind of stuff usually lines up, so we don't usually get e-books without the paperbacks, unless it's something that was specifically published as e-book exclusive.

 

[Steve Roby]

Well, I've just bought JMS's Becoming Superman book, as he says on Twitter that it has a lot on B5. So that's a start.

 

[Jan]

It's definitely a worthwhile read! I wouldn't buy it just for B5 content, though, since the show is only part of his life.