Re: Actual B5:TLT News
AnlaShokGrey said:
Well, just to be clear, this was an informed opinion on my part. I've read JMS's short stories, seen a couple of the TZs, and I just don't think that his short form work is up to the same level as his arc and long-form work. So, certainly, he can do more than one style, but how well he does it is obviously a matter of opinion.
Fair enough, and I didn't mean to imply that your opinion was uninformed while I was stating what was informing mine.
So, what did you think of my quilt metaphor? Do you think that could happen, and do you think it would work better with his talents and your tastes if that's indeed what he ends up doing?
Again, I feel a need to clarify. It's not that I only like stories (I'm not even sure what to make of that statement); it's just that the story is the main reason I enjoy Babylon 5. And that last sentence is deceptively not what I said, either. I certainly do enjoy the political intrigue, which is an integral part of B5; what I was trying to say (and obviously failed) is that I don't watch the show because I am keenly interested in, say, the hierarchical structure of Drazi society, or the four hundred and thirteen steps required for a family to become a 'house' in Centauri social structure, or any other sort of 'propellorhead' type of interest like that.
Sorry for mis-paraphrasing. Although with this clarification, I do think I previously got what you were saying, so your previous post was plenty clear. Just me mangling the wording there, apparently. What I thought you were saying when I paraphrased with "only liking stories", was more the implication in negative of that, that I thought you were saying that you weren't jumping over these shorts because they aren't really stories. "if I haven't been jumping up and down over the idea of additional, potentially-one-minute-long adjunct content, it's because I'm primarily interested in stories". That they either couldn't be stories, or that the story content likely wouldn't be compelling enough to qualify as a proper story for you.
And my counterpoint to that was that I thought it could appeal to at least the side of me that also is primarily interested in story, since it can both enhance the bigger stories in the main episodes, and that I thought it was possible to at the same time tell a small but still interesting story in a short format. And that as far as the propeller head stuff goes (if that is what the subject matter ends up being, which I don't think is a given), that I personally would still get something out of it. But only if it was done right, which would for me include some story type framework, which, again, I think is possible. I got something out of the tardisodes, and out of those LotR things, so for me at least, it could be made to work.
Although, was it really that deceptive to paraphrase "I love Babylon 5 for the stories ... not the political structure of the various alien governments" with "the political structure of B5's societies is not why you like the show"?
As long as this adjunct material isn't required viewing, I have no objection to it. I don't really like the current trend towards 'vertical integration' storytelling, where there's a whole bunch of background information in the comic, or in an easter egg that you can get with the video game (assuming you have a game console, and it's the right platform), or as an online viral game, or as an AOL video that they'll send straight to your phone, assuming you have AOL and a video-capable phone. I want my tv viewing to be a complete experience in and of itself.
Well, that's something different than just having issues with the short story format, isn't it? And there is of course an other side to it, which is that if I do get the comic, and play the video game, and read the website, I do want stuff to fit together and to get more out of something than someone who didn't bother with those. I really think it's a balancing act.
To use the new Doctor Who as an example again, that went really heavy on the "vertical storytelling" you mentioned, with the mobile/web mini episodes, and a whole network of in-universe websites, and web games, and in-universe character blogs. To me that just was a ton of fun, and I know most Who fans I've seen online and talked to really enjoyed those things too. It proved to me at least that it could work, both add something to the main television experience, and create something that could hold your interest by itself at times. Just watching the episodes on the beeb every Saturday would still give you a full experience, you just got... more out of the experience as a fan if you did follow along with the side stuff. In fact, my only sort of complaint about it was that they didn't quite do a full blown ARG, and that they actually could've gone further with the web side of things.
I totally agree with you that I wouldn't want them to make these things "required viewing", but at the same time I would want to go "ok, this added to my experience" after I do decide to get the extra stuff. I think you can do both at the same time. Although this is of course a bit of a hypothetical discussion as far as TLT is concerned, since we don't know how the shorts will be distributed, and it could just as likely still be DVD extras.
As for Lost, I really should get around to watching my DVDs of it. Damn things have been gathering dust on my growing "to watch" pile with a bunch of other things. Been playing too many of those video games you mentioned in my free time, actually.
