Books and Telepath war

[Kribu]

I really would love to see the short stories (plus maybe some new ones) published again. Getting copies of the original magazines seems to be sort of out of the question. /forums/images/icons/frown.gif

I'd definitely buy that anthology, if it's ever published.

 

[lalaisathome]

I'd just like to say sorry!! /forums/images/icons/blush.gif Didnt know I couldn't do that

But now I know for future reference! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[StarForBram]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Getting copies of the original magazines seems to be sort of out of the question.

[/quote]

I had no problem buying the original magazines on eBay over the last year. You just have to be persistent and patient.

 

[Kribu]

I have no way to pay on e-Bay. /forums/images/icons/frown.gif
PayPal doesn't like Estonians and bank cheque service fees would cost more than the magazines are worth.

 

[channe]

I've read some of the stories and was really not impressed.

 

[KoshN]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
<font color="yellow"> Originally posted by channe: </font color>
I've read some of the stories and was really not impressed.

[/quote]

If I had to rank them (from best to worst), I'd list them as follows:

[*]"Hidden Agendas"
J. M. Straczynski
Babylon 5/Crusade Magazine, May 2000, Number 22
The Ivanova/Warlock Destroyer/Ulkesh's Vorlon Transport/Sheridan/Lyta Story. Very important. Ties in with Crusade and the Technomage Trilogy.

[*]"Genius Loci"
J. M. Straczynski
Amazing Stories, Winter 2000, Number 599
The Lyta / G'Kar Story, after they left B5 in "Objects in Motion" in episode 5-20.

[*]"The Nautilus Coil"
J. Gregory Keyes
Babylon 5/Crusade Magazine, August 2000, Number 24
The Garibaldi/Lyta/Psi Corp/Vorlon story. Connects with "Dark Genesis - The Birth of the Psi Corps"

[*]"The Shadow of His Thoughts"
J. M. Straczynski
Amazing Stories, Summer 1999, Number 597
The Londo Story, shortly after he became emperor in " The Fall of Centauri Prime" episode 5-19.

[*]"Space, Time, and the Incurable Romantic"
J. M. Straczynski
Amazing Stories, Summer 2000, Number 602
The Marcus / Ivanova Story.

[*]"True Seeker"
Fiona Avery
Babylon 5/Crusade Magazine, July 2000, Number 23
The Narn Story (carries on from "Legacies" episode 1-17)



I didn't much care for True Seeker. Hidden Agendas was great.

 

[hypatia]

I have finished most of the B5 books at this point. I think they were all entertaining, some more than others for me personally, but one thing became apparant to me the other day. I began re-reading Foundation. In the first 5 pages that book had me more engaged than any of the B5 novels.

I think they are fine "light" reading. Some of them I would even say are interesting. But I used to read the "Trek" books when I was young. And I just don't think the writing can be compared to science fiction books that stand alone (without being based on a tv series).

Just my personal opinions, of course. And I would never make fun of anyone who thinks these are the best sci-fi books in the world. But I might encourage them to try reading some "stand-alone" sci-fi books.

I just think they are more interesting. And they are not trapped into keeping the readers attention by constantly re-using the same characters over and over again.

I'll probably get and re-read the entire Foundation series. I must have read Foundation over 20 years ago. It's worth re-reading. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[KoshN]

Personally, I like reading books for which actors have already done the roles on TV or in the movies, because it helps me visualize the stories as I read. For me, reading a book is like sticking a DVD in the player, except that instead of appearing on the TV, the story unfolds in my mind's eye (visually and aurally). If an actor has never played the role (e.g. Elizar in The Passing of the Technomages trilogy), I put an actor in there who I think fits the part (e.g. Ian Nottingham from Witchblade, for Elizar).

If no actors have ever played any of the roles, it's a lot more work, and I don't get full enjoyment of the book until the second reading, when I can get some idea of who'd fit in the roles.

 

[GShans]

I'm the same way as KoshN as far as books go.

 

[Kribu]

I've actually liked more or less all the B5 books I've read - some more, some a bit less, but I've found all of them quite OK - as entertainment, as TV show tie-ins, as stories in a universe I've grown to love.

If I want high art in literature, I look elsewhere.

I must say I don't as a rule like scifi books though (not that I've read too many of them), especially ones that take themselves seriously. I've generally found almost all of them boring, so I gave up trying to read standalone scifi books long ago. /forums/images/icons/frown.gif

I suppose I should try again with something some day, but I've been so disillusioned by scifi literature in general that I don't really want to.