Londo's Story...?

[ecoplanet]

I just finished watching the series, minus the movies. I just found out that they fill in gaps from the show storyline. I am now gonna go back & watch the whole thing again, this time including the movies in their proper order along with the series. I am hoping one of the movies, fill in the untold story of Londo giving his "gift" to John & Delenn, and what came of that, as well as how he died, since in the last episode Virr is Emperor..?

 

[Jan]

Welcome, ecoplanet

That's not in the movies but it's very well covered in the Centauri Prime trilogy. Finding all three books is a challenge but well worth the reward. I think KoshN has put full info about the trilogies in the FAQ forum.

Jan

 

[ecoplanet]

Are the books "official", as in written by writers that are affiliated with the show?

 

[KoshN]

Are the books "official", as in written by writers that are affiliated with the show?

11 of the novels are official, Dell #7, Dell #9, the Del Rey Psi Corps Trilogy, the Del Rey Centauri trilogy, and the Del Rey Technomage trilogy. For the story of Londo, you obviously want the Centauri trilogy. However, I highly recommend all 11 of these books.

 

[Sindatur]

Are the books "official", as in written by writers that are affiliated with the show?

Welcome EcoPlanet

The 3 Trilogies (Psicorps, Centauri and Technomage) are all blessed by JMS, and based upon outlines from him. Also there are two other books blessed by JMS, "To Dream in the City of Srrows" (Sinclair after he left Babylon 5 and became an Ambassador) written by his wife and one about Sheridan's wife going to Zha'Ha'Dum and waking the Shadows. The other 7 books, not so good. KoshN also goes into details about these in the FAQ forum, I believe.

 

[vacantlook]

Welcome to the board, ecoplanet. As you rewatch the show, feel free to drop by each episode's respective episode discussion thread (the "EpDis" threads) and post your thoughts on the episodes.

As the others here said, Londo's gift gets covered in the Centauri novel trilogy. As for how Londo died, we know that from the dream of his death that he tells us about in the first episode of season one, "Midnight On The Firing Line," from seeing him dreaming that dream in season two's "The Coming of Shadows," and from seeing it actually occur in season three's "War Without End, Part 2."

 

[KoshN]

As for how Londo died, we know that from the dream of his death that he tells us about in the first episode of season one, "Midnight On The Firing Line," from seeing him dreaming that dream in season two's "The Coming of Shadows," and from seeing it actually occur in season three's "War Without End, Part 2."

....and from the end of "In the Beginning."

 

[Battlestar]

I'm searching for the books now as well. The Psi Corp Trilogy and Techno-Mage Trilogy shouldn't be hard to find. But trying to get the full set for the Centauri Trilogy is driving me nuts. Not only is it only hard to find the 3rd book but this is the story I most want to read to it conclusion

 

[babylonfan]

I'm searching for the books now as well. The Psi Corp Trilogy and Techno-Mage Trilogy shouldn't be hard to find. But trying to get the full set for the Centauri Trilogy is driving me nuts. Not only is it only hard to find the 3rd book but this is the story I most want to read to it conclusion

Rather then trying to go for 3 loose soft-cover books, you might want to try your look at the hard-cover book that bundles the Centauri trilogy. That's what I did and in the end the price of the hard-cover bundle was the same as what some people where asking just for book 3.

 

[Battlestar]

I'm searching for the books now as well. The Psi Corp Trilogy and Techno-Mage Trilogy shouldn't be hard to find. But trying to get the full set for the Centauri Trilogy is driving me nuts. Not only is it only hard to find the 3rd book but this is the story I most want to read to it conclusion

Rather then trying to go for 3 loose soft-cover books, you might want to try your look at the hard-cover book that bundles the Centauri trilogy. That's what I did and in the end the price of the hard-cover bundle was the same as what some people where asking just for book 3.

Where can you get that?

 

[JoeD80]

this time including the movies in their proper order along with the series.

With the exception of "In the Beginning" the movies aren't really tied into the five-year arc (although I think they are enjoyable.)

I am hoping one of the movies, fill in the untold story of Londo giving his "gift" to John & Delenn, and what came of that, as well as how he died, since in the last episode Virr is Emperor..?

Basically, the events of Objects at Rest involving Londo and the "gift" as well as the Drakh's threat of having laid fusion bombs around Centauri Prime lead to the future events of War Without End. The clues are there in the series although the Centauri Trilogy books go into much greater detail of what happens between 2262 and 2278.

 

[KoshN]

I'm searching for the books now as well. The Psi Corp Trilogy and Techno-Mage Trilogy shouldn't be hard to find. But trying to get the full set for the Centauri Trilogy is driving me nuts. Not only is it only hard to find the 3rd book but this is the story I most want to read to it conclusion

Rather then trying to go for 3 loose soft-cover books, you might want to try your look at the hard-cover book that bundles the Centauri trilogy. That's what I did and in the end the price of the hard-cover bundle was the same as what some people where asking just for book 3.

Where can you get that?

eBay or Amazon (used resellers). The Omnibus hardcover editions were from the Science Fiction Book Club, but I found mine on eBay. Sure would be nice if the 11 paperbacks were available for Kindle and iPad. You can vote for the books to be made available for the Kindle, on Amazon.com. I've voted for all 11 of the canon Babylon 5 paperbacks.

 

[ecoplanet]

Thanks everyone for your warm welcome. I just ordered the first book of the Centauri Trilogy. I read the author of these books wrote some episodes for the show too. Anyone know if that is true?

When you all say the books have been "blessed" by J. Michael Straczynski, do you mean that he took part in writing this trilogy along with the author, or that this is all the author's vision, but that J. Michael Straczynski read it & said that it was fine to publish them?

Oh, that book mentioned about Sheridan's wife waking the Shadows on Za'Ha"dum sounds good, anyone know the name of it?

 

[Jan]

Peter David, who wrote the Centauri trilogy wrote 'Soul Mates' and 'There All the Honor Lies' for B5 and 'Ruling from the Tomb' for Crusade.

JMS wrote outlines for the three troliogies, about 10 pages each, as I recall.

Jan

 

[KoshN]

Thanks everyone for your warm welcome. I just ordered the first book of the Centauri Trilogy. I read the author of these books wrote some episodes for the show too. Anyone know if that is true?

Peter David, yes, though offhand, I don't know which ones. Check The Lurker's Guide.
http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/

He also wrote at least one Crusade episode. JMS has been known to say that Peter David is part Centauri.

When you all say the books have been "blessed" by J. Michael Straczynski, do you mean that he took part in writing this trilogy along with the author, or that this is all the author's vision, but that J. Michael Straczynski read it & said that it was fine to publish them?

JMS gave the author 10-20 page outlines, the author wrote the novels, fleshing out the details, and JMS approved the final result.

Oh that book mentioned about Sheridan's wife waking the Shadows on Za'Ha"dum sounds good, anyone know the name of it?

"The Shadow Within" Dell/Del Rey #7. See the FAQ.

 

[JoeD80]

Joe said his outlines were about 30 - 85 pages per trilogy. The 10 page number refers to a single book in the trilogy.

Peter David's Babylon 5 credits (to put them all in one place in this thread):

Episodes: "Soul Mates", "There All the Honor Lies", "Ruling from the Tomb" [Crusade]
Unproduced Script: "Gut Reactions" (co-written with Bill Mumy)
Books: In the Beginning, Thirdspace, Legions of Fire/Centauri Trilogy
Comics: In Valen's Name, Parts 2 & 3

 

[Jan]

Thanks for the correction, JoeD80. I'd forgotten that the number he gave was per book, not per trilogy. For somebody who hates outlining, that's quite a lot.

Jan