Ubik
Regular
Don't be sad, it wasn't that great. It's a book I can happily live without. I mean, just watch the show!
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The Babylon 5 Preservation Project
- Thread starter Looney
- Start date
Don't be sad, it wasn't that great. It's a book I can happily live without. I mean, just watch the show!
Dusty Satai
Member
Jan
Regular
Curious as to why you're asking here?
Why would you be curious about that? This is a place where some of the folks who signed up visit and post occasionally . . . like yourself (though you seem more interested in why I asked . . .here!?) . . Weird, anyway, I'm hoping one of the others might shed a bit a light on the delivery date for the book (if that's what the May update included).
Jan
Regular
I ask because this isn't exactly the bustling superhighway of B5-dom, nor are any of the old BBS sites. Suffice to say that the first volume continues to be in progress.
Looney
Regular
It did not - at least not that I recall. I can tell you that there was this thing that happened last year that pretty much delayed everything in the world, especially things that required people to meet with other people and go places. 
But as far as Mr. Davis' latest update I don't recall a specific release date update. When he has a firm one locked in I'm sure we'll all know pretty immediately, not just the backers. He did mention he is about to embark on is "final expedition." This was meant to happen in March of 2020, but you will recall the above referenced delay happened right about then.
But as far as Mr. Davis' latest update I don't recall a specific release date update. When he has a firm one locked in I'm sure we'll all know pretty immediately, not just the backers. He did mention he is about to embark on is "final expedition." This was meant to happen in March of 2020, but you will recall the above referenced delay happened right about then.
I prefer BBS style forums – far less cluttered, and more structured than most of the social media platforms - I'm guessing that will be down to them NOT being designed for ease of scrolling on mobile devices.
You being sarcy there Loon - good for you.
I did hear of something happening last year now that you mention it, can't recall what it was though. I asked because, someone else asked a couple of weeks ago - “Any estimate on when the book will be ready?” and Jason replied with “The answer to your question will be in next week's update.” . . . . But as you say apparently it didn't include any kind of timescale or whatever, as far as you can remember. Like the other person asking I wasn't looking for a specific date – just any info on when it might be. Cheers.
Looney
Regular
I completely agree with you on that. FAR LESS clutter. :thumbsup: And it just seems more civilized. :guffaw:
Ubik
Regular
Looney
Regular
Yes a good "civilized" debate. :thumbsup:
LateArrival
Regular
Minor update on the upcoming release, although all the backers should have gotten this via email.
What's better than one book on B5? Four books! Would assume people who originally pledged at the "two copies of the book" level will get Book One and Book Two, although maybe they could ask for two copies of Book One.
What's better than one book on B5? Four
books! Would assume people who originally pledged at the "two copies of the book" level will get Book One and Book Two, although maybe they could ask for two copies of Book One.
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Springer
Regular
Not yet. Although I think a draft of the first book has gone out to proofreaders. I am a bit iffy on how it has expanded to 4 books that we now have to fork out for; there's a fine line between including all the necessary details, and cramming the books with too many unnecessary details. Hopefully it's not the latter.
Jan
Regular
No, it's not quite at the proofreading stage. And far, far more information in the form of interviews and production documents were discovered than were ever thought of when the project started - as I think any donor should be aware of if they're paying the slightest attention. Given the name of the project, I'd suggest that the idea of "cramming" is more than a little insulting to somebody who's proven his worth as a researcher and analyst since...pretty sure 2008 or so.
Jan
(consultant and friend)
LateArrival
Regular
Am a bit rusty on the original details since I signed up days before the kickstarter closed, but if memory serves it was originally intended to be a single (thick) book on B5. Could pledge to receive a copy of the book when it became available, but in addition to weekly-ish updates, if you pledged above a certain level you'd receive two copies. If there was enough material for two books, then you'd receive books I and II instead. Original intention was just to cover B5, but funding was sufficient to include elements after SiL, so we expected book II - if there was a book II - would cover Crusade and the films. But once research and interviews began, there was a LOT (L-O-T) of information collected. Think of the six (or seven) books of the Echoes interview series, then consider that to be the equivalent of Chapter One.
Have got my nose
stuck in other things at the moment, but I believe there was an email earlier this year which mentioned how the four books would go... ...Books I and II might be Seasons 1-5 or something along those lines. As an unrelated example - eight months ago another book on B5 was published (in the UK?) and was over 200+ pages. For what Jason has been compiling, guessing 200+ pages could probably cover just footnotes and references.
Have got my nose
stuck in other things at the moment, but I believe there was an email earlier this year which mentioned how the four books would go... ...Books I and II might be Seasons 1-5 or something along those lines. As an unrelated example - eight months ago another book on B5 was published (in the UK?) and was over 200+ pages. For what Jason has been compiling, guessing 200+ pages could probably cover just footnotes and references.
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Springer
Regular
No, you've taken that completely the wrong way. I've been following his project updates so I am paying attention, thank you very much for your condescension. My profession is writing and editing, a job I've been doing professionally since before 2008, and I know from experience there can be a fine line between just the right amount of information, and too much information, especially in a passion project such as this where it is easy to become lost in the details, without oversight from an editor or publisher above the author. Irrelevant of how much source documentation there is, it has to be distilled into a format that can be easily digested by the reader. It's okay to leave things out, but reading the updates it often seems like there's lots of minutiae and that every little thing is going to be included, which if that is the case it will just bloat the narrative. I'm not saying that has happened as obviously I've not read it and maybe you have, but your snarky reply does not reassure. It is a legitimate concern based on the updates and the fact that it has expanded to 4 books that we now have to pay for, which was not the original deal, and that it has quite massively overrun in time and length, all of which is a warning sign to me. I hope it is all great, I really honestly do, because that would mean we'd get an amazing book project and I'm looking forward to reading it. But from the outside there are warning signs and I'm hesitant about what to expect from it. As a 'donor' I have the right to express concern as anyone would over a project they've invested in, and to suggest otherwise is disingenuous.
[Edit]: to give an example of what I feel like too much minutiae, in one of Jason Davis' updates he sent some example text – it wasn't clear if this was an actual sample from a chapter or not – that was a description of the shooting of an episode. I can't find the update now to quote from, but it was along the lines of at 10.30 they went onto this stage to shoot this scene and the dolly grip did this thing and then at 11.00 then went onto this other soundstage and the cameraman did this technical thing and then they broke for lunch, and then after lunch they went onto this other soundstage... I'm paraphrasing obviously but it came across quite dull and lots of details I'd argue we don't need to know, like the exact shooting order of an episode or everything that the backstage technicians did. As I said it wasn't clear to me if that was an actual sample of the book or not, but if it is then that's the kind of thing I'm talking about. [end edit]
I don't mean to be unfairly critical or 'insulting', this is feedback from a donor. Jason Davis probably knows more about B5 than anybody else on the planet now. But some hard deadlines of when we could expect something (it might not be at proofreading stage, but in a recent update he did say he had sent it out to test readers, so that's forward movement at least and kind of proofreading, depending upon what the test readers do) and more details about the contents and what the book will and won't do would go a long way to reassuring me at least. I don't mind waiting for it – people's circumstances can change, unforeseen things can happen that can slow a project down, or as you say new information becomes available – but at the moment it feels like it's never-ending.
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Jan
Regular
I assume you've shared that feedback where he might actually see it? Otherwise it's not feedback, as I'm certainly not going to report to him every casual criticism I see online
Many fans do like exactly that level of detail and this project continues JMS' goal to pull the curtain away from how TV is made. What's to your taste may or may not be the same as others.
Springer
Regular
Didn't say you had to report it to him. Didn't even think that. I was just making a comment on a message board. You're the one who jumped in and tried to get involved.
So the book is like the example I described above, is what you're saying. Ok.
I'll judge it properly once I've got the finished item in hand, whenever that may be.
Jan
Regular
Involved? Not in the least. I stated what I wanted to state - sort of the purpose of forms, as I recall. But you called it "feedback", a term that usually would include it being directed at somebody who might respond to your concerns.
I didn't say a word about what the book is like or what's in it - that's not my place. I simply responded to what you said.
