Babylon 5 Novels and Graphic Novels - at Mongoose

[David Panzer]

If the new characters play a crucial role during the Shadow War and the Earth Civil War, I wouldn't want to read about that

[Jan]

Just a reminder that, so far at least, there's no distribution to the States. As far as I know, this is Mongoose's first foray into novels so those interested may only be able to get them via Mongoose. Or maybe gaming outlets? I'm not familiar with how gaming tie-ins are distributed.

Jan

[manwithnoname]

Just a reminder that, so far at least, there's no distribution to the States.

Then, of course, Jan adds a bit more info. Oh well, if it's meant to be that I read the B5 novels or not, so be it.

Thanks for the info, Jan.

[vacantlook]

We should also remember that George Lucus cares about two things making money, and making more money.

If GL cared only about making money, then he would have written the prequel trilogy to be all the complaining fans' wet dream instead of writing it to be the story that he wanted to tell.

[ManInTheMiddle]

Yeah, it'd be triply ironic, if Mongoose retconned "The Eye" as a giant totem.

Personally, if JMS says it's not canon: I'm not interested.

[frulad]

Just a reminder that, so far at least, there's no distribution to the States. As far as I know, this is Mongoose's first foray into novels so those interested may only be able to get them via Mongoose. Or maybe gaming outlets? I'm not familiar with how gaming tie-ins are distributed.

Jan

Amazon.uk is showing some of Mongoose's (Mongeese? :P ) gaming books available, so I'm assuming the novels will be available through them as well.

[manwithnoname]

If GL cared only about making money, then he would have written the prequel trilogy to be all the complaining fans' wet dream instead of writing it to be the story that he wanted to tell.

Green Lantern? What does he have anything to do with all of this?








It's a joke. At 2:49am things do seem kinda funny. Heh, heh.

[Dr Maturin]

If anybody wants the books, they'll get'em.

I sincerely hope that the books mainly involve new characters.

[grumbler]

Well, isn't this like the situation with the Star Wars novels that came out in '91? Lucas wasn't beholden to what was written in the books, games, or whatever when he decides to tell another Star Wars story. If that means contradicting a book here or there with his stories, he's the creator. Same thing with this.

If JMS decides to tell another story set in the B5 universe, if he decides to support or contradict what happened, that's his choice.

Right now, not a single word from these B5 novels has been published. So to me, it's similar to say "That movie stinks" or "That book is junk" without having experienced either.

I guess my take on this is "why pay for a B5 fairy tale when well-written ones are available for free?"

Its not like any of the authors they mention are well-known or of known talent. Frankly, I have as much faith in the ability of a committed fan to produce a quality fanfic as I have of some hack who writes for Mongoose's peanuts a word.

The bottom line is that I just don't have the lifespan to waste on something which is purported to be "B5 canon" but which is not, by even your own statement. Hell, I can make up my own answers to the unsolved mysteries of B5.

Count me as a non-sale.

[manwithnoname]

The bottom line is that I just don't have the lifespan to waste on something which is purported to be "B5 canon" but which is not, by even your own statement. Count me as a non-sale.

But if you were a Vorlon and possessed their lifespan, would you consider buying the novels? I mean...you would have the time to give, right?









please, don't take that seriously. it's near bedtime for me, goofiness setting in. ahhhhh, the wonders of the graveyard shift. it was a great 2 days off. "Back to work, slave."

[David Panzer]

While JMS is the creator of B5, Warner Bros. owns the rights to B5. If JMS uses the B5 logo in or on his script books, he would be violating copyright even though he created the series, characters, logos, etc.

If I can obtain a copy of these new books, I'll do so and read them. Then I'll decide whether I liked it.

If it makes people happy, I'll check with Bob Kane before I read another Batman comic. Fair enough?

[Capt.Montoya]

"Top Dollar" at the FirstOnes.com Forums reports that the books have appeared for preorder at Amazon.DE

I checked one title at Amazon.co.UK and there's a page for it, synopsis included.

(This has been a public service announcement for those wishing to search for the announced titles and read synopses, even preorder.)


I remain uninterested. I won't even read the free fanfiction Grumbler mentions (and I actually wouldn't ever read a fanfic, even one highly recommended by other fans) much less pay for fanfics.
Now, I don't doubt that this might be great fanfic, I even suspect that the books will be edited to be as canonical as possible (I believe Mongoose might have access to lots of supplementary info and timelines for their role playing books), but I always prefer original SF.
I read the trilogy of B5 trilogies only because it came from a JMS outline. I read the other two canonical novels two. But even for B5 I'm not interested in an "expanded universe" series of novels.

There's lots of excellent original SF, of new fictional universes to explore, I'd rather spend my money on that.

[Dr Maturin]

Here are links to each book, synopses included.

Baptism of Fire

Birth of Heroes

Actions of Many

Visions of Peace

Ranger Dawning

If they're good, then I think their publication will be great, regardless of JMS's lack of involvement. I loved the fleshing out of the B5 universe in the techno-mage trilogy. But reading the synopses, the books sounds pretty formulaic and boring.

[manwithnoname]

If it makes people happy, I'll check with Bob Kane before I read another Batman comic. Fair enough?

Good morning, WillieSAH. From some interviews about Bob Kane and the creation of Batman, checking in with Bob Kane is cool, but Bill Finger added and tweaked the character to what we have now. Please, check in with him also. Now -- that's fair.



Peace.

[manwithnoname]

If I can obtain a copy of these new books, I'll do so and read them. Then I'll decide whether I liked it.

In the realm of Open-Mindedness, this is actually a realm inside the Negative Zone, WillieSAH's approach is appropriate.

Come on, anybody who's reading comics nowadays are not reading the monthly adventures written by their creators. Somebody's reading all those Buffy and Angel prose novels being published. I haven't, but somewhere out there in the Phantom or Negative Zone (choose your Universe) someone keeps buying them.