How important is Babylon 5 canon to you?

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  • Jan
    Moderator
    • Oct 2003
    • 14912

    How important is Babylon 5 canon to you?

    Just for fun, let's see if there's a concensus. There's no right or wrong answer but it's an issue that's important to a lot of fans: whether items produced in a favorite universe is 'canon' or not.

    Canon is defined for this poll as being events or stories in the B5 universe that have been accepted as being 'real to Babylon 5' by JMS and that fans can reasonably expect will not be overturned or significantly contradicted in future stories.
    46
    Completely: I'm not interested if it's not canon.
    47.83%
    22
    Important: I prefer it but will consider non-canon stories.
    47.83%
    22
    Somewhat: Nice touch but not necessary.
    4.35%
    2
    Not at all: I just want more B5 however it comes.
    0.00%
    0
    "As empathy spreads, civilization spreads. As empathy contracts, civilization contracts...as we're seeing now.
  • phazedout
    Confirmed User
    • Aug 2005
    • 1068

    #2
    I bought some of the del books (with the channel 4 imprint in the UK) and they were, without doubt, pure tripe. I prayed that they wereb't canon.

    On the other hand book 1 of the psi corps trilogy was brilliant, and felt fairly canon to me, so I'm 100% canon, If I read something that clashed with the "known" universe it would really annoy me.
    Phaze
    on the "canon" ID
    "There are no good wars. War is always the worst possible way to resolve differences. It degenerates and corrupts both sides to ever more sordid levels of existence, in their need to gain an advantage over the enemy. Those actively involved in combat are almost always damaged goods for the rest of their lives. If their bodies don't bear scars, their minds do, ofttimes both. Many have said it before, but it can't be said to enough, war is hell. "

    Comment

    • AaronB
      Space for rent
      • Dec 2003
      • 643

      #3
      Originally posted by phazedout
      I bought some of the del books (with the channel 4 imprint in the UK) and they were, without doubt, pure tripe. I prayed that they wereb't canon.

      On the other hand book 1 of the psi corps trilogy was brilliant, and felt fairly canon to me, so I'm 100% canon, If I read something that clashed with the "known" universe it would really annoy me.
      Phaze
      on the "canon" ID
      All of the trilogy books (Psi-corp, Centauri Prime and technomages) were based on outlines from JMS so they are pretty much cannon. IIRC only one of the Del books were considered cannon and quite surprisingly was the one written by his wife. I think the title is "To Dream in the City of Sorrows" or something like that.
      ---
      Co-host of The Second Time Around podcast
      www.benedictfamily.org/podcast

      Comment

      • Jan
        Moderator
        • Oct 2003
        • 14912

        #4
        'To Dream in the City of Sorrows' (Dell #9) By Kathryn Drennan (and I love the foreward JMS wrote for that) is considered canon as is 'The Shadow Within' (Dell #7) by Jeanne Cavelos.

        Jan
        "As empathy spreads, civilization spreads. As empathy contracts, civilization contracts...as we're seeing now.

        Comment

        • phazedout
          Confirmed User
          • Aug 2005
          • 1068

          #5
          ah, you see I never got past book #6, I read the first PSi Corps book and decided not to bother with any of the others after tha, soo much beter written.
          Phaze
          on the "taking a wee break from study" ID
          "There are no good wars. War is always the worst possible way to resolve differences. It degenerates and corrupts both sides to ever more sordid levels of existence, in their need to gain an advantage over the enemy. Those actively involved in combat are almost always damaged goods for the rest of their lives. If their bodies don't bear scars, their minds do, ofttimes both. Many have said it before, but it can't be said to enough, war is hell. "

          Comment

          • vacantlook
            Confirmed User
            • Aug 2004
            • 752

            #6
            I picked the "Important" option. I want canon stories, but I am at least somewhat open to non-canon ones. I started out hesitant about the Mongoose stories, but willing to give some degree of my attention. I'm less interested now because of how unprofessional they've come off as now. I had even previously been considering getting some of their RPG material, but I no longer am.

            I'm much to the point of the B5 novels that I am toward Star Wars novels, without some degree of direct involvement of story-creating from the creator of the story's universe, I tend to be uninterested. It's not that I won't read or not like various non-canon stories. But I do ultimately prefer the stories coming from the source of the universe over those coming from fans of that universe writing stories taking place there.

            Comment

            • OmahaStar
              ISN Anchor
              • Oct 2003
              • 1149

              #7
              I'm going to say "important" ... The ones that I will get that aren't by JMS are the ones by the actors - Claudia, with Susan, and Julie with Na'Toth. Other than that, sorry. They've screwed us over already, by bold-faced lying to the fans.
              "Jan Schroeder is insane" - J. Michael Straczynski, March 2008

              The Station: A Babylon 5 Podcast

              Comment

              • Stunning_in_Purple
                Confirmed User
                • Feb 2006
                • 61

                #8
                As far as officially published books go, I prefer canon. I've only read the PsiCorps trilogy, but I liked and I would like to read other books that have been canonized. However, if I'm really hurting for B5 and I don't care about canon, there is always fanfiction. I know that's harsh, but most of that is better written than some of these novels.
                "Sector 87 by 20 by 42. At least a dozen ships have reported seeing something rather godlike in the area, and since neither you nor I were there, it must be one of the first ones." -- Marcus to Ivanova (J. Michael Straczynski)

                Comment

                • OmahaStar
                  ISN Anchor
                  • Oct 2003
                  • 1149

                  #9
                  Originally posted by Stunning_in_Purple
                  As far as officially published books go, I prefer canon. I've only read the PsiCorps trilogy, but I liked and I would like to read other books that have been canonized. However, if I'm really hurting for B5 and I don't care about canon, there is always fanfiction. I know that's harsh, but most of that is better written than some of these novels.
                  And they don't cost money.

                  That's another thing ... Figure each of these books is 10 dollars USD, plus international shipping, since we can't get them in stores here. That's about twice what the old novels were, plus huge shipping charges.

                  For licensed fanfiction.

                  Big deal. I can read fanfiction any time I want, online, for free. If I want them on paper, I just hit the print button, and it's still cheaper.
                  "Jan Schroeder is insane" - J. Michael Straczynski, March 2008

                  The Station: A Babylon 5 Podcast

                  Comment

                  • rallytbk
                    Confirmed User
                    • Jul 2005
                    • 278

                    #10
                    Truth be told, I have only read ôIn ValensÆs Nameö comic booksà But I am also going to say it is "very importantö to keep things canon. I havenÆt read any of the books or fan fiction that has been produced/made due to the fact that I donÆt want to muddy up what the series currently provides.

                    But also as a big fan of "The Terminator" (first movie).
                    If you look at the Terminator movies in general, you will see what I am talking about:

                    After the second movie everyone begged for more, and when it was not provided other writers (so to speak) muddy up the storyline. First it was muddy comics, then the Universal Studios theme park muddy 3D show and then the muddy fan fiction. While the third movie could have been something spectacular and consistant with the storyline, the third movie just failed badly... and in my opinion ruined the franchise.

                    I don't want them to ruin this franchise in the same way and I really hope JMS can control the Babylon 5 universe and keep things canon without loosing his head.
                    "The world is a dangerous place---not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it" --Albert Einstein

                    Comment

                    • frulad
                      Rampantly Irresponsible
                      • Oct 2003
                      • 967

                      #11
                      Here's an even worse example- Star Trek novels. I defy anyone to make a coherent timeline out of that gigantic mess and resolve all of the numerous internal continuity problems.
                      Got movies? www.filmbuffonline.com

                      Comment

                      • David Panzer
                        Bending rules since 1978
                        • Jan 2004
                        • 984

                        #12
                        Originally posted by Jan
                        Just for fun, let's see if there's a concensus. There's no right or wrong answer but it's an issue that's important to a lot of fans: whether items produced in a favorite universe is 'canon' or not.

                        Canon is defined for this poll as being events or stories in the B5 universe that have been accepted as being 'real to Babylon 5' by JMS and that fans can reasonably expect will not be overturned or significantly contradicted in future stories.
                        If the books are made available Stateside, before I purchase them, I'll stand in the bookstore and read it for a bit. If I liked what I've read, then I'll buy and only then. Canon or not.
                        RIP Coach Larry Finch
                        Thank you Memphis Grizzlies for a great season.
                        Play like your fake girlfriend died today - new Notre Dame motivational sign

                        Comment

                        • Satai Delenn
                          Confirmed User
                          • Aug 2004
                          • 249

                          #13
                          Somewhat: Nice touch but not necessary


                          I would like to see some conection to canon but not neccessary I want anyting B5.

                          Comment

                          • Capt.Montoya
                            Ranger Captain
                            • Oct 2003
                            • 773

                            #14
                            If it isn't canon I'm not interested at all.
                            I only bought the B5 trilogies (and the other two important novels) because they were canon.

                            What made B5 unique was precisely that it was one single person's vision. One vision by one man, bringing consistency and depth that nothing else on TV had before.
                            It's analogous to most exemplary and succesful SF series in print, they are one person's vision, that only that person develops, and are great and unique because of it.

                            I wouldn't read a story of the Instrumentality of Mankind by anyone other than Cordwainer Smith (actually that's an impossibility). I wouldn't read a Foundation story not written or outlined by Asimov (the Bear, Brin, Benford, Foundation trilogy was good at tying up loose ends and didn't contradict the Asimovian canon). I will not read B5 stories not written, outlined, or approved by JMS.
                            Such... is the respect paid to science that the most absurd opinions may become current, provided they are expressed in language, the sound of which recalls some well-known scientific phrase
                            James Clerk Maxwell (1831-79)

                            Comment

                            • Ulkosh
                              Confirmed User
                              • May 2006
                              • 73

                              #15
                              Definitely better if canon. It just means more.

                              however i did enjoy one or two of the non-canon novels.
                              In particular Blood Oath was quite readable, and Clark's Law was actually quite good.
                              'The touch of your shadow, the whisper of your name' however is simply appalling.

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