JMS on CompuServe (Jul 17, 1996) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*

[Brent Barrett]

 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WARNING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 The following posts may contain SPOILERS for
 upcoming Babylon 5 episodes.

 Continue at your own risk.

 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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 THE FOLLOWING MATERIAL IS THE COPYRIGHT OF THE
 RESPECTIVE MESSAGE AUTHORS AND CANNOT BE 
 REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT THE EXPRESSED
 PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR.  
 
 Note that JMS has expressed his public permission 
 that all of his messages may be reproduced freely.

 I give permission for my summaries to be reposted in
 any form, however I reserve all rights to them and
 the right to revoke this permission at any time.


 [ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
    Sb: #541041-Previously on Babylon 5
    Sb: #540611-Bored of the Rings
    Sb: #540778-Thoughts + Positions
    Sb: #540701-<<Avalon & Delenn>>
    Sb: #540895-<WWE1 - dialog>
    Sb: #540609-B5 Fan Club Kit!
    Sb: #540840-B5 and its  Morals


 #: 541041 S5/Babylon 5: General
    16-Jul-96  21:52:33
Sb: #539073-#Previously on Babylon 5
Fm: DON CROSSMAN

  > Thanks.  It's kind of like building a text-hologram, I suppose....
  >
  >                                                                    jms

While the whole may be greater than the sum of the parts, the parts are well wor
th examining!

To second Bill Hirst's observation:  After watching I&E for the the ~6th time, I
 was still
surprised at Kosh's dialog.  I know that every word uttered by Kosh is important
, but it
still took a while to realize how _much_ he really said.  --And I am not sure I
have a handle
on everything yet!!--

In some ways, it reminds me of Gene Wolfe's "Book of the New Sun" books.  The mo
re I read them,
the more I realize I missed before.

--Don Crossman


 #: 541170 S5/Babylon 5: General
    17-Jul-96  00:42:07
Sb: #541041-Previously on Babylon 5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      Thanks.  I know the feeling; I get the same reaction when I read Jonathan
Carroll's books.  It's the nearest thing I've seen in writing to close-up
magic, it's *right there* in your face, and you can't see how he's doing it.
If the stuff in I&E came even close to that, then I'm happy.

                                                                    jms



 #: 540611 S5/Babylon 5: General
    16-Jul-96  05:12:10
Sb: #540560-#Bored of the Rings
Fm: ART W. SULLIVAN

I have a feeling that you have all your email responses for the last 3 years,
your doing cut and paste like crazy, and haven't typed anything in a year and
half.  May be I could get Oliver Stone interested in the Idea.

But on to the question.  Contrary to other peoples worries, do you feel, that
it will be easier getting B5 renewed for year 5, than it was for year 4?  The
reason being that syndication sales of series require a certain number of
episodes, and more episodes past the minimum can raise the per episode value.
Now that WB has shelled out the money for 4 years of B5, even if rating dropped
slightly ( not that they will ), wouldn't it be better to complete year 5 and
try for a greater syndication price based on a 5 year complete series than a
partially completed 4 year run?

Art Sullivan


 #: 541171 S5/Babylon 5: General
    17-Jul-96  00:42:08
Sb: #540611-Bored of the Rings
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      It's a sensible position, yes.  Let us hope they can be reasonable.

                                                                    jms



 #: 540778 S5/Babylon 5: General
    16-Jul-96  13:41:17
Sb: #Thoughts + Positions
Fm: RICHARD WAKEFIELD

Joe,

How do you get around and reply too so many messages ? I am a subscriber to a
mailing list that shows these, and you really *do* get around and reply
quickly, on a multitude of services, AOL, Genie, Compuserve, etc - well done. I
am a new-ish UK Member and I'd like to congratulate you on Babylon 5, it's
certainly interesting and the episodes are so varied.  I know you've always had
a plan, but how did you work it all out in your head, all the dates, races,
ideas, concepts, characters....it was surely a massive task, and one I don't
think many people could do.

I read a message the other week dated 1994 I think, saying that you were sort
of in the process of establishing *where* the races were (a starmap), etc. All
I would like to know is are *all* the races, including Vorlons and Shadows
between 2-4 days hyperspace from B5 ? We know Earth is 3 days, Centauri Prime
is 4 days.Someone said the Vorlon Homeword was 4 days, and Narn 2 days...can
you confirm this ? I know you probably don't keep this information in your head
!  Are the shadows far away, just a couple of days ? They just seem to pop in
now and again, cause damage and away they go, and the idea of the organic
ships/ tech was a brilliant idea - better than the boring, same old ships.

Thanks again,

Richard


 #: 541173 S5/Babylon 5: General
    17-Jul-96  00:42:13
Sb: #540778-Thoughts + Positions
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      The majority of races are within that range because that's as far as
they've gone in putting in navigational beacons, without which traveling in
hyperspace can be extremely dangerous.  You sort of inch your way outwards.

      And thanks...it is a massive task, moreso than most folks will ever know,
or should ever know...but it's worth it in the end.

                                                                    jms


 [ Summary: A new CIS poster thanks JMS for an earlier reply and goes on
   to ask, "Was the resolution of the Sinclair character part of your 
   original design or an act prompted by circumstances beyond your 
   control?" ]

 #: 541175 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
    17-Jul-96  00:42:17
Sb: #540701-<<Avalon & Delenn>>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      It was prompted by needs that developed in the story.

                                                                    jms


 [ Summary: Asks if Sinclair had slipped back into English when he spoke
   of being like an arrow from a bow on the bridge of the White Star.
   The way the question was phrased leaves JMS' reply very ambiguous. ]

 #: 541176 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
    17-Jul-96  00:42:20
Sb: #540895-<WWE1 - dialog>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      No, he slid into Minbari at that point to try and conceal what was being
said from the others on the bridge.

                                                                    jms


 [ Summary: An Australian fan wants to know if he can pay extra to have his
   fan club stuff shipped via Air Mail. ]

 #: 541194 S5/Babylon 5: General
    17-Jul-96  01:12:30
Sb: #540609-B5 Fan Club Kit!
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      We're shipping all foreign orders airmail rather than surface and just
eating the cost difference.

                                                                    jms


 [ Summary: A lengthy letter to the Zocolo newsletter about the moral 
   statements Babylon 5 is making about the troubles with our modern
   world. ]

 #: 541195 S5/Babylon 5: General
    17-Jul-96  01:12:31
Sb: #540840-B5 and its  Morals
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      I'd actually offer that we're not a moral show at all, but rather an
ethical show.  We don't generally tell people what to think, or which road they
have to take.  Rather, we raise ethical issues for the purpose of provoking
discussion so people can define their stands for themselves.

                                                                    jms


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