ATTN JMS: The Official Guide to J. Michael Straczynski's Babylon

[B5JMS Poster]

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From: sgwm at maitreya.demon.co.uk (sgwm)
Date: 20 May 1998 22:49:04 -0600
Lines: 59

>Comments from JMS: 

>Sierra also produces a B5 CD-ROM encyclopedia, "The Official Guide to 
>J. Michael Straczynski's 'Babylon 5,'" created in cooperation with 
>Babylonian Productions. 

>The first thing out the gate is going to be the B5 guide CDrom, which will 
>be out next month or so. It was done in-house by us, and Sierra is 
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>distributing it. It's the authoritative guide to the races, weapons, ships, 
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>and the world of B5 itself, the locations, other stuff...with a LOT of video 
>from the show, and your choice of three different guides. 
>
>About the name
>I was very iffy on that...I am getting this vague sense that I'm becoming a 
>brand name, and I'm suspicious of that sort of thing. At first they wanted 
>it in a proprietary sense, "J. Michael Straczynski's Guide to the Babylon 5
>Universe," but I vetoed that because Jason Brezhinski did 90% of the actual
>work on the thing, researching every smallest detail shown in the series, 
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>and if anyone should get that credit, it's him. The final title only came 
>about through a lot of haggling. 

The above appears on the Lurker's guide in respect of Sierra's
Official Guide To Babylon 5. I want to pitch in my 2 cents by
complaining that it's complete rubbish and a rip-off. It sucks. And
before the "we can't stand a negative comment" people start bubbling
let me tell you exactly why.

This guide purports to be done in-house, and therefore under close
creative control, and researched in the smallest detail. You yourself
said so and its quoted on the lurkers guide. If this is the case then
can you please explain to me and other people who were disappointed in
their purchase...

1) Why the guide contains no Government\Alien data on Vorlons or
Shadows?

2) Why the guide contains no character reference to Morden, Bester,
Kosh, Lorien, Sinclair all crucial characters but does contain data on
Timothy Chase and Ashi Van Troc - each of whom had a 2 minute segment
in one episode (Long Twilight Struggle and Dust To Dust resp.)?

3) Why the guide contains no pictures of Vorlon or Shadow ships?

Now, call me fussy, but I expect an "Official Guide", written in house
and allegedely researched in every smallest detail to mention Vorlons
and Shadows. It was what 3 seasons of the show was about for heavens
sake. And to omit Morden, Kosh, Sinclair, Lorien and Bester never mind
others at the expense of a couple of non-entity characters who
appeared in the show for just two minutes quite simply astonishes me.

I can find no excuse for this tacky piece of merchandise except trying
to screw some easy money out of the fans. It is lacking in the detail
it boasted about and quite simply not the authoritive guide it boasted
to to be. I bought this on your approval of it and glowing words
above. Simply put, it sucks, totally. A pure waste of money.
Congratulations, the franchise is here at last.

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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Date: 21 May 1998 09:50:02 -0600
Lines: 23

>1) Why the guide contains no Government\Alien data on Vorlons or
>Shadows?
>
>2) Why the guide contains no character reference to Morden, Bester,
>Kosh, Lorien, Sinclair all crucial characters but does contain data on
>Timothy Chase and Ashi Van Troc - each of whom had a 2 minute segment
>in one episode (Long Twilight Struggle and Dust To Dust resp.)
>3) Why the guide contains no pictures of Vorlon or Shadow ships?
>
Because the guide is set in the time period of the fifth season; it is a guide
to B5 *as it is in the fifth year* of the show, at which point the Vorlons and
the Shadows are all gone.  We had to choose which year in which to set the
thing, because of folks going in and out of the story.  We took the conceit
that this is the kind of thing that someone arriving at the station would
reasonbly or conceivably get.  It isn't a guide to the history of B5, it's a
guide to the station, and who's in it, in season 5.


 jms

(jmsatb5 at aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com
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