Babylon 5 Season By Season: 1 - Signs and Portents Pb (A Channel Four Book) [Paperback]

Jane Killick (Author)

Book Description

Series: A Channel Four Book | Publication Date: March 6, 1997

A guide to the first season of the television science-fiction saga, "Babylon 5", with detailed plot summaries and accounts of the making of each episode and the seven-year battle of the creator, Joe Straczynski, to bring the series to the screen. Interviews with cast and crew members are included.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Through trial and error (and books I won't name) I learned a hard lesson: don't do books unless the source material is good. Books based on movies and television have to stand on their own, entertain without the benefit of a screen. Exciting characters, action, mystery, political intrigue, technology, race relations, romance--excellent fiction incorporates all of the genres. With Babylon 5, the series had been envisioned as a five-year epic, and that epic sports one helluva backstory. That backstory has held the attention of millions of viewers for five seasons--these are dedicated and constant supporters.

All well and good, but I'd been stung before. Initially, I was skeptical. It wasn't until I visited the Babylon 5 studios, met with series creator J.Michael Straczynski, watched the actors at work, that I saw the creative spirit that drove them. The hours they put in are painful to watch. I'm pretty sure Straczynski doesn't actually sleep--he wrote the lion's share of the episodes, including two that won Hugo Awards.

So I was convinced. Now we've got four million hard-core viewers to convert. At least we know the target audience.

--Steve Saffel, Senior Editor --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Inside Flap

Now in its fifth hit season, Babylon 5--TV's hottest interstellar science fiction phenomenon--has spawned its own series of definitive episode guides! Catch up on all the action, show by show, from the very beginning with the Babylon 5: Season by Season guidebooks.

Babylon 5: Signs and Portents, kicks off with a foreword by actor Michael O'Hare, better known to viewers as Commander Sinclair, and features a fascinating look at how series creator J. Michael Straczynski brought his ambitious vision to the screen.

Then launch into a comprehensive overview of the groundbreaking premiere season, including in-depth, episode-by-episode summaries of all of the first twenty-two shows--from the pilot, "The Gathering," through the climactic season finale, "Chrysalis"--with analysis by author and B5 expert Jane Killick.

Veteran viewers or first-time fans, relive the adventure--or find out what you've been missing--with the complete companions to Babylon 5! --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Boxtree Ltd; paperback / softback edition (March 6, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0752223089
• ISBN-13: 978-0752223087
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,522,199 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jane Killick made a name for herself writing magazine articles for the likes of SFX, TV Zone and Starburst where she specialised in media science fiction, especially cult television shows. It was a career that led to many exciting adventures, including causing £250 damage to a rental car on the Isle of Mann ("the stationary object came straight at me"!) and using Gerry Anderson's home toilet (yes, the Thunderbirds man!). Books naturally followed, the most famous being the Babylon 5: Season-by-Season Guides.

Meanwhile, she continued her radio career, having trained as a radio journalist. She presented the afternoon show at BBC Three Counties Radio for about a year, and can still be heard on the station reading the news.

These days, she's concentrating on writing fiction, with her science fiction novel for young adults, Perceivers, under the name J. Killick

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good book for fans, but if you are new to the show...., August 18, 2001

By 

4 a.m. Reader (Southwest US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Signs and Portents (Babylon 5: Season by Season, Book 1) (Paperback)

This is a really good book series for B5 fans. It makes a great companion & fun reading after you have watched each show. But I would recommend it mainly for those that have seen the series & are watching it again. The reason I say that is because it is laced with spoilers all throughout the commentaries. That's fine if you've seen the whole thing already, but it stinks if you are watching it for the first time. If you don't mind that sort of thing...go for it, but this is the only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars. For a good "non-spoiler" companion guide, I highly recommend The Babylon File: The Definitive Unauthorized Guide to J. Michael Straczynski's TV Series Babylon 5 by Andy Lane Versions 1 & 2. He shows no mercy sometimes. If he does or doesn't like the show, he let's you know. But it's a blast to read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Guide to a Great Series, August 4, 2003

By 

Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Signs and Portents (Babylon 5: Season by Season, Book 1) (Paperback)

Babylon 5 was unique in television. The main plot for the entire series was mapped out before the show even started. As a result, it developed a loyal fan base that still loves it.

This book is the first in a series of five episode guides to the series. Covering the first season, it has a separate chapter for each of the twenty-two episodes, plus the pilot. Each starts with a plot summary, but then goes into behind the scenes stories and commentaries. Through interviews with cast, crew, and creator J. Michael Straczynski, author Jane Killick is able to give a full picture of what went into each episode. Some of my favorite parts are the stories of bloopers or jokes the cast played on each other. I also find the summaries useful if I'm looking for a particular episode to rewatch.

Starting out the book is an interesting chapter about the five year struggle the producers had to get the show on the air. It really gave me a new appreciation for what JMS went through to make his vision a reality.

Also included is a season 1 overview. While I might not agree with all of the author's commentary, I find her perspective interesting.

Any fan will love to have this well researched book for a behind the scenes look at a wonderful piece of science fiction television history.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an excellent companion to a video collection, April 5, 1999

By 

david lykens "mx998" (port matilda, pa USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Signs and Portents (Babylon 5: Season by Season, Book 1) (Paperback)

I have taped all of the shows, & proceed to watch them at my own leisure one by one. After watching each episode, I then read the synopsis of the episode out of the book. It tends to make some minute things come to life.Things that I consider minor, are shown to be of great importance by the creator. The insights on why things were done, the timing of those things, it was all very excellent. I reccommend it for any real Baylon 5 fan. There is sooo much to learn from this series of books.