Dark Genesis: The Birth of the Psi Corps (Babylon 5) [Mass Market Paperback]

J. Gregory Keyes (Author)

Book Description

Series: Babylon 5 (Paperback Ballantine) | Publication Date: August 29, 1998

Long before the Babylon 5 space station brought Humans face-to-facewith alien races, they discovered an extraordinary breed among their very own . . .

The year is 2115. Shock waves follow in the wake of astonishing news: science has proven the existence of telepaths. Amid media frenzy, panic, and bloodshed, Earth's government steps in to restore order--and establish tight control over the newfound special population . . . by any means necessary.

Ambitious senator Lee Crawford spearheads the effort, overseeing the creation of the Psi Corps--an elite unit charged with tagging and monitoring all telepaths "for their own protection." But the real agenda behind the crackdown is one of government control. Many question the telepaths' origins, while others view them as a coveted weapon. As the Corps tightens its iron grip, the stage is set for a cataclysmic confrontation--one in which the future of Earth will be decided.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The fabric of B5 is astonishingly literary in scope and style, and it posed a major challenge. Even though we knew the viewers were intelligent--prime readers--we had to convince them the books we would produce were necessary to the telling of the saga.

The answer: we hired series creator J. Michael Straczynski to outline the stories. If the fans perceive our books as canon--part of the story they can't get anywhere else--that'd hook 'em. But it had to be the truth. We can't just make up something cute, then claim it's real. It has to be real. Straczynski made it so. What remained was the task of finding the actual novel writer.

I'd met J. Gregory Keyes at conventions, and he'd revealed to me that he didn't get Babylon 5 where he lived. The solution: he had friends who taped hours and hours of the show, then they would all spend weekends together in B5 video-fests (which usually involved a great deal of beer, as well). B5, he confided, was the only media SF he followed religiously. So when I asked Greg if he'd like to write our first B5 novel trilogy, featuring Psi Corps, he jumped at the chance. The result has been the best Babylon 5 fiction ever written--just ask Mr. Straczynski himself.

--Steve Saffel, Senior Editor

From the Inside Flap

Long before the Babylon 5 space station brought Humans face-to-facewith alien races, they discovered an extraordinary breed among their very own . . .

The year is 2115. Shock waves follow in the wake of astonishing news: science has proven the existence of telepaths. Amid media frenzy, panic, and bloodshed, Earth's government steps in to restore order--and establish tight control over the newfound special population . . . by any means necessary.

Ambitious senator Lee Crawford spearheads the effort, overseeing the creation of the Psi Corps--an elite unit charged with tagging and monitoring all telepaths "for their own protection." But the real agenda behind the crackdown is one of government control. Many question the telepaths' origins, while others view them as a coveted weapon. As the Corps tightens its iron grip, the stage is set for a cataclysmic confrontation--one in which the future of Earth will be decided.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (August 29, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345427157
• ISBN-13: 978-0345427151
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.6 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (67 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #422,685 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Series

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good book, February 20, 2000

By 

Lila Ioan (Bucharest, Romania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Genesis: The Birth of the Psi Corps (Babylon 5) (Mass Market Paperback)

After reading (and enjoying) this book, I realised that it should not be judged in relation to the TV show. It is canon, as are most of the Babylon 5 books, but it does not somehow completly click together with the TV show, and the arcs in it. The telepath arc here is far too Earth-tied to do that. But as a book itself, it is very good. We get to see what happened since the beginning of the telepaths, through the arrival of the Centauri and so on, up until the birth of (SPOILER). We see brilliant political machinations, ancestors of telepaths in the show (Lyta Alexander, Talia Winters), and how the Psi Corps slowly gets more and more power. We also get well thought out characters, and most of them are not what they seem, although I felt that some stories were rushed. I would say that this book is worth buying by Babylon fans, especially if they like the telepaths stories. Those who prefer space battles/aliens/wars should maybe look for it at a friend's house.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars insight into Psi Corps, May 17, 2000

By 

TammyJo Eckhart "TammyJo Eckhart" (Bloomington, Indiana United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Dark Genesis: The Birth of the Psi Corps (Babylon 5) (Mass Market Paperback)

I was intrigued and disappointed by the telepaths in the Babylong Five television series -- too much about the normals! I snatched up this book as soon as I found it. I was not disappointed. The characters seem believable and the action fast paced. Leaves you wanting more.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A throughly interesting read., October 31, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Ramsgate Kent) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Genesis: The Birth of the Psi Corps (Babylon 5) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book in a some what hurried view explains the history of propably one of the most intersting aspects of the Babylon 5 genre. In a sense you could look at this book as a future history as it is not set at the current time of events in the B5 universe. If you are well versed in B5 this book will effortlesly add to your knowledge and deliver invaliable incite into the Psi-Corps history. If on the other hand you are knew to B5 this book will begin to establish a solid foundation for you to use to expand your interest in the subject.