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Good news about "B5" books

J

Joseph DeMartino

Moderator
Good news about \"B5\" books

In a recent post on the ISN site author Jeanne Cavelos (The Technomage Trilogy) mentioned that her early B5 novel The Shadow Within will be reissued by Del Rey books in December 2002.

Some of you may remember a grass-roots letter-writing campaign promoted on the internet a few months ago, encouraging Del Rey to reissue at least some of the early B5 novels originally published by Dell Books back when the series was still on the air. These have long been out of print in the U.S. If I'm not mistaken our own KoshN sent an e-mail to the executive in charge of the B5 novels at Del Rey, and received a reply saying that they were considering reprinting the books, beginning with the most requested (To Dream in the City of Sorrows and The Shadow Within), and were making preliminary inquiries about acquiring the rights to them.

Evidently they have made progress, since Jeanne posted on November 5th that she had just received the word from Del Rey.

So if you've been searching for dog-eared used copies of the books, or discouraged by the high prices on some on-line auction sites, you now have another option. If you have the patience you can wait about a year and by a brand-new unread copy of these hitherto elusive books. (I already have a copy of Shadow, and a battered original printing of To Dream, but I'll probably buy the new Del Rey edition of each anyway.
smile.gif
)

Regards,

Joe

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Joseph DeMartino
Sigh Corps
Pat Tallman Division
joseph-demartino@att.net
 
Re: Good news about \"B5\" books

Excellent. I still haven't read the 3rd book "Blood Oath" and I can't seem to find it. Mayhaps is time I made my first internet transaction.
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May the light of the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha protect you.

May you all be well and happy, free from suffering, free from sickness.
 
Re: Good news about \"B5\" books

Joe, that is great news! I must have gotten very lucky, because I picked up used copies easily and fairly quickly through amazon.com But the longer a book is out of print, the more expensive it gets.

It can only be a good thing if these books are marketed again. I'm glad to hear it is happening.

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"I do not believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense,
reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use."-- Galileo

"I think I speak for Mr. Bloom and myself when I say: you are the only director in the World who can do justice to 'Springtime For Hitler' " - Zero Mostel, The Producers
 
Re: Good news about \"B5\" books

Great. I had no trouble with To Dream... (AngelSummers, this and most other numbered ones, such as Blood Oath, were at least recently still available on some UK online sites, amazon.co.uk for example) but haven't managed to find The Shadow Within anywhere - to be honest, I haven't really looked for it on any used books site either.

So this is good news indeed.
smile.gif


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"Narns, Humans, Centauri... we all do what we do for the same reason: because it seems like a good idea at the time." - G'Kar, Mind War
Kribu's Lounge
 
Re: Good news about \"B5\" books

Do you want a signed copy of "The Shadow Within"? Well just E-mail the author her self at jcavelos@sff.net and ask her if she still have any copys left. She will sign it. It will cost you $8.50. $5.50 for the book and $3.00 for S/H. You should all check isnnews.net. Thats where Jeanne Cavelos chats.

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Webmaster for B5:A2
Babylon 5: Armada II
A MOD for Star Trek: Armada II
www.geocities.com/babylon5armda2
 
Re: Good news about \"B5\" books

I have "The Shadow Within". I can lend it to anyone except you would probably be on the other end of the world.
frown.gif
Sorry Kribu. Where is Estonia anyway may I ask? I'm from Malaysia.

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May the light of the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha protect you.

May you all be well and happy, free from suffering, free from sickness.
 
Re: Good news about \"B5\" books

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Joseph DeMartino:
Some of you may remember a grass-roots letter-writing campaign promoted on the internet a few months ago, encouraging Del Rey to reissue at least some of the early B5 novels originally published by Dell Books back when the series was still on the air. These have long been out of print in the U.S. If I'm not mistaken our own KoshN sent an e-mail to the executive in charge of the B5 novels at Del Rey, and received a reply saying that they were considering reprinting the books, beginning with the most requested (To Dream in the City of Sorrows and The Shadow Within), and were making preliminary inquiries about acquiring the rights to them.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Right, that was Steve Saffel's 08/22/2001 reply.

Book #7 for December 2002? My, the wheels do grind slowly. Well, at least they're moving forward.
cool.gif


I wonder if they're going to do a simultaneous release of book #9, or wait to see how well book #7 does.

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KoshN
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Vorlon Empire

"To Live and Die in Starlight"
pilot movie for "Babylon 5 - The Legend of the Rangers"
January 19, 2002 at 9PM on The Sci-Fi Channel. http://www.scifi.com/b5rangers/


[This message has been edited by KoshN (edited November 19, 2001).]
 
Re: Good news about \"B5\" books

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Kribu:
Great. I had no trouble with To Dream... (AngelSummers, this and most other numbered ones, such as Blood Oath, were at least recently still available on some UK online sites, amazon.co.uk for example) but haven't managed to find The Shadow Within anywhere - to be honest, I haven't really looked for it on any used books site either.

So this is good news indeed.
smile.gif


<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Damn! Wished I would have known. I put my extra copies up on rastb5m because somebody there asked for them.

I had one extra copy of The Shadow Within (Book #7, used but in nice shape, only had spine crease marks) and one copy of To Dream of the City of Sorrows (Book #9, new, UK edition). Both are currently spoken for, though. Book #9 is going to the state of Washington (not D.C.), and Book #7 is going to England (in a trade deal for the B5 Cookbook).

I bought several copies of Book #7 and #9 for Christmas presents last year, miscounted, and wound up with one extra copy of each. At the time, early November 2000, I could only find Book #7 at used book dealers. I bought my copies of Book #9 at Amazon UK.

To Everybody: Let people here know what you're looking for. We might have an extra copy, or know where to find one.

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KoshN
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Vorlon Empire

"To Live and Die in Starlight"
pilot movie for "Babylon 5 - The Legend of the Rangers"
January 19, 2002 at 9PM on The Sci-Fi Channel. http://www.scifi.com/b5rangers/


[This message has been edited by KoshN (edited November 19, 2001).]
 
Re: Good news about \"B5\" books

No problem, KoshN - to be honest, I'm not that interested in The Shadow Within.
smile.gif


Sure, it would be nice to get to read it, but that is something I can either wait for or live without. That's why I just checked a few stores, came to the conclusion that it can't be bought new, and didn't bother looking any further.

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"Narns, Humans, Centauri... we all do what we do for the same reason: because it seems like a good idea at the time." - G'Kar, Mind War
Kribu's Lounge
 
Re: Good news about \"B5\" books

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Kribu:
No problem, KoshN - to be honest, I'm not that interested in The Shadow Within.
smile.gif

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You should be. It's perfect to read just before Casting Shadows.

smile.gif


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KoshN
-------------
Vorlon Empire

"To Live and Die in Starlight"
pilot movie for "Babylon 5 - The Legend of the Rangers"
January 19, 2002 at 9PM on The Sci-Fi Channel.
http://www.scifi.com/b5rangers/
 
Re: Good news about \"B5\" books

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>I wonder if they're going to do a simultaneous release of book #9, or wait to see how well book #7 does.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't think so. Steve Saffel was talking about re-publishing all the Dell books back in August, and that presumably was based on how well the current novels are selling. I think the rights issue was more of a stumbling block than the sales. And the wheels of the publishing industry do grind exceedingly slow.

Though "instant books" do happen, they are very much the exception. There is nothing unusual about it taking nine months or a year from final approval of a manuscript until the physical book is ready to ship to the stores. In the case of the Dell Books they'll have to be retypeset and proof-read, new cover art will have to be commissioned, new cover designs created, jacket copy written, etc. And this will need to be done for all twelve books. If they release them in order and ship one or two a month starting in the spring or summer, getting to #7 by next December would actually be pretty quick.
smile.gif


Regards,

Joe


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Joseph DeMartino
Sigh Corps
Pat Tallman Division
joseph-demartino@att.net
 
Re: Good news about \"B5\" books

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Kribu:
No problem, KoshN - to be honest, I'm not that interested in The Shadow Within.

You should be. It's perfect to read just before Casting Shadows. - Kosh N<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I second that. If you've enjoyed the Technomage books and/or have an interest in exactly what happened with Anna Sheridan and the Icarus (and what made Morden the man we see in the series) you want to read The Shadow Within, even if you don't know it yet.

Adam:

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Do you want a signed copy of The Shadow Within? Well just E-mail the author herself...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I was hesitant about posting that information because I was pretty sure that Jeanne had run out of copies and I'd feel bad if she were deluged with requests from fans she was going to have to disappoint by telling them as much. My own copy of the book is a mint-condition copy that she autographed.

Since starting this thread I've learned that Jeanne had indeed run out of copies awhile ago, but just recently came across some more books while rummaging through a closet looking for something else. So B5LR members might get lucky if they write soon. Like I said, I'll probably buy an extra copy (or two
smile.gif
) next year just so it "fits" with look of the Del Rey novels on my bookshelf, and I'll certainly replace the battered, frequently-read copy of To Dream in the City of Sorrows that I bought when the show was still in production.

Regards,

Joe

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Joseph DeMartino
Sigh Corps
Pat Tallman Division
joseph-demartino@att.net
 
Re: Good news about \"B5\" books

I still have four of the original nine, including To Dream... and The Shadow Within. I gave the rest away, but if they re reprinted I will buy them just to help sales in the hope that another trilogy will be commissioned.
crazy.gif


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I always seem to be diagonally parked in a parallel universe.
 
Re: Good news about \"B5\" books

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Joseph DeMartino:

If you've enjoyed the Technomage books and/or have an interest in exactly what happened with Anna Sheridan and the Icarus (and what made Morden the man we see in the series) you want to read The Shadow Within, even if you don't know it yet.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I haven't read the Technomage books (yet; I've ordered all three and am just waiting for the release of the third one before I get them).

Frankly, I only decided to get them since everyone's raving about how great they are.
laugh.gif
I did think of skipping them...
blush.gif


As for the plot of The Shadow Within... well, as I said, I have really not been that interested in it. Mildly curious, sure, but not enough to go out of my way to find the book.
smile.gif


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"Narns, Humans, Centauri... we all do what we do for the same reason: because it seems like a good idea at the time." - G'Kar, Mind War
Kribu's Lounge
 
Re: Good news about \"B5\" books

But it's possible to understand and enjoy the Technomage books even without reading The Shadow Within first?

I agree with Lyta in that The Shadow Within seems to be about the characters I really didn't care about (well, I suppose I have to admit the Sheridans were somewhat important to the B5 storyline...
wink.gif
) so I just haven't felt like reading more about them in a book.

I'll wait. I'm stubborn, you know.
smile.gif


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"Narns, Humans, Centauri... we all do what we do for the same reason: because it seems like a good idea at the time." - G'Kar, Mind War
Kribu's Lounge
 
Re: Good news about \"B5\" books

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>But it's possible to understand and enjoy the Technomage books even without reading The Shadow Within first?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Absolutely. The opening of the first technomage books, and the subsequent appearances of Shadow vessels and related things are made perfectly clear within the context of the novels. (I read the Technomage books before even trying to find a copy of Shadow.) But knowing the backstory of Shadow definitely adds to the enjoyment of the later books, just as having watched the entire B5 series adds to the enjoyment of the basically stand-alone TV movies, or being an X-phile makes the X-Files feature film more fun. In all these cases though, the stories are perfectly understandable without having read anything else. (The Technomage novels in particular work very well simply as science fiction, and someone who has never heard of the B5 series should have no trouble reading them.)

Regards,

Joe

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Joseph DeMartino
Sigh Corps
Pat Tallman Division
joseph-demartino@att.net
 
Re: Good news about \"B5\" books

Great news. I never knew about the books until earlier this year so I'll be buying them for sure.
smile.gif


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No one here is exactly what he appears.
G'Kar - Andreas Katsulas

Nothing's the same anymore.
Commander Sinclair - Michael O'Hare

Babylon 5
 
Re: Good news about \"B5\" books

I hope that only "The Shadow Within" and
"To Dream in the City of Sorrows" are reissued for 3 reasons.

1.) These were the outstanding books of the
first 9.

2.) These books are the only ones considered canon (according to JMS) from the first 9.

3.) I'm still hoping for the compilation of B5 short stories (by JMS and others) to be published by Del Rey. Any word on that yet?

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