The Shadow Within - possible spoilers

[Lyta]

I just finished reading this book and am having a hard time deciding what I think about the novel. It is pretty good and it gives some nice background into Sheridan, Morden and Anna's life before B5.

However ... I found the pace a bit slow at first and was a little surprised at the relationship between Anna and Morden. I almost wish the book had focused more on Morden actually. It is hard to see him as a loving family man and I wonder how he became who he became (even more than what has already been shown).

I really liked hearing about the Shadow technology (even though a lot of it is covered in her trilogy) and what happened on the Icarus.

What are your thoughts?

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Monica Hübinette | http://monica.hubbe.net/ | http://abyss.hubbe.net/b5/

Our thoughts form the universe. They always matter. --G'Kar of Babylon 5

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

The anti-telepath weapons just seam to have disappeared. If nothing else, I would have expected Bester to warn Sheridan about them. He could also have warned Lyta and Talia. (Lyta openly stayed on Babylon 5 too long for Bester to fail to miss her.)

I would also have expected Bester to have questioned Mr Morden. If only to find out what happened to the Psi Cop.


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Andrew Swallow

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I haven't read the book, but can find at least one reason why the Shadows may have discarded some anti-telepath weapons that they initially had.

They managed to get a steady supply of telepaths for their ships from Psi-Corps. And they wouldn't want to risk their ships being damaged by their own weapon. Which is why they decided not to use or distribute them, but keep them somewhere safe.

The Vorlons had their own "weapon" (telepaths) turned against them. The Shadows wouldn't want a stray teep bomb to be detonated in the middle of their fleet -- for the ships piloted by telepaths would either be paralysed or destroy each other.

[This message has been edited by Lennier (edited October 13, 2001).]

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>I would have expected Bester to warn Sheridan about them. He could also have warned Lyta and Talia.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Bester probably didn't know (that kind of information would have been compartmented within Psi-Corps, and he clearly wasn't in on many of the Corps other dealings with the Shadows.) If he had known, he wouldn't have trusted Sheridan or any other mundane with the knowledge of such a thing. Bester's ultimate goal was always winning the war he foresaw with the normals. He wanted Sheridan to win, sure. If Sheridan lost Bester's telepaths would be in jeopardy. But there was not advantage in Bester's eyes to such a victory if it left the mundanes in possession of a weapon to use against his precious teeps.

Also, it doesn't seem to be much of a weapon, at least in military use. It makes a good booby-trap, but it requires relatively close contact to be effective. Not terribly useful in a space battle. Finally, we're not sure that such was the mouse's purpose, or even that it would produce such an affect consistently (although Bester and the Corps would have to assume it would, if only for safety's sake.) It may be that the interraction between Terence and the mouse was a unique event, some synergy between them that would not have happened with another Teep. (What happens with Donne is different, and may be completely unrelated to the mouse effect.)

I just finished reading the book this morning, having finally tracked down a copy this afternoon. I quite liked it. Of the B5 novels I've read, I'd rank it just below Cavelos's own Technomage books. (I've read all of the Del Rey novels, To Dream in the City of Sorrows and The Shadow Within.)

Regards,

Joe

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Joseph DeMartino
Sigh Corps
Pat Tallman Division
joseph-demartino@att.net

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Second Psi Corps book

<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black>

Donne was a member of Bester's team and he assigned her to the case himself.

Bester's second purpose was destruction of the Shadows. You will have to read the books to find out who gave him the task.

</font></td></tr></table>




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Andrew Swallow

 

[Lyta]

I am a bit confused here ... I am tired and feel like I am coming down with something so that may have something to do with it.

However, I just want to clarify that I was hoping for some discussion on the book The Shadow Within which is book #7 of the first nine novels (the ones that came before the trilogies). It is about ... Sheridan's first assignment to the Agamemnon ... Anna's discovery of Shadow tech and Z'ha'dum ... Morden before he became an agent of the Shadows.

You guys seem to be talking about the books in the Psi Corp trilogy and not the book I am talking about. Is this a correct assesment?

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Monica Hübinette | http://monica.hubbe.net/ | http://abyss.hubbe.net/b5/

Our thoughts form the universe. They always matter. --G'Kar

[This message has been edited by Lyta (edited October 14, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Lyta (edited October 14, 2001).]

 

[Jomar]

I've read The Shadow Within twice, but it was at least two years ago. I can't say I really enjoyed it as a great book to read. What I did like was getting all the background information about Anna and Morden and the fate of the Icarus.

On the other had I was disappointed in the sections dealing with Sheridan's problems. I thought that part was quite unoriginal in many ways. I'm sure I've seen half a dozen war movies where John Wayne came along and took over a ragtag bunch of soldiers/sailors or whatever and whipped them into shape just in time to win the next battle.

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[Demon]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR> On the other had I was disappointed in the sections dealing with Sheridan's problems. I thought that part was quite unoriginal in many ways. I'm sure I've seen half a dozen war movies where John Wayne came along and took over a ragtag bunch of soldiers/sailors or whatever and whipped them into shape just in time to win the next battle. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

ITA. The whole Sheridan segement came across as a desperate search for an excuse for why he missed their last meeting, and why he didn't tell Anna he loved her during their last call. I didn't feel it added anything more than that.

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Demon

 

[Lyta]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Demon:
ITA. The whole Sheridan segement came across as a desperate search for an excuse for why he missed their last meeting, and why he didn't tell Anna he loved her during their last call. I didn't feel it added anything more than that.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I agree with both you and Jomar ... I really could have done without the entire Sheridan storyline. Even Anna was not a terribly interesting character (even before this book) but found her experiences with the Shadow tech enjoyable.

I have to give Cavelos credit since I believe this was her first novel and her techo-mage trilogy totally kicks ass.

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Monica Hübinette | http://monica.hubbe.net/ | http://abyss.hubbe.net/b5/

Our thoughts form the universe. They always matter. --G'Kar

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Lyta said

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>
It is about ... Sheridan's first assignment to the Agamemnon ... Anna's discovery of Shadow tech and Z'ha'dum ... Morden before he became an agent of the Shadows.

You guys seem to be talking about the books in the Psi Corp trilogy and not the book I am talking about. Is this a correct assesment?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

In Babylon 5 everything cannon flows into everything else. It is that well planned arc again.

For instance the Telepaths were designed to fight the Shadows. Is it accidental that the Shadowtech was an anti-telepath weapon? An alternative weapon, that would interest IPX, is say a handgun that destroyed an office block.


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Andrew Swallow

 

[Lyta]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by AndrewSwallow:
In Babylon 5 everything cannon flows into everything else. It is that well planned arc again.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I know ... I am sure that is all why we love B5.

I think it was my head being all stuffy that I missed the connection you guys were talking about "anti-telepath" weapons. I just didn't consider the Shadow tech that Anna found was an "anti-telepath" weapon. I thought it was a result of how the telepath interacted with the tech that caused that result not that it was the purpose of the tech.

Heh, makes me want to read the book again now with that in mind.

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Monica Hübinette | http://monica.hubbe.net/ | http://abyss.hubbe.net/b5/

Our thoughts form the universe. They always matter. --G'Kar

[This message has been edited by Lyta (edited October 16, 2001).]