Babylon File (Vol 2): The Definitive Unauthorised Guide to J Michael Stracsynski's Babylon 5

Rating:
Summary: Angst-ridden Disappointment
Review: I was a very big fan of Mr. Lane's first guide. I thought it was a wonderful collection of observations, quotations, and conclusions that really brought a new perspective and enjoyment to watching the series. However, I found this latest volume to be uninspiring and in fact unhelpful. Mr. Lane notes that he is upset about many facets as to how the series ended, and as a result, his enthuasism for the show has dwindled considerably. This results in a book heavily laced in bias and the personal angst of the author. Rather than highlight and add new information and perspectives to the remaining episodes, I felt he simply summarized the episode and added only those observations which allowed him to express his personal disatisfaction. The first volume of this series should be best remembered for its non-biased analysis of both the good and bad aspects of the show. This latest volume focused on the contraversies and weakpoints of the series and offers little new information about the episodes. While it still remains a helpful summary of the 4th and 5th seasons, I'm afraid the author's personal feelings and bias have ruined the potential for another successful book.

Rating:
Summary: Hell hath no fury like a bitter fanboy
Review: It's okay for anyone not to like something and say so. What's NOT okay is to skew the facts in order to represent your opinion as fact. The book is full of misrepresentations and situations where unrelated events are put together to make them look as if they have something to do with each other. He goes over the so-called he said/she said thing about why Claudia left the show totally ignoring that Claudia came out and SAID IN PRINT THAT SHE QUIT FOR MONEY long before this book was finished. But that's inconvenient for his thesis so he ignores it. Because the fifth season didn't go the way he wanted it to, the way he thought it SHOULD have gone, he turns into a bitter fanboy and spews a tantrum in print, which is a loathsome and despicable thing for any so-called journalist to do. A reviewer should review the show that IS, not the show that HE would have made. As such, this book is entirely worthless and offensive, full of bad information, misinformation, skewed reporting, false premises and bile. An utter waste of time.

Rating:
Summary: Realistic and funny, honest
Review: Many people have criticized the author for being very negative about the final two seasons. True, they were NOT the same as the first three. But his book clearly states that these are opinions, provides great plot summaries, arc connections, thematic listings, and it was interesting reading about some of the problems of the cast, and how that affected the storyline. For example, Byron wasn't (apparently) going to have a relationship with Lyta, but with someone else who left in the 5th season... fascinating. Very funny in spots.

Rating:
Summary: Not Just an Episode Guide
Review: Most episode guides seem to be rather boring and a labor to read. This is NOT one of those episode guides. Everything that made Babylon 5 fun and interesting is represented in this entertaining guide - the characters, the story and the ever present questions and sense of wonder are discussed here. Though vol.2 is not yet published, I'm sure it will be as informative as the first and will, of course, have all 5 seasons as opposed to only the first 3 1/2. If you watched the show and enjoyed it, or if you are currently catching up on the reruns, this book is for you. I have found it very interesting to watch the episodes then run to the book thereafter - it was almost like watching them for the first time.

Rating:
Summary: Pesimistic yet suberb. Buy it!!!
Review: Nothing less than pure Babylon 5. A definite volume two. It not only picks up where volume one left but provides all the neccesary tie up. The language is the well accustomed from Vol. 1 although the pesimistic view of the author is clear in every line. I have not seen yet all the episodes and might not agree with her at some points, still she put all of herself in writting the "best Babylon 5 episode guide ever". The intro by Willerth, the essays, the closing by Pat Tallman, give a more insight view to this terrific space saga, plus the appropriate literature. A "must" book for the dedicated Babylon 5 Universe fan and a book that proved more than my expectations (see my review of Vol. 1). Good job and keep it coming Mrs. Lane (perhaps a "Crusade" guide ?).

Rating:
Summary: Bewildering
Review: The author's episode by episode analysis is excellent. But the rest of the book is irrational. The author obviously was very disappointed in the last two seasons of Babylon 5, but his ravings outside the synopses make no sense, and clearly conflict with what he wrote in the synopses. When the author of a book can't agree with himself, there's a problem. It's unfortunate that there will never be a true sequel to the author's first volume of The Babylon File, which was excellent.

Rating:
Summary: Synopses good...the rest sux
Review: The synopses of the episodes were about all that were good about this book. A few reviews were ok, but most were horribly unfair to B5. Ok, so season 5 wasn't the best and was a little slow in the beginning, but it kept getting better. ANd now that I watch them again, they are even better. This is a serious disservice to B5 and I reccomend wholeheartedly against buying it.

Rating:
Summary: Synopses good...the rest sux
Review: The synopses of the episodes were about all that were good about this book. A few reviews were ok, but most were horribly unfair to B5. Ok, so season 5 wasn't the best and was a little slow in the beginning, but it kept getting better. ANd now that I watch them again, they are even better. This is a serious disservice to B5 and I reccomend wholeheartedly against buying it.

Rating:
Summary: OK, but could use a little tone- down
Review: This book is OK for a Babylon 5 viewer with some experience, but could discourage newcomers. Once again, Andy Lane makes mistakes throughout the book, makes unfair criticism against J Michael Straczynski, and only compliments the authors that he personally knows. If you tone- down the jealousy- driven criticism against the all- round well- written series, it is a marginally good book.

Rating:
Summary: A P.O.'ed author is not a good author
Review: This book was a great disappointment. Babylon File 1 was a great book, full of insight and intelligent observations concerning everything from actors to dialog. Babylon File 2 is an episode guide from an author who hated the episodes. So Lane didn't like season 5. Oh well. So he delivered a horribly biased and grumpy review of the final two seasons. Granted, it is still a decent summary of seasons 4 and 5, but . . . Let's just hope by the time the omnibus edition of the two books comes out, Lane will have come to his senses and sucked some of the steam this book blows off back in.