The folks who listened to this past Wednesday’s live feed already heard me wax passionate on this, but now I’m throwing it out to the wider Babylon Podcast audience, and perhaps even the wider B5 fan base (based on Chris-In-Indy posting my call to the rastb5.moderated newsgroup).
BenBella Books is publisher of the wildly popular Smart Pop Books series, a smart and funny series of pop culture topic analyses that I’m a big fan of. I absolutely love their Angel collection, the “Star Wars On Trial” collection is brilliant, as are many more of the ones they’ve published (follow the link and see what they’ve done so far).
Shameless plug recap: I contributed an essay to their new BSG collection, So Say We All: An Unauthorized Collection of Thoughts and Opinions on Battlestar Galactica.
But there’s a reason for my shameless plug: Right around the time we released Show #1 of the podcast, I asked the folks at BenBella about the possibility of them publishing a collection about Babylon 5. The first few times I inquired, I was told that they felt B5 had been out of the limelight for too long, and there might not be enough fan interest anymore. I knew that wasn’t accurate info, but at the time, I couldn’t point to anything new and shiny about B5 to catch their attention other than the podcast, and my lone, biased opinion wasn’t enough.
As the year has progressed, the fan response to our little podcast has been overwhelmingly positive, with great feedback on improvements and questions to ask our guests. Knowing that support was out there, it helped when I continued to ping the nice people at BenBella every couple of months if there were any updates on them deciding to move ahead with the B5 collection. I even talked to them at their table at Dragon*Con and gave them the news about the new production news about “The Lost Tales”, which they knew nothing about at the time.
More recently, I asked if they’d be interested in hearing fan feedback about interest in such a collection, and they said that they would also be interested in hearing that feedback. Yay progress!
So, if you’d be interested in buying copies if they did do a B5 collection, let Summer know, either by email, posting here in comments, or over in the Babylon Podcast forums.
Link: Smart Pop Books
Link: Smart Pop LiveJournal
Link: BenBella Books
I love the SmartPop books. I would read a B5 collection if it came out. And I can’t wait to read your essay in the BSG collection, Summer. Congrats on being published.
I love the SmartPop books (especially the Buffy, Firefly and Farscape ones). I would definitley buy a B5 collection if it came out. I think Babylon 5 still had a large and dedicated fanbase.
I want to see GOD IS THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER: Babylon 5 and Philosophy from Open Court.
I would definitely buy it. Their Farscape book was excellent, as was the Battlestar collection.
I’d buy it. The BSG book is very good so far; I’m there for something in the same vein on B5.
I had never even heard of the books until I saw this item and I’ll still be happy to go buy one if it happens!
I’d buy that book!
I’d never heard of this series until Summer and Tim started talking about them. I’d definitely buy a B5 book, and am interested in the others. So, Summer, let them know they’ll expanding their fan base with this one! Perhaps even beyond the rim, no?
You know, when this book comes to pass, and I’m holding the book in my hands, talking to someone about the varied opinions in it, I’m going to be SO hard-pressed to not be a smartass and say, “Put your face in the book”.
The coolest part about this is that I didn’t realize until after the BSG book came out that my essay was one of the ones spotlighted on the back cover… which, to me, meant they liked my essay, and maybe would listen a little bit if I gave them enough data to show that a B5 collection would be appreciated by the fanbase.
So if you have friends who are B5 fans, ask them if they know about this series, and if they’d be interested in a B5 collection. Have them post here, or in the podcast forums, just have them stand up and say something. This is one time when it’s not too late for the pebbles to vote.
I just realised that I hadn’t responded to this yet while listening to the final version of episode 41. I would definitely buy a B5 book if they made one.
I had never heard of the books until now, but I would definitely buy a Babylon 5 SmartPop book. Do they have an X-Files book? I’d buy one of those, too.
I don’t think they have an X-Files book. They started this series in April 2003, with “Taking the Red Pill: Science, Philosophy and Religion in The Matrix”.
All of the books currently in the series are along the left side of their website, smartpopbooks.com
I’d be in for one. Might even have a friend I could strongarm into doing a paper.
knot me tho. eye cant right wirth a dam!