TWO OF OUR MOST POPULAR BOOKS
Now in hardcover, ebook and paperback.
Featuring a custom
1st page
with your name on it
(details below)
15-volume series
B5 Scripts of J. Michael Straczynski
NEW BONUS FEATURE:
CUSTOM FIRST PAGE
All print copies of both HIGHLIGHT books include a custom first page with your name on it. Free.
DETAILS ABOUT THE FREE OFFER
With each order of a HIGHLIGHT book the first page features your name under the heading “Printed for Babylon 5 Fan”. You can even use someone else’s name. Whatever you put in the NAME FIELD on the form at checkout will be what is printed. (Think gift recipient, nicknames et al.)
WHICH BOOKS INCLUDE THIS FREE BONUS
For licensing reasons we can only offer it on select titles, and “Highlights of Echoes of All Our Conversations” and “Highlights from the Babylon 5 Script Books” are the first two eligible.
THE LOOK
- Typeface: Georgia.
- “Printed for Babylon 5 Fan” is 36pt.
- Name requested is 48pt.
- Character limit is 20 characters and spaces combined.
- Custom page applies to both HIGHLIGHTS paperbacks and hardcovers.
- Your custom page will not delay the printing timeline.
- We gladly accept returns of books with custom pages — and pay for their return — for all orders domestic and worldwide.
WHY THESE "HIGHLIGHTS" BOOKS EXIST
We needed to solve the problem of having two Babylon 5 book series that were limited edition (not a great choice in retrospect) and were two opposite experiences. The Scripts is JMS’ creator’s view looking back on the show in the mid-2000s, as a whole, while Echoes Of All Our Conversations is the flipside: the experience of the cast and crew as the show was in production.
SCRIPTS HIGHLIGHTS
are a best of the original 15-volume series 100% written by J. Michael Straczynski himself. It includes episode commentaries, script sections never shot, personal photos from JMS and the fan favorite commentary Straczynski wrote about “Sleeping in Light.”
ECHOES HIGHLIGHTS
is the flipside. It tells the story of people making those scripts come to life. Interviews with producers, directors, visual effects, music as well as the actors.
SCRIPT HIGHLIGHTS OVERVIEW
"THE GATHERING"
COMMENTARY
From cosmetic matters like the spelling of G’Kar (né Jackarr) to the elimination of Kosh’s lifemate Velana, Straczynski recalls this first wave of creative decisions that shaped Babylon 5.
"THE PARLIAMENT OF DREAMS" COMMENTARY
Straczynski’s analysis dances between the trivial — the contents of G’Kar’s dinner — and the profound — the episode’s approach to Earth’s dominant religion.
“THE COMING OF SHADOWS”
SCRIPT & COMMENTARY
SCRIPT: EPISODE 209 – HUGO AWARD WINNER
When the Centauri Emperor Turhan comes to Babylon 5, G’Kar and Londo each take extreme measures. Garibaldi makes a deal with a mysterious “Ranger.”
ABOUT THE COMMENTARY
As Straczynski himself acknowledges in his commentary, “The Coming of Shadows” was the result of a writer working at the height of his powers. Just as “Chrysalis” had upended the narrative table at the end of season one, “Shadows” demolished the diegetic dining room. The script speaks for itself, but it’s worth noting that the writer is never one to waste a nice turn of phrase; Londo’s comment about assassins in his final scene was cut from “Shadows” but found its way into the script for “No Compromises” a few years later. Straczynski has said that Warner Bros. and PTEN no longer gave him notes on scripts after the mid-point of season two; read “The Coming of Shadows” and you’ll see why.
“PASSING THROUGH GETHSEMANE”
TELEPLAY & COMMENTARY
SCRIPT: EPISODE 305
An unsuspecting monk’s hidden past comes back to haunt him anew. Lyta Alexander returns from the Vorlon homeworld.
ABOUT THE COMMENTARY
In the best tradition of Science Fiction, “Passing Through Gethsemane” examines the impact of a hypothetical technological innovation upon the human condition. Straczynski originally planned to tackle the story of a mindwiped criminal coming to grips with a forgotten past early on, but a fan suggested the story online and the writer was forced to spike the story to avoid a potential lawsuit.
"WALKABOUT"
COMMENTARY
The commentary expresses some of Straczynski’s personal philosophy, manifested within the Babylon 5 universe as the Foundationist religion. It also ties Dr. Stephen Franklin’s walkabout — a component of his Foundationist faith — to the writer’s time in the religious commune, as well as the aftermath of his flight from the institution and its relationship to “Shadow Dancing” later in the season.
"SEVERED DREAMS”: TELEPLAY & COMMENTARY
SCRIPT: EPISODE 310
When President Clark moves to take Babylon 5 by force, Sheridan and the command staff declare the station’s independence from Earth. Delenn confronts the Grey Council about the Shadow conflict.
ABOUT THE COMMENTARY
Like “The Coming of Shadows” in the previous year, “Severed Dreams” is J. Michael Straczynski at his epic best, raining fire on the printed page and putting his characters through hell in the process. The version of the teleplay presented herein features General William Hague, as played by Robert Foxworth. The version that aired in 1996 (and subsequently earned Babylon 5 its second Hugo Award) featured Major Ed Ryan, Hague’s aide-de-camp in the general’s stead. The reason for this is explained in the accompanying commentary.
“INTERSECTIONS IN REAL TIME”
SCRIPT & COMMENTARY
EPISODE 418
Sheridan undergoes the Earth Alliance’s merciless interrogation.
COMMENTARY ON “INTERSECTIONS IN REAL TIME”
“The Coming of Shadows” and “Severed Dreams” showcased Straczynski’s flair for the epic while “Passing Through Gethsemane” showcased his skill with crafting a classic science fiction plot. “Intersections in Real Time” is another color in the writer’s crayon box: a chamber piece for captive and captor in the key of 1984. With only two characters and one set, the philosophy of Babylon 5 was writ small in one man’s refusal to swallow the big lie no matter the consequences.
"SLEEPING IN LIGHT”
COMMENTARY
Excerpted from Volume 11 which was a slight departure from the standard operating procedure. For the first ten volumes, the script books presented Straczynski’s teleplays in the familiar original airing order preserved on the DVD releases, but the writer felt that it was vital to the context of Babylon 5′s behind-the-scenes narrative to include the series finale, “Sleeping in Light” at the end of season four, when the episode was written and filmed.
"A VIEW FROM THE GALLERY”
COMMENTARY
Every writer gets asked “Where do you get your ideas from?” In his commentary for “A View from the Gallery,” Straczynski answers the question by pointing to Harlan Ellison, who received a story credit on the episode for constantly inquiring about the station’s blue-collar Average Joes. As he recounts the origin of B5 maintenance men Bo and Mack, Straczynski also discusses a rarity for the series: an episode that runs short when edited together.
“THE FALL OF CENTAURI PRIME” TELEPLAY & COMMENTARY
EPISODE 519
Centauri Prime’s fate is decided, between the weapons of the Alliance and the threats of the Drakh. While stranded in hyperspace with Delenn, Lennier makes a confession.
COMMENTARY ON “THE FALL OF CENTAURI PRIME”
This script is all about the fireworks — the deadly ones rained upon Centauri Prime by a joint Drazi-Narn attack on the planet, the emotional ones ignited by Lennier’s ill-timed declaration of love to Delenn and the lack of said fireworks to celebrate the new emperor’s ascent to the throne of the Centauri Republic. “The Fall of Centauri Prime” is emblematic of Straczynski’s tying off of narrative strands in the waning days of Babylon 5′s run and was the first of several farewell episodes as the principal characters each left the station in turn.
“OBJECTS AT REST"
COMMENTARY
“Objects at Rest” was the final episode of Babylon 5 to be filmed, the series finale — “Sleeping in Light” — having been produced at the end of the fourth season. Barring a handful of explanatory notes for Volume 15 — a collection of rarities given to purchasers of all 14 volumes — and a commentary on In the Beginning, this essay concluded Straczynski’s written recollections of the years spent writing and producing Babylon 5 from 1992 to 1998. It chronicles the end of production and compliments the “Sleeping in Light” commentary’s snapshot of the end of the story — two endings for the price of one.
You'll Tell Us "The Name" for the Custom Page at Checkout
Shipping: USA $3/book · Canada $7/book · International $20/book
EBOOKS: Links never expire · Links sent instantly · epub and mobi · We pay all U.S. taxes · We don’t add VAT.
ECHOES OF ALL OUR CONVERSATIONS: HIGHLIGHTS
The original, limited-edition, six-volume series presented the complete transcripts of legendary sci-fi journalist Joe Nazzaro’s interview with the cast and crew while the show was in production. Uncut. Uncensored. 27 interviews total.
J. Michael Straczynski CREATOR
Speaking two months before the pilot premiered on PTEN, the optimistic creator explains how his series differed from the then-ubiquitous Star Trek franchise and expounds on his hopes for its future, without knowing how the two-hour debut will be received.
Mira Furlan
DELENN
Larry DiTillio
SCRIPT EDITOR
Second only to Straczynski’s auctorial voice was that of his script editor, who wrote seven episodes of Babylon 5′s first two seasons. This candid interview recalls both the contributions he made as well as the ideas he’d hoped to develop if he’d stayed on the show.
Stephen Furst
VIR / DIRECTOR
From the set of “The Illusion of Truth,” the actor talked about slipping out of his Centauri wig and into the director’s chair, offering his unique view of B5 from both sides of the lens.
Andreas Katsulas
G'KAR
In the days of the final season, the actor reflects, between puffs of his cigarette, on his time as Citizen G’Kar in a philosophically inclined interview that underlines why he was perfect in the role.
Peter Jurasik
LONDO
This mid-third season conversation with journalist Joe Nazzaro provides an enlightening insight into the actor’s feelings about his craft in general and the role of Londo Mollari in particular.
Dylan Neal DAVID MARTELL
Tracy Scoggins LOCHLEY
Walter Koenig BESTER
John Iacovelli PRODUCTION DESIGNER
Claudia Christian
IVANOVA
It’s the summer between seasons four and five and Claudia Christian is addressing her controversial departure from Babylon 5. This interview pulls no punches in its examination of the still-bleeding “Ivanova-ectomy.”
Neil Gaiman
WRITER
Bill Mumy
LENNIER
The veteran of two iconic SF television series revealed his mixed feelings on Babylon 5′s fifth season to Nazzaro from the set of the 100th produced episode, lamenting his curtailed participation in the final year.
Jason Carter
MARCUS
This energetic interview bounces among a variety of Marcus-centric subjects and captures the zeitgeist of what was then considered to be the final season of the series.
Christopher Franke COMPOSER
The composer tackles sound — orchestral, that is — in space in a beat-by-beat discussion of his approach to the music of Babylon 5.
Jerry Doyle
GARIBALDI
The ever-loquacious commercial pilot-turned-stockbroker-turned-actor considered the imminent conclusion of his first significant acting gig, as the show prepares to wrap.
David J. Eagle
DIRECTOR
Douglas Netter EXEC PRODUCER
John Copeland
PRODUCER
Ron Thorton
VISUAL EFFECTS
Jeff Conaway
ZACK ALLEN
The Grease and Taxi star talked about the second chance at Hollywood Babylon 5 offered and how Zack Allan went from a walk-on in “Spider in the Web” to a series regular with his own storyline in year three.
Jim Johnston
DIRECTOR
With “Point of No Return” (see cameo above) — his twelfth and final directing assignment, Johnston is considered one of the early shapers of Babylon 5′s visual aesthetic. He’s also quite pointed with his opinions on the series.
Michael O'Hare
JEFFERY SINCLAIR
It’s the summer between seasons one and two, making it a de facto exit interview. The reason for O’Hare’s departure was a mystery until the 2013 Phoenix Comicon, where Straczynski — at O’Hare’s request — revealed O’Hare’s battle with mental illness.
Patrica Tallman
LYTA ALEXANDER
Nazzaro gets inside the actor’s head to see what she made of Lyta Alexander’s pivotal part in the telepath arc that dominated Babylon 5′s final season.
Bruce Boxleitner
JOHN SHERIDAN
Richard Biggs
DR. STEPHAN FRANKLIN
Nazzaro’s final interview with the actor came after he reprised the role of Dr. Stephen Franklin for the short-lived spin-off series, Crusade and offers one last glimpse of one of Babylon 5′s true gentlemen.
ECHOES HIGHLIGHTS VS. ECHOES 2023
ECHOES HIGHLIGHTS (2014)
ECHOES HIGHLIGHTS is a curated collection of chapters from of the 2012, 6-volume collection. Features interviews with the cast and crew while the show was in production. The interview transcripts featured were selected by Senior Editor Jason Davis for a complete and balanced peek behind the scenes.
IF YOU OWN ECHOES 2023 ACTORS ONLY Edition, this is what is in HIGHLIGHTS that is not in Echoes 2023.
- Custom first page with name
- 11 non-actor interviews
- 25 Photos not in ECHOES 2023
- 2 Documents, one of which is a single script page with JMS’ notes to Neil Gaiman on “Day of the Dead.”
ECHOES 2023 - THE ACTORS:
PARTS 1, 2 & 3 Annotated Edition
This 3-part series is a compilation of all and only the actor interviews ONLY in the 2012 edition of Echoes of All Our Conversations. Over 900+ pages.
- More than 300 annotations by Jason Davis
- Tells the complete story of the actors’ experience on Babylon 5, uncensored.
- Free Bonus book of interviews with groups of Babylon 5 actors.
NOTE: Interview transcripts include everything said by the interviewer and the actor being interviewed. You’ll read the question asked and the entire response that was given.
Shipping: USA $3/book · Canada $7/book · International $20/book
EBOOKS: Links never expire · Links sent instantly · epub and mobi · We pay all U.S. taxes · We don’t add VAT.
ABOUT THE ORIGINAL ECHOES SERIES
Published in 2012, the Echoes of All Our Conversations series included 2,100+ pages of interview transcripts with more than 50 B5 cast and crew conducted while Babylon 5 was in production…from the pilot through The Lost Tales. Each and every volume was hand-signed by a B5 Actor. For example, Claudia Christian signed every copy of Volume 3.
The complete set is 7 volumes. The six books of interview transcripts and a 7th companion volume with indexes, set plans and more.
ABOUT OUR BOOKS
Your books are printed when you order them. It’s called print-on-demand and it allows us to have all titles in stock. The downside is that it can take up to 3 weeks for an order to print because of their high quality.
SHIPPING
USA: $3/per book
Canada:$7/per book
Worldwide: $20/per book
Above fees = actual costs.
RETURNS
- 90-days. No questions asked.
- We pay return shipping
- We refund 100% of what you paid, including shipping to you.
- Applies to all orders including international.
