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blakes7-d Digest Volume 98 : Issue 131
Today's Topics:
[B7L] Star Wars Day
Re: [B7L] B7-B5 links
[B7L] fandoms
[B7L] Re: The vacationer returns
Re: [B7L] Star Wars Day
[B7L] Re: Unsubscribe
[B7L] Re: B5-B7 links
Re: [B7L] Re: B5-B7 links
[B7L] Ingratitude
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 04 May 1998 11:23:08 +0100 GMT
From: STEVE.ROGERSON@MCR1.poptel.org.uk
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se, space-city@world.std.com,
steveh@tivoli.demon.co.uk, redemption@smof.demon.co.uk,
max.topley@virgin.net
Subject: [B7L] Star Wars Day
Message-Id: <59828720MCR1@MCR1.poptel.org.uk>
Happy Star Wars Day everybody
May the Fourth Go With You
cheers
Steve Rogerson
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 5 May 1998 10:46:25 +0100
From: "Dangermouse" <master@sol.co.uk>
To: "Harriet Monkhouse" <101637.2064@compuserve.com>,
"INTERNET:blakes7@lysator.liu.se" <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re: [B7L] B7-B5 links
Message-Id: <199805041131.MAA17823@gnasher.sol.co.uk>
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> From: Harriet Monkhouse <101637.2064@compuserve.com>
> Can't help on dialogue (though jumping shows, didn't Ares quote that line
> from Rescue about no good deed going unpunished in Xena the other week?)
That's an old saying that Boucher got from The Magnificent Seven anyway, so
doesn't really count...
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 4 May 1998 21:08:57 +0930
From: "Ophelia" <ophelia@picknowl.com.au>
To: "Lysator" <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: [B7L] fandoms
Message-ID: <01bd7751$399ba580$LocalHost@waltersmith>
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I warn you, it's a long
and eclectic list. I have a
decidedly fannish/obsessive personality.
These are the shows, movies,
authors and books, apart from b7,
I consider myself completely,
rattedly obsessive about:
The Addams Family (pride of place. And
*all* versions, including the Scooby Doo
movie they guest starred in. Even including
that awful (in comparison to Chas Addams'
drawings, the movies and the books)
1970s colour thing. Oh - and Tim Curry
is going to be a *divine* Gomez.)
And in no particular order:
The Princess Bride
The Savoy Operas (Gilbert & Sullivan)
The Nowhere Man
Labyrinth
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Blackadder
'Allo 'Allo
Clue
Terry Pratchett
The Bronte Sisters (their books, poems, and
their lady selves)
The Brittas Empire
Mary Grant Bruce's "Billabong" books
("A Little Bush Maid" and its sequels)
Anne of Green Gables & other Lucy
Maud Montgomery books
The Hunger (book & movie)
Drop the Dead Donkey
Disney and Disney-clone animated movies
(fairytales and legends only, please)
Carmilla (the story & various film
adaptations)
Hammer vampire films
Captain Planet and the Planeteers
Bananas in Pyjamas
Prisoner (Cell Block H, not the
excellent British thing)
and, of course, the glorious Spice Girls -
they're not just a collection of songs, not
just a movie, not just a group of sex
goddesses, but a multimedia event -
Pop personified.
My list is heavy on the British, light
on the sf and lamentably light on
Australiana. It's rather sad that only
Billabong, B1 and B2 and Prizzy
made it onto my rather lengthy list.
- XXX Lindley
Mistress Ophelia Frump - ophelia@picknowl.com.au
"I am a maiden, cold and stately,
Heartless I, with face divine.
What do I want with a heart, innately?
Every heart I meet is mine!"
http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/2511/knockwurst.html
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 4 May 1998 08:50:33 -0400
From: Harriet Monkhouse <101637.2064@compuserve.com>
To: "INTERNET:blakes7@lysator.liu.se" <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: [B7L] Re: The vacationer returns
Message-ID: <199805040850_MC2-3BD3-A6B@compuserve.com>
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Ross wrote:
>But "Orac" comes after "Deliverance"!
Indeed it does, and half a dozen of us had our own "Orac" convention in a
corner of the bar during Eastercon in Manchester. Given our numbers, this
was probably the Gambit Orac, so everyone else is cordially encouraged to
get stuck in with the basic Orac convention, the Orbit Orac convention,
etc.
Harriet
PS Have you been arrested yet, Ross?
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 4 May 1998 08:16:34 -0600 (MDT)
From: The Doctor <doctor@doctor.nl2k.ab.ca>
To: STEVE.ROGERSON@MCR1.poptel.org.uk
Cc: blakes7@lysator.liu.se, space-city@world.std.com,
steveh@tivoli.demon.co.uk, redemption@smof.demon.co.uk,
max.topley@virgin.net
Subject: Re: [B7L] Star Wars Day
Message-Id: <199805041416.IAA00110@doctor.nl2k.ab.ca>
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>
> Happy Star Wars Day everybody
>
> May the Fourth Go With You
>
> cheers
> Steve Rogerson
>
>
Happy 21 SW!
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 04 May 1998 09:50:39 -0700
From: Josie Figueroa <PhoenixIllus@ocsnet.net>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: [B7L] Re: Unsubscribe
Message-ID: <354DF1DF.4A42@OCSNet.Net>
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UNSUBSCRIBE.
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Date: Mon, 4 May 1998 17:07:51 -0400 (EDT)
From: brent@ntr.net
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: [B7L] Re: B5-B7 links
Message-Id: <199805042107.RAA22151@rome.ntr.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Narrelle wrote:
>Psicop Alfred Bester (which is in itself an in-joke, as it's the name of a
>golden-age SF author) says one episode: "I'm not stupid, I'm not
>expendable and I'm not going." Someone else will have to tell you the
>episode, however. :-/
>
>There are also plenty of Prisoner references and a lot of tributes to other
>tv shows and books. It's half the fun of watching the show!
I've only recently read "The Demolished Man" by Alfred Bester and that book
is a virtual schematic for the way psi-powers function in the world of
Babylon 5. The structure of the PsiCorp is more similar to the Esper Guild
than not. Demolition itself is reminiscent of a personality wipe (forgot
the name used on B5) and there are a few other big ideas used by Straczinski
in Babylon 5. Rather than an in-joke, I think the naming of Psicop Bester
was a necessary deference in order to avoid too much scrutiny by sci-fi
fandom. Of course, since I never hear of any comparisons, I have to wonder
if anyone still reads those golden-age codgers anymore.
More and more, little things about Babylon 5 and Straczynski in particular
are bothering me (this isn't to say that I don't like the show, because I
like it very much. I think it's the most well-executed and exciting sci-fi
show in awhile). Straczynski seems to be reveling in the praise he is
getting for the show, but I have yet to see him truly acknowledge his
influences. There are plenty of sci-fi ideas that he has culled from many
other works, but he never talks about these in any interviews that I've
read. Using the line "Be seeing you" from "The Prisoner" or using similar
ship designs can be called homage, but when the Rangers try to
collect/preserve all the knowledge that's left after a cataclysm while
living in monasteries seems more like recycling "A Canticle for Leibowitz"
than paying homage (as seen in the season 4 finale). I guess he could name
one of the Rangers Walter Miller . . .
These are just my thoughts, but I wonder how many other stories, novels,
movies, and television programs Straczynski has borrowed from that I am
simply not familiar with. When does homage end and "ripping-off" begin? I
think it could start when you fail to acknowledge your influences.
Brent (who freely admits to aping Stanislaw Lem among others)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 4 May 1998 19:43:24 EDT
From: AChevron <AChevron@aol.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] Re: B5-B7 links
Message-ID: <ab4d400f.354e529d@aol.com>
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In a message dated 98-05-04 17:10:00 EDT, you write:
<< but I wonder how many other stories, novels,
movies, and television programs Straczynski has borrowed from that I am
simply not familiar with. When does homage end and "ripping-off" begin? I
think it could start when you fail to acknowledge your influences.
>>
I think you may be being a little too harsh on Straczynski. As you have
pointed out, he has given a nod or borrowed themes from many various sources.
If he were to make a point of giving an acknowledgement to all of of these,
the poor man wouldn't have time to do anything else, not to mention that it
would make for extremely boring copy.
I can't swear, but it seems that I've seen interviews where Straczynski
has indeed acknowledged sources when questions are specifically directed at
them. Given the number of influences any well-read person is exposed to over
the years, it is little wonder that some of the ideas may indeed be borrowed.
There is also the possiblility of independantly having thought up a theme or
thread that someone else had used before you.
As long as Stracyznski is willing to communicate with his fans, and
answers questions as honestly as possible about source material, I am willing
to give him the benefit of the doubt on the matter. Especially since he has
the good taste to have acknowledged B7.... Deborah Rose
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 5 May 1998 13:13:57 +0100
From: "Julie Horner" <jihorner@dial.pipex.com>
To: <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: [B7L] Ingratitude
Message-Id: <199805051211.OAA03959@samantha.lysator.liu.se>
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It just occurred to me that in 'Star One' the crew of the Liberator
save the entire human race from the Andromedans and nobody so much
as says thank you. One would have thought that their actions deserved
at least a mention in dispatches - possibly even a free pardon.
Don't you think that is a bit mean?
Julie Horner
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End of blakes7-d Digest V98 Issue #131
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