Book Description
Battlestar Galactica has become the biggest hit series in the history of the Sci Fi Channel. Named the #1 TV series of 2005 by Time magazine, this powerful, dramatic show, entering its third season this fall, has taken critics and viewers by storm, proving that a show set in the future can transcend genre labels with good writing, fine acting, and tense, character-driven stories of human conflict. Readers who like the TV series, along with fans of the old show and anyone who just likes a rousing space adventure story, will be entranced by Steven Harpers fast-paced, gripping new novel. After a skirmish in which a Cylon craft is destroyed, a colonial-issue escape pod is found floating in space. Aboard Galactica, the crew discover in the pod a survivor, colonial singer Peter Atti, and his Cylon captor. Soon after his liberation, people begin babbling incoherently and dropping into comas. Unwittingly, Peter has been spreading a nerve-deteriorating Cylon weaponand he just performed for half the fleet. As Dr. Gaius Baltar works on a vaccine, a sect of fanatics begins to hail Peter as the religious leader who will save humanity. Like the Cylons, they worship one god, and they believe this virus is the path to salvation. They will do anything to keep the antidote from being distributed. But their salvation could mean the destruction of humankind. Readers will be hooked by the explosive chain of events that unfolds.
Customer Reviews:
Nothing ground breaking.......2007-06-21
Steven Harper's writing ability is clean and easy to follow. He paints a clear picture with short descriptions, taking you into the story and placing you beside the characters as they interact. The storyline for "Unity" is very basic, but good. My only complaint is we don't learn anything "new" about the characters or the battlestar universe. Only for can't-do-without fans of the series.
Frakking Awful.......2007-04-14
After thoroughly enjoying the previous entry in the series (Saggitarious is bleeding) this was a huge disappointment. Between the terrible, 5th grade prose and the uncannily predictable and drawn out plot, the book is just plain banal. It contains every cliche that the series is so famous for avoiding. There was hardly a single scene where the charcters acted and spoke as they do on the show. Besides the names used, there isn't much in common with the series at all, no matter how many references the author throws in to previous episodes. My recommendation is to read Saggitarious is Bleeding instead, if you haven't already.
A Welcome Read.......2007-04-07
I've read all four of Tor's BATTLESTAR GALACTICA novels so far. The first two novels left me decidedly unimpressed; the miniseries novelization didn't really bring anything new to the table, and The Cylons' Secret had little to do with the series. Peter David's Sagittarius Is Bleeding was enjoyable, but was expected given the author; it wasn't until UNITY that I finally had some hope for the long-term future of the line.
Taking place midway through the second season of the show, UNITY takes an opportunity to explore aspects of Colonial culture not really seen on the show. Author Steven Harper takes a closer look at the fleet than the show has to date, taking the chance to look at minorities who must populate the fleet, but that there's not time in a weekly television schedule to necessarily show. His counterpoints to the majorities presented in the show offer interesting alternatives, as well as adding versimilitude to the show.
This is all in service of the plot of the book itself, though. Harper tells the tale of a scientific crisis in the fleet, one that quickly spirals out of control and into a military and political situation as things in the Fleet are wont to do. Throughout all this, Harper shows his mastery of the characters and setting (especially Baltar and Starbuck, the highlights of the book), treating them as the show would and offering tantalizing hints of their futures and pasts. His prion-based crisis is certainly believable and plausible, and one which couldn't easily be explored in the show without reams of exposition that could be far more gracefully integrated into a narrative as Harper did.
UNITY doesn't offer any world-shattering revelations, or fundamental changes to the BATTLESTAR GALACTICA universe. But then, such isn't expected; it is, after all, a tie-in subservient to the ongoing show. But what UNITY does is it fleshes out the universe of the show, letting us seem some of what we can't in a 42-minute timeslot. Author Steven Harper's book does this, and does it quite well. I recommend it to any fan of the show.
Book Description
Battlestar Galactica is back! The brand new, `re-imagined' version of the cult 1970s series has quickly become the most critically acclaimed SF show on TV, with massive viewing figures to match. With its classy ensemble cast, including Edward James Olmos (Miami Vice) and Mary McDonnell (Dances with Wolves, Independence Day), its cutting edge special effects, superb production design and gritty, adult-oriented scripts, the new Battlestar Galactica is being hailed as both a worthy successor to a classic original, and a stunning piece of television in its own right.
Titan Books have been on set from the beginning, and now proudly present the official companion, packed with exclusive interviews, photos, behind the scenes secrets, and a complete episode guide to the mini-series and first season.
Customer Reviews:
BY YOUR COMMAND.......2007-07-21
THIS BOOK IS ABOUT THE OUTSTANDING TV SERIES ON THE SCIFI CHANNEL. THE BOOK GOES INTO DETAIL ABOUT THE DIRECTING, PRODUCING, SPECIAL EFFECTS AND MUCH MORE. IT GIVES US A BIT OF EVERYTHING INCLUDING INTERVIEWS WITH ALL THE ACTORS AND BACKGROUND ON THEM. THE EPISODES OF SEASON ONE ARE DETAILED ALONG WITH THE MINI SERIES WHICH STARTED IT ALL BACK IN 2003. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FOR ALL BG FANS. SO SAY WE ALL. GOOD HUNTING.
A fun read on a Sunday afternoon.......2007-03-11
I was vacationing in Washington DC for a few days and came across this book. I'm usually a bit skeptical about these type of books but this one had some good behind the scenes info and was an enjoyable few hours of reading.
Vermonter dot com approved!
Solid companion, but I wished they had some bios of the actors.......2007-01-15
Very good companion to the first season of BSG. The episode by episode guide was well done, and I liked the way that the author wrote up the character descriptions. However, it would have been nice to get a biography of each of the main and supporting players in this book. I highly recommend this to BSG fan fiction writers.
Rather basic, left me wanting more.......2006-11-11
I'm a major fan of this show. Unfortunately, compared to other companion books for other shows and movies (like Serenity and Firefly), this is a rather disappointing work. It doesn't have the depth it needs, and some of the facts are wrong. I also did not see much here that I have not previously seen in magazines. They're not digging very deep into the production archives.
A great resource for background information on BSG.......2006-11-09
I've acquired a number of books on my favorite television shows over the years. For the most part I've learned to avoid the "official" guides or companions, because more often than not they tend to be antiseptic, unilluminating, and uncritical. But just as BATTLESTAR GALACTICA is a brilliant exception to what one normally finds on commercial television, so this companion is a delightful exception to the typical "official" publication.
There are several reasons for why this guide far surpasses the usual guide. First, too many guides merely tend to regurgitate the contents of each episode, add a few quotes from the episode to fill out pages, and then perhaps identify the music used on an episode. If you are lucky, you'll learn what previous shows guest stars have appeared on. This book, however, truly is a companion. It actually provides very little in the way of summing up individual episodes. In fact, the average length of space devoted to summing up the events of a show is less than a page. This means that in this 157 page book only 15-18 total pages of text is devoted to summarizing the events of the miniseries and the 13 episodes of Season One. The rest of the book is filled with a wealth of supplemental information, such as explaining the genesis of a script, of major changes it underwent before shooting, of changes made in an episode following shooting, of decisions made in altering the special effects, and so on. There are also many quotes provided by the show's many actors, who were clearly interviewed especially for this book.
There is also an openness in this book that is quite refreshing. For instance, it reveals how specific actors turned down particular roles (e.g., Lucy Lawless turning down the role of Ellen Tigh). There is a great deal of information provided on the casting process and who was responsible for discovering which performer.
The book not only deals with the background to each individual episode but also with how the recreation of the 1978 show developed. Individual chapters explain such things are the special effects work on the show, the music, and the art design. Substantial summations of each major and many supporting characters are provided at the end.
As a result of all these factors, this is easily one of the most helpful and illuminating season guides I own to any television series. I strongly recommend them to any fan of the series. I will only add that a couple of reviews suggested that the book doesn't provide much for a serious fan. I've watched the entire series at least five times, I have read exhaustively on the Internet, I have made hundreds if not thousands of posts about the show on various forums, and have listened to all of the podcasts and commentaries. But I learned a great deal from reading the book. So I think it safe to say that this is for serious fans as much as casual ones.
Book Description
Battlestar Galactica is back! The brand new, `re-imagined' version of the cult 1970s series has quickly become the most critically acclaimed SF show on TV, with massive viewing figures to match.
With a classy ensemble cast, including Edward James Olmos (Miami Vice) and Mary McDonnell (Independence Day), cutting edge special effects, superb production design and adult-oriented scripts, the new Battlestar Galactica is both a worthy successor to a classic original, and a stunning piece of television in its own right.
This official companion to the second season is packed with exclusive interviews, photos, behind-the-scenes secrets, and a complete episode guide.
Customer Reviews:
A nice overview in case you reminisce about TV shows (like me)........2007-01-04
Companion books on the shelf are a key indicator of "nerd-hood". I think BSG (nerd) is one of the best shows on TV. It's more than Sci-Fi, it's a drama that happens in space. This book is a useful reference tool should you develop an interest in what goes on beyond the screen.
Book Review.......2007-01-02
my short and sweet opinion of this book is a great have for the Battlestar Galactica Fan. A lot of Sci-Fi and Tech information with great information and wonderful pictures. If You are thinking of a low-cost gift for a BSG Fan, this book along with the Season One Book is a great buy.
So Say We All
An excellent companion to BSG's magnificent second season.......2006-11-11
Compared to official guides for other shows, the companions to BATTLESTAR GALACTICA simply cannot be beat for enhancing the enjoyment of the episodes. Most official guides tend to do two things. First, they provide a critically neutral description of the episodes individually and the season as a whole. Second, they tend to repackage pretty much whatever one as a viewer can pick up on their own.
If you look at the official guides to BUFFY or FARSCAPE you'll see what I'm talking about. The best route with BUFFY is to get the unofficial guides. These unofficial guides are written without much contribution by the creators, producers, writers, or cast, but they at least have an independent point of view. The BSG official companions, however, while not critical from the author's viewpoint, are remarkably frank in providing critical assessments by the producers and directors and actors and writers as to what did and did not work in an episode. Any fan of BSG will recognize upon watching that "Black Market" and "Sacrifice" are not highlights of the show, but it is incredibly refreshing to read statements by Ron Moore and David Eick and Jamie Bamber that indicate that they, too, believe "Black Market" was not a successful episode. Take the official guide to BUFFY and read what it says about "Beer Bad" or "Some Assembly Required." You'll get no hint that these are considered among the worst BUFFY episodes ever. But in the BSG companions you'll not only see the creative team agreeing with you on the weaker episodes, but they will provide additional insight into why they don't work. So on the first of the two points mentioned above, the BSG guides are head and shoulders above other official guides.
On the second point, i.e., the regurgitation of stuff you can get yourself on an alert viewing, the BSG companions also shine. Probably 80% of the contents of the books are not directly accessible to a fan of the show. For instance, in reading about the casting of Admiral Cain, I was unaware that they first approached Sigourney Weaver, Jessica Lange, and Angelica Houston before asking Michelle Forbes if she was interested in the role (though I have to add that it is inconceivable to me that any of those fine actresses could have been more effective than Forbes, who was simply outstanding). As with the first companion, there are substantial interviews with all the concerned parties about how an episode came together.
My lone disappointment with this volume is that it possibly contained less information not directly concerned with specific episodes. The reason for this is obvious. Whereas the Season Two companion was restricted to the same length as the Season One companion, the second season featured 20 episodes as opposed to the first seasons 13, along with the miniseries. This volume thus had more episodes to discuss.
Still, I think many fans will find this as enjoyable as I have. I'm aware that there are some who prefer the kind of guide that I abhor, one that gives a glossily regurgitated summation of what happens in each episode. I generally find these kinds of guides worthless. Give me one like BSG any day! I want behind the scenes scoop, not a repetition of what I can easily see for myself.
Book Description
** COMPLETELY UNAUTHORIZED **
The science-fiction television series Battlestar Galactica is known for raising thought-provoking questions concerning martial law, artificial intelligence, power and corruption, and ultimately what it means to be human. What ethical complexities come into play when one mistake could mean the anihilation of the human race? How do you maintain faith in the Gods when you're involved in an Armageddon of your own creation? What is the distinction between a terrorist and a freedom fighter? These questions are given an intelligent and insightful examination in this engaging collection of essays.
Customer Reviews:
Good - but too much "religion"........2007-03-29
I really enjoyed reading the essays in this book. I'm a regular watcher of Battlestar and thought these essays added something to the shows as I watched! I did get a little tired of reading all the "religion" essays (monotheism, polytheism of Colonials, etc.). I ended up skipping one or two of those. There were a couple of creative and fictional essays as well. I recommend this for true Battlestar fans.
Thoughtful Essays.......2007-03-13
Overall well-written, thoughtful essays, on a variety of aspects of the show - religion, gender roles, the media, politics, psychology.
A few too many of them focused on the show's relevance to current politics, which, please, I am SO tired of people on both sides of the Iraq War fussing at how some movie or TV show is so "liberal" or so "conservative," didn't anyone ever hear about classical themes?
I would have liked more humor, even given the general darkness of the show. The only "funny" essay was the one that placed characters into different jobs, which I thought was thoroughly un-funny, and the weakest essay of the book. I liked the inclusion of a negative essay, a bold move but one that made me appreciate the updated show more.
Loved the Essays.......2007-02-20
Husband and I both had great discussions due to the thought provoking nature of these essays. Enjoyed Immensely!!
Challenges you, just like the show. Way better than the "official guides".......2007-01-20
I recently purchased both season 1 and season 2 "official guides" and was immediately disappointed by the lack of intelligent content. There were a few tidbits of information about the producers' perception and experiences in creating specific episodes, but I was so disappointed by a lack of meaty material and the excessive number of PR photos which showed us nothing new about the show, the actors or the creative process.
Battlestar Galactica reminds me a little bit of how The Simpsons is always saying more than you think. You watch and you know there's something metaphorical going on, but not sure what it is at all times. That's why the official Simpsons guides are so great - the point out the references and allusions you might have missed.
This supposed "unauthorized" collection of thoughts and opinions has the content I was looking for. Right out of the gate the first writer, Eric Greene, talks about terrorism, 9-11, human rights and a myriad of current events and how they're dealt with in the show. It challenges you. For example, as admirable as President Roslin is, she clearly violates her stated beliefs of supporting democracy. Just like the show, the author doesn't let you off the hook. It demands that you look at the situation in its entirety and admit that maybe what you emotionally want isn't exactly what you say you believe.
This first essay even offers a few examples of metaphor that I know I missed entirely. The assassination of Boomer on Galactica? Think 1963 in a parking garage when a man named Jack Ruby decides to take matters into his own hands.
"So Say We All" even pushes the buttons of its own audience by including an essay entitled "GINO" or "Galactica in Name Only." It's an in your face negative review of the modern BSG and praise of the original (which I personally find to be campy nonsense). I have to respect a book more when it's willing to include material that bashes the very show it's trying to praise.
That's the kind of content I wanted from the "official guides." BSG is a political show for our times. At times it's liberal, at times it's conservative, at times it's in the middle. Part of that process is not taking the easy route. It means challenging its audience to think and examine their own beliefs. And that's exactly what "So Say We All" does as a book. I highly recommend it.
Thought provocing and fun.......2007-01-11
Being a huge fan of the 78 series, I was interested in the "remake" of Battlestar. Needless to say, I am completly hooked. I recieved this book for Christmas, as sort of a joke from my family. The book is very interesting with essays from all sorts of people who are highly respected by their peers. I found the stories to be thought provoking, insightful and some of them are very funny. I am glad that I got this book and have enjoyed reading it. One essay is wrong on the cylon numbers but can be forgiven by the overall subject.
Book Description
President Laura Roslin bears a heavy burden. Since becoming the president of the twelve human colonies when the Cylons brutally attacked and destroyed all but a small remnant of humanity's billions, she has been the voice of civil authority, counterbalancing the military leadership of Commander Adama of the Battlestar Galactica. President Roslin has been a source of inspiration to the tens of thousands who survive on Galactica and the other colonial ships. They look to her for honesty, integrity, and courage. For fairness and an evenhanded rule. And most importantly, for the prophecy she has shared with them. Earth, the fabled home of the lost colony, can be found. She has seen this in a vision which has the power of truth.
Recently, though, her dreams have been darker, of a galaxy overrun by Cylons. . . . Is she having visions of an inevitable future? Or are these terrible dreams caused by powerful medication she's been taking ?
More dangerously, the Midguardians, radicals who believe that the end of humanity is coming soon, have learned of Roslin's dreams and taken them as a sign. Now, the Midguardians prepare to act.
President Roslin faces the most important decision of her life, should she tell Commander Adama about the Midguardians, and risk being imprisoned again as a traitor, or dare she keep her secret, and possibly endanger the future of the entire fleet . . .
Customer Reviews:
Just like an episode.......2007-08-16
I'm a big fan of BSG, so before I hit the beach this summer, I picked this book up when I saw it at a bookstore. I loved this book! I thought the characters were right on with the show. The dialogue sounded as if you'd hear it in an episode and it was more the story that was developed with less emphasis on Cylon attack action. If you like BSG and are looking to be entertained, I'd recommend this book.
Good story, buy if you're in to BSG........2007-07-30
It almost reads like cheap fan-fiction, but is a bit above that. I guess it's a bit unfair of me to say that, but I would not place it in the same class as novels by some of the sci-fi greats. However, it was a thoroughly enjoyable story, and that's what you are buying it for, right?
Unexciting and Promotes Propaganda.......2007-07-29
As a strong BSG fan of both the classic and new series, I found this novel unexciting in terms of plot and storytelling. What disturbed me the most is that on page 127 of the paperback, the writer strongly promotes the idea that nearly all wars in human history are due to a lack of communication or diplomacy. Anyone with a political science degree... as I do... or schooled in history knows that to be patently false. Remember WWII. This pacifist view goes against the spirit of the new series... that actions can be justified from multiple points of view. It is suggested that Peter David switch from acting as a professional propagandist and better serve the readers of BSG books by continuing to promote multiple points of view rather than stuffing down their throats pacifist propaganda!
Well done...just like an Episode.......2007-05-07
Peter David is a very good Auther. This book felt like an episode and it was not predictable. Very vivide discriptions.
BSG Bleeds No More.......2007-04-08
The first two BATTLESTAR GALACTICA novels were unimpressive at best: a novelization of the miniseries which added nothing to justify itself two years after the show aired, and a novel which filled in backstory that didn't seem to mesh well with the show. SAGITTARIUS IS BLEEDING by Peter David is the first BSG novel to take on the task of meshing with the series, and does so admirably.
The novel picks up after President Roslin was cured of cancer in "Epiphanies", and explores the aftermath of that episode. David takes the opportunity to look into just what the cure means to Roslin. In the show, the cure is taken as given; here we get an in-depth exploration of the ramifications of it on her character, and on Sharon Valerii who provided it.
In the process, David also explores one of the more noticeable dropped plots from the series: that of Boxey. A character from the original show, not seen after the first season, we get to see how he's coping with the changes in his life after his rescuer turned out to be a Cylon.
But even for someone who's not interested in exploring these tidbits from the series, SAGITTARIUS IS BLEEDING is an excellent BATTLESTAR GALACTICA adventure. Peter David gets the characters and the universe right, giving us an adventure that is enjoyable on its own terms as well as having deeper meaning for those intimately familiar with the TV show.
I'm not sure what this means for the future of the BATTLESTAR GALACTICA novel line. I went into this book expecting it to be good because of Peter David's other work, in tie-ins and in his own settings. Hopefully SAGITTARIUS is a sign for the future, the shape of things to come.
Book Description
Battlestar Galactica, an original SCI FI Channel miniseries, electrified viewers and critics alike and was hailed as a landmark in sci-fi television. Here, for the first time, is the novel based on that exciting drama.For forty years, the Twelve Colonies of Man were at peace, united since the war against the robotic Cylons. These mechanical beings, created by mankind to perform the manual labor civilization required, were gone forever...or so humanity thought. But in those years, the Cylons developed new Cylons that looked and acted like humans...and then they attacked the Twelve Worlds. Only a single warship survived the massive attack: Battlestar Galactica, the oldest ship in the fleet, ready to be decommissioned and turned into a museum. Commander William Adama, himself set to retire, had but one course: to marshal his meager forces, and somehow keep the Cylons from wiping out the last vestiges of the human race. But their inhuman Cylon enemies-stronger, smarter, and driven to destroy-may be too powerful for them, and all of humanity, to survive.
Customer Reviews:
Nicely done........2007-03-26
This is a well written book that is based on the SciFi miniseries of the same name. It is great for someone who likes to read instead of watching TV. It could also be good for someone who doesn't have regular access to TV like people in the military stationed overseas. It doesn't have that much more info than the series though.
Just Watch the MiniSeries!.......2007-03-01
I usually love adaptations because they go more into detail than the actual film. I think the only thing I got extra out of this was that #6's name was Narisa. If you love BSG and just want a recap, go rent the DVD. Save your pretty penny.
Nothing new in book compared to movie.......2006-11-10
I am a committed BG fan, but this book was a waste. I expected it to have expanded detail and sub plots not included in the movie. It didn't. I could have sat in front of my TV and written this in no time. I appreciate the author for trying to feed my BG need, but this book was not worth reading if you saw the movie. I never not finish a book, but with this one, I didn't even reach page 100.
screenplay hack.......2006-10-11
This "book" is bascially a rewrite of the screenplay for the miniseries with little to nothing contributed by the "author". I can't think of anything complimentary to say about the
"work". Save your money and buy something that is at least original.
Well Done and True.......2006-08-31
This is a novelization of the mini series that kicked off the successful Sci-Fi Channel series of the same name. If you are only familiar with the original series, you might be surprised at some of the changes.
Humans created Cylons to help make life easier. Eventually they became sophisticated enough to try and destroy humanity. The war ended forty years ago with a truce. The Cylons left to find a world of their own. A special station was set up as a diplomatic post. Every year humans have sent a representative while the Cylons have sent none. Until now.
The Cylons are back and they have new models that look just like humans. The Battlestar Galactica is being decommissioned and turned into a museum. Commander Adama is facing retirement. But the Commander's insistence on no computer networks allows the warship to survive the initial onslaught and take up the cause of human survival. On the flipside we have the Secretary of Education being elevated to President. Commander and President do not see eye to eye.
This is only the beginning of the story so, like the mini series, there is no real ending but there is a cliffhanger. Jeffrey Carver does an excellent job of fleshing out the story while being completely true to the series. An excellent book and a joy to read. Check it out.
Book Description
An ibooks original! An all-new adventure of the crew of the battlestar Galactica, co-written by series star Richard Hatch, who portrayed Captain Apollo.
Have the Galacticans truly found their "paradise" among the stars? Apollo thinks so, as they journey to a mysterious planet called Gemon, located through spatial coordinates vividly imprinted in Apollo's mind. Will the fleet stay and make this inviting, verdant planet their final home? It looks that way, until the traitor Baltar begins having nightmares about a new race of Cylons, more evil and deadlier than ever before -- a Cylon race with superior technology, warships and weaponry.
Customer Reviews:
PARADIS(BATTLESTAR GALATICA).......2005-09-16
GREAT BOOK! Rich Hatch writes likes his still playing the role of "Apollo". Loves the series of book by him.
Wish these had beenn made into a new series of films theatrical or direct to DVD instead of the re-imagined series.
WELCOME TO PARADIS.......2004-07-14
PARADIS provides the weary Galacticans with a planet to live on and explores the consequences that can come from the negative aspects of the colonial mindset. I like the way that the problematic aspects of turning Pardis into a colony are explored. Rich characters are the novel's biggest plus. All the same type of errors that plague I BOOKS are here again, but PARADIS itself plays like an excellent episode of a continuing original BSG TV series.
five stars.......2004-06-30
Over the past few months I have begun watching the Battlestar Galactica televison program for the first time. I was never much of a science fiction fan and had limited access to televison while growing up. I didn't see the Battlestar Galactica televison series until my husband purchased the complete series on DVD.
I became an instant fan after Saga of a Star World. I then began reading my husbands collection of Battlestar Galactica books by Richard Hatch. Both the books and the series have flaws (what doesn't?), but they also have wonderful characters, heart, imagination, and warmth. There's a special charm to Battlestar Galactica. Watching the episodes and reading the books has been five star experience for me.
exquisite.......2004-06-06
Richard Hatch does it again. Paradis is another amazing chapter in the saga of the Battlestar Galactica. The depiction of Baltar in this novel was my favorite aspect of this great novel. I can't wait to read Hatch's next book in the series. Bring on Destiny!
I enjoyed reading this.......2004-06-03
Paradis is Richard Hatch's 5th Battlestar Galactica novel. The man can definitely tell a good story. I love what he's done with the characters. He's proven to me that he can tell an engrossing tale, but the lack of decent edititing is still a problem in these things. The mistakes are a shame, but I won't b*tch and moan about them too much. Paradis is another captivating tale that delivers plenty of entertainment value.
Customer Reviews:
The benefit of the doubt.......2007-10-08
The Good:
Nicely organized: Chapter and section headings match what they are about. Also, an index. This might seem like an odd point, but... I've seen some things over the 30 odd years that I've been gaming to lead me to believe otherwise.
Pretty pictures: Stills from the show showing the topic at hand, also, the schematics of the Galactica and Colonial One are nice.
System: While not a huge fan of the system, it seems workable.
The tonality: Nicely done, and the way it's written, brings home the points of the series. While no direct comparisons are made, the point is brought home to avoid the technobabble - this is not Star Trek, where the problem of the week will be solved by reversing the polarity of the subspace transfusion warp capacitors, the problem will be solved by people.
The Bad:
Ship Design: Rules forthcoming... want to design your own ship, or fill out the fleet? Wait till that book is published, or, do what I'm going to, and fudge the Serenity ship building rules.
Sometimes the "in game" tonality of the rules is a little intrusive. On some occasions I find that I feel like Saul Tigh is growling the rules at me... take that how you will.
The Quick Start rules feature an introductory scenario, and sample PCs. Perhaps a continuation of the scenario and more sample PCs would have been a good idea.
The Ugly:
I'm not a grammar or a spelling Nazi... but dear lord, for the price, and coming from professionals, I expect more. There's a typo in the introduction by Richard Hatch ( which, by the way, I think is pretty cool that they got him to write one). There's misspellings, the wrong use of words ( I don't think the character is "knew to the fleet"), lack of spaces between words, etc. I had the same experience with the Serenity RPG - the feeling that the book is already late, and there's just not time for one more pass by the proof reader. Well, for the record, take the time.
Overall:
Why the 4 star rating? Because they don't offer a 3.5, the bad and the ugly don't outweigh the good. A statement up front that the RPG only covers the events of the first season (and I'm not sure it even goes that far) would have been good.
Hopefully, later printings will see a cleaned up book, and the supplements will fit out the cracks. A search on Amazon shows a GM screen for the game, but no due date.
I'd recommend this game for people looking to role play in the reimagined BSG universe.
Could've been better, but not too bad..........2007-10-03
A few things right off the bat that are missing:
1) No stats for Pegasus.
2) The weapon list is woefully incomplete.
3) No list of the ships in the rag-tag fleet.
4) No Blackbird.
The game system is good. I'm REALLY hoping for some support system for the game, even downloadable updates and source material will be appreciated.
Still and all, its a start, and a fairly good one. If you're looking for some sort of comprehensive guide to the BSG (rebooted) universe, look elsewhere.
Book Description
The new, ‘re-imagined’ Battlestar Galactica is quite simply one of the most acclaimed TV shows on any network. It was voted TV Show of the Year by Time magazine, and also received a Peabody Award, an unprecedented achievement for an SF show.
With its classy ensemble cast, including Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell, its cutting-edge special effects, superb production design and gritty, adult-oriented scripts, the new Battlestar Galactica is a stunning piece of television drama.
Compiled with complete access to the production, this third official companion is packed with exclusive interviews, photos, behind-the-scenes secrets, coverage of the online series Resistance, and a complete season three episode guide.
Book Description
fter the Cylon war, the Cylons retreated to parts unknown in deep space, and the twelve human colonies rebuilt that which was destroyed in the devastating war. The two sides honor their armistice agreement, and for twenty years nothing is heard from the Cylons. But sometimes no news is bad news. For the humans, the aftermath of the war has created a new, albeit illegal profession: scavenger. Tom Zarek is one of these scavengers, scouring the outer settlements for valuable Cylon technologies and artifacts, usually returning empty handed. But now, he and the crew of the cruiser Lightning have found the Omega Station, a scientific facility shrouded in secrecy beyond the edge of charted space. This is it, the big score, except something is wrong The base is still occupied, not by humans, but by Cylons! The Battlestar Galactica receives the Lightnings distress call, getting the coordinates and a cryptic one-word message: Cylons. A younger William Adama, just promoted to second in command, is worried. His crew is not prepared for dealing with more than the most routine of missions. And this mission is anything but routine, as they discover the base is full of Cylons, but also something much more disturbing....and deadly.
Customer Reviews:
BSG fans UNITE...to ignore this book........2007-04-10
This author obviously didn't know a darn thing about the source material. He explains in the story that Zarek was brought up on Caprica by well-to-do parents. WHAT?!? Anyone who has watched the show knows full well that Zarek was the son of a dirt poor couple who were basically slaves....ON SAGITARON! That's why he was in prison. He was a freedom fighter/terrorist, fighting for the equal treatment of his people. His story is even fleshed out in the 4 part comic series, BSG: Zarek. His parents were killed when he was young. Killed by the authorities. That's why he fights so hard against the established government. I would say that if you can get over the glaringly dreadful screwup, that it would be an adequate novel, but I just can't excuse this kind of major storyline foulup. Wish I could give it 0 stars, but 1 is the lowest. BSG fans, stay away from this book like it's contaminated. All other people, if you want to get into BSG, read the other books and forget this one exists.
After the First War.......2007-03-30
This is an interesting story, but it in no way fits with the show's premises. Twenty years after the first Human-Cylon War, Adama is on the Battlestar Galactica and looking for outposts who lost contact during the war. The find a small outpost and some salvage operators. The salvage operators find the outpost first but meet disastrous results when making contact. The outpost is a scientific research facility meant to examine the relationship between Human and Cylon. That means that there are Cylon's present. But these Cylon's seem to be living in harmony with the few remaining humans but with the arrival of outsiders it would appear they are not as harmless as thought.
The Galactica crew manages to safely land and make contact with the outpost. Slowly they learn something about what has been going on but it is a surviving salvage crew member that discovers some of the hidden secrets on the planet. When more Cylon's show up, the Galactica crew has to remember that there is an armistice and the Cylons are not currently a foe although prejudice runs deep. Things escalate of course and soon the skies are full of Battlestars and raiders looking to stave off or end a possible Cylon threat.
Knowing that the Cylons have been active in Human space and that they have very powerful ships does not seem like something the Fleet would have completely forgotten about by the time of the show's beginning. Having main characters from the show and multiple Battlestars involved just succeed in making sure this story will not fit with the television show. The book also suffers heavily from the Christmas Curse where books put out too close to the holidays do so without benefit of proof reading. I have enjoyed many books by the author and would like to think that he would have had a better polished product. Could it be this was another instance of a draft getting released as a final copy (i.e. NERILKA'S STORY by McCaffrey)? The draft-like nature and the way it fails to fit the show will have disastrous effects on this book's popularity. But despite the two major flaws I did find the story fun to read but most readers familiar with the show will not be able to overcome the discrepancies.
Fun and Fast-Paced.......2007-01-02
Battlestar Galactica: The Cylons' Secret, by Craig Shaw Gardner was a surprisingly fun book. I had reservations, as it's been a while since I've watched the new show. But with the first chapter I was hooked.
The Cylons' Secret is a prequel to the new Battlestar Galactica series. It not only gave a little bit of background on a few main characters, but also had an exciting plot.
Set years after the Cylon War, where the Colonial's artificial intelligent machines revolted, a raider ship stumbles upon a long-forgotten station where humans and Cylons seem to co-exist. But all is not as it appears. And when the Battlestar Galactica comes to investigate, a young William Adama must uncover the secrets before it's too late to save them all.
Gardner did a wonderful job of developing an exciting and suspenseful story with diverse and interesting characters. This was a fun and fast-paced read that any fan of science fiction should enjoy.
Okay Book.......2006-12-21
If you are a BSG fan and have a couple of bucks to spend and some time on a rainy day to do some reading then buy this book. It really only gets good at the end. The first part is pretty much boring and really doesn't add anything to this book. If you are expecting some huge space battle between the Galactica and the Cylons then don't waste your money. The Galactica doesn't fire a shot in the whole book. Forget spending a couple of bucks like I stated earlier, just get it from a library.
Blegh!! Written for 12-year olds.......2006-10-30
Utter crap. Reads like the outline to a bad fan-fiction movie, complete with a girl-crush from the plucky young heroine on a young Tom Zarek.
For anyone that seriously enjoys the show, you need to skip this "book" and pretend it doesn't exist. Reading it will be painful and annoying - thankfully it is a very quick read so the torture doesn't drag on too long.
On a more serious note, it is written for preteens with a crude, simplistic plot and nearly non-existent character development. There are gaping plot holes and serious deviations from established canon that are distracting. While it claims to "based upon" the re-imagined series, the word "loosely" should be included in that statement.
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Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion Season Three (Battlestar Galactica)
Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion Season Two (Battlestar Galactica the Official Companion)
