[subject]
Last night I went to naominovik's book signing at Dark Carnival in Berkeley with cofax7. Dark Carnival was, as promised, the Winchester Mystery House of bookstores, a long, narrow space crammed with shelves, with steps leading up into more long, narrow spaces crammed with shelves, and the absolute last place you'd want to be in an earthquake, but one of the first places you'd want to be if you're an sf/f reader. We got to hear (but not see!) naominovik read an unpublished story from the Temeraire-verse, from the other side of one of those bookshelves, and the audience asked some good questions about Novik's vision of dragons in the Revolutionary War, and in the pre-Columbian Americas. I also got to wallow in nostalgia, since I lived in the area where Dark Carnival is located after college, in a giant heap of a house with ten other people, and haven't been back in some time.
There has also been much Babylon 5 watching, and I'm behind posting what I've seen, but I'm hoping to catch up by next week. It would help if I could have fewer conference calls at odd hours, and way fewer major home renovation projects to juggle at one time.
Babylon 5 2.16 - "In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum"
So Morden was on the Icarus before it disappeared. (And, as laurashapiro cofax7 says, who names their ship the Icarus? Why not just call it the Hindenburg or the Titanic?) I had been thinking of Morden as more malevolent, a much more active participant in the conspiracy of the shadows, but this episode painted him as someone who has traded his life for eternal service, who has made himself a vessel. He's never alone, and that's chilling on several levels, because it means that he carries the shadows everywhere he goes, and also that they are always watching him as well. He made a hollow trade. That doesn't make him any less smarmy, but does mean that there's no weakness or vulnerability to appeal to; he has no choice either.
The way Sheridan goes off the deep end isn't particularly admirable, but it's very human. Each of his friends have to choose how far to go to intervene; they can try to pull him back from the edge, but they can't stop him from jumping if that's what he's determined to do. All Garibaldi can do is resign, and even that isn't enough to stop Sheridan, who replaces him with the dumber and more biddable Zack Allen. Talia refuses to read someone against their will, so Sheridan arranges the hallway meetup. One of the show's major themes is the lines people will cross and the lines where they have to stop and make a stand, and it's different for every person. Londo is willing to swallow his gut instinct and go to Morden for help; Vir will tell Morden exactly what he thinks of him (with a little, sarcastic wave, which was awesome), but will carry out Londo's instructions, even if that means dealing with Morden, or getting him released from lockup. The aforementioned dumber and more biddable Zack Allen isn't a bad guy, but he's willing to do his part without question, to trust that the authorities above him know what's right, whether it's in going along with Sheridan's crazy or putting on the armband of the Ministry of Peace's Night Watch. Sheridan will have an intense Teeth Off with Morden, will break a number of rules to keep him in lockup, will knowingly put Talia in the way of a horrible experience, if it means finding out what happened to his wife. But when faced with the same choice he once offered G'Kar, to satisfy his personal need for action or hold back for the greater benefit of his entire people, he stops.
I am excited to learn more about the Vorlons, (although why does every show have to have Ancients? Is it some kind of law?), but even more exciting that the flashback to Delenn's question to Kosh about whether the shadows have returned at the end of season 1 was actual footage from a previous episode, that these revelations were set in motion that long ago.
Babylon 5 2.17 - "Knives"
Between Sheridan's behavior in the last episode and his hallucinogenic life-form takeover in this one, I'm sort of surprised he wasn't escorted off the station in a straitjacket by the end of the episode.
But that was the B plot. The A plot was all about Londo and what his choices are costing him, not just in the more transient friendships he's made on the station, but in the relationships that helped form him, that are a part of his history. Jacob Carter Urza isn't just a family friend; he's part of Londo's dueling past and his identity as a Centauri aristocrat; their families are tightly linked. Refa is consolidating power ruthlessly on Centauri Prime, and Londo has made common cause with him; he's lain down with dogs, and it's starting to itch. I thought for a while that Londo was going to make a deliberate choice to sacrifice his friend on the alter of his ambition, but in some ways, the outcome was worse. Londo has made all his choices already, has already set all the pieces in motion. He didn't need to decide to kill Urza, because he had brought about the conditions under which Urza's only real option was suicide by duel for the sake of his family. And now he knows it. Oh Londo.
* * * * *
In other fannish news:
There has also been much Babylon 5 watching, and I'm behind posting what I've seen, but I'm hoping to catch up by next week. It would help if I could have fewer conference calls at odd hours, and way fewer major home renovation projects to juggle at one time.
Babylon 5 2.16 - "In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum"
So Morden was on the Icarus before it disappeared. (And, as laurashapiro cofax7 says, who names their ship the Icarus? Why not just call it the Hindenburg or the Titanic?) I had been thinking of Morden as more malevolent, a much more active participant in the conspiracy of the shadows, but this episode painted him as someone who has traded his life for eternal service, who has made himself a vessel. He's never alone, and that's chilling on several levels, because it means that he carries the shadows everywhere he goes, and also that they are always watching him as well. He made a hollow trade. That doesn't make him any less smarmy, but does mean that there's no weakness or vulnerability to appeal to; he has no choice either.
The way Sheridan goes off the deep end isn't particularly admirable, but it's very human. Each of his friends have to choose how far to go to intervene; they can try to pull him back from the edge, but they can't stop him from jumping if that's what he's determined to do. All Garibaldi can do is resign, and even that isn't enough to stop Sheridan, who replaces him with the dumber and more biddable Zack Allen. Talia refuses to read someone against their will, so Sheridan arranges the hallway meetup. One of the show's major themes is the lines people will cross and the lines where they have to stop and make a stand, and it's different for every person. Londo is willing to swallow his gut instinct and go to Morden for help; Vir will tell Morden exactly what he thinks of him (with a little, sarcastic wave, which was awesome), but will carry out Londo's instructions, even if that means dealing with Morden, or getting him released from lockup. The aforementioned dumber and more biddable Zack Allen isn't a bad guy, but he's willing to do his part without question, to trust that the authorities above him know what's right, whether it's in going along with Sheridan's crazy or putting on the armband of the Ministry of Peace's Night Watch. Sheridan will have an intense Teeth Off with Morden, will break a number of rules to keep him in lockup, will knowingly put Talia in the way of a horrible experience, if it means finding out what happened to his wife. But when faced with the same choice he once offered G'Kar, to satisfy his personal need for action or hold back for the greater benefit of his entire people, he stops.
I am excited to learn more about the Vorlons, (although why does every show have to have Ancients? Is it some kind of law?), but even more exciting that the flashback to Delenn's question to Kosh about whether the shadows have returned at the end of season 1 was actual footage from a previous episode, that these revelations were set in motion that long ago.
Babylon 5 2.17 - "Knives"
Between Sheridan's behavior in the last episode and his hallucinogenic life-form takeover in this one, I'm sort of surprised he wasn't escorted off the station in a straitjacket by the end of the episode.
But that was the B plot. The A plot was all about Londo and what his choices are costing him, not just in the more transient friendships he's made on the station, but in the relationships that helped form him, that are a part of his history. Jacob Carter Urza isn't just a family friend; he's part of Londo's dueling past and his identity as a Centauri aristocrat; their families are tightly linked. Refa is consolidating power ruthlessly on Centauri Prime, and Londo has made common cause with him; he's lain down with dogs, and it's starting to itch. I thought for a while that Londo was going to make a deliberate choice to sacrifice his friend on the alter of his ambition, but in some ways, the outcome was worse. Londo has made all his choices already, has already set all the pieces in motion. He didn't need to decide to kill Urza, because he had brought about the conditions under which Urza's only real option was suicide by duel for the sake of his family. And now he knows it. Oh Londo.
* * * * *
In other fannish news:
- Rebecca Traister has a nice paean to Dana Sculley in Salon [site pass required]. (via molly_may)
- Tor is offering some titles for free download through the 27th, including several authors I've been wanting to check out. I think they're smart to let people sample; I know I will end up buying if I like something. (via rydra_wong)
- Baby animal alphabet! SO ADORABLE. I'm not sure what baby animals have to do with fandom, but there has to be some connection. Uh, if it's one thing fandom can probably come together and agree on, it's that baby animals are cute. Yeah, that's it.