Books set in the Babylon 5 universe

Question : Which books are considered "canonical" to the Babylon 5 universe?

Answer : All of the books published by Del Rey are considered canon.

The most important of these early canon novels is "To Dream in the City of Sorrows" by Kathryn M. Drennan ("By Any Means Necessary", also the wife of JMS.)
It fills in much of the story of Jeffery Sinclair between the time of his departure from Babylon 5 at the end of S1 and his decision to return for "War Without End".
The book also tells how Marcus Cole came to join the Rangers, and explains what happened to Catherine Sakai.

The Del Rey novels consist of novelizations of "In the Beginning" and "Thirdspace" as well as three trilogies: The three telepath novels by J. Gregory Keyes, which have no over-all series title:
- Dark Genesis: The Birth of the Psi Corps
- Deadly Relations: Bester Ascendant
- Final Reckoning: The Fate of Bester

The novelization of "Thirdspace" was also written by Peter David.

Jeanne Cavelos' "The Passing of the Techno-mages"
- Casting Shadows
- Invoking Darkness
- Summoning Light

Cavelos also wrote "The Shadow Within", first published by Dell as part of the initial series of "B5" novels.
It was the first to be called "Mostly canon" by JMS.
It can also serve as a prequel to the Techno-mage novels, since several characters (both from the series and those Cavelos created) appear in the later books as well.
"Shadow" tells the story of the voyage of the Icarus to Z'ha'dum and fills in some of the story of Anna Sheridan and Mr. Morden.

Finally there is Peter David's Centauri trilogy, "Legions of Fire"
- The Long Night of Centauri Prime
- Armies of Light and Dark
- Out of the Darkness

These books tell the story of Londo, Vir and the Centauri from the time of Londo's ascension until his death, glimpsed in "War Without End, Part 2".
In doing so they explain what happened with the urn, the Keeper and David Sheridan, and how G'Kar, Delenn and John Sheridan all came to be on Centauri Pirme in 2278.
Peter David also wrote the novelization of "In the Beginning", which also depicted part of Londo's last day, as he told the story of the Earth-Minbar war to the children in the hours before he summoned Sheridan and Delenn to their final meeting with him.

There was also a novelization of "A Call to Arms", by Robert Sheckley.
Unlike Peter David's two novelizations, though, ACtA isn't a seamless extension of the movie; some of the additions (mainly the added scenes aboard the Victory, and her captain's backstory) just don't *feel* like material from Babylon 5.

Source: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
Author: Regular Expression, for AZ10.com ~ 10 Nov 2009

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