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Old June 18th, 2009, 10:08 AM   #1
Charybdis
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Default Battlestar Galactica novelization

I have recently reread the Battlestar Galactica Saga of a Star World novelization and it dawned on me the differences between the novel and the tv show. I thought I would write down those differences so anyone who has not read the novel can see how it was a bit different.

I have broken up the types of information into two categories:
expositional - the information does not contradict what was seen in the tv show, it just tells us more about a topic;
contradictory - the information contradicts what was seen in the tv show.

Battlestar Galactica novelization:

* Zac is a battle-hardened Lieutenant, not an Ensign on his first patrol (contradictory)
*Zac is assigned the mission with Apollo by Col. Tigh as punishment because he was caught fooling around with one of Dr. Paye's nurses (contradictory)
* To engage the Viper's turbo engines, a pedal must be pushed (contradictory)
* President Adar has a long, gray beard (contradictory)
* Baltar is very fat (contradictory)
* Baltar is a self-proclaimed count who was a trader in rare items (expositional)
* The fleet is said to have 5 battlestars (expositional)
* The Battlestar Pacifica was said to have been the largest battlestar but she had already been destroyed thus making the Galactica the fleet's largest (contradictory)
* The Galactica was commissioned 200 years ago.(expositional)
* Commander Adama has commanded the Galactica for 25 years (expositional)
* Jolly's and Greenbeans' names were given to them by their squadron mates due to their appearances (expositional)
* Cylons are actual creatures who have many eyes on their heads and can change the shape of their heads at will (contradictory)
* Athena has blonde hair (contradictory)
* Vipers have to taxi to their launch point (contradictory)
* There are battle cruisers with the fleet indicating another type of warship (expositional)

* The Imperious Leader is 700 years old (expositional)
* Imperious Leaders serve a term of 75 years (expositional)
* Boxey is not Serina's son (contradictory)
* There is a camouflage force field around the Galactica and the fleet (contradictory)
* Prina is Serina's sound technician on Caprica (expositional)
* Morel is Serina's cameraman (expositional)
* One of the other battlestars at Cimtar is the Solaria (contradictory)
* The rag tag fleet is composed of 22,000 ships (contradictory)

* Cassiopiea is dark haired and has dark eyes (contradictory)
* Sire Uri is actually arrested and taken away from his party onboard the Rising Star (contradictory)
* Adama resigns as President of the Council of the Twelve (contradictory)
* It is Adama's idea to go to Carillon, not Apollo's (contradictory)
* Some of the ships jump to the Carillon sector and leave the rest behind (contradictory)
* They are surprised to find that the approach to Carillon is mined (contradictory)
* It is Adama's plan to clear the mines, not Apollo's (contradictory)
* There is no Nova of Madagon (contradictory)
* The viper scanners do not work in the minefield (contradictory)
* There are three types of mines, one which just explodes on contact, another that gives off a blinding flash of light, and the third are electronic jammers (contradictory)
* Apollo, Boomer and Starbuck fly blind and form a wedge to blow a path through the minefield (sort of contradictory)
* Some Cylon worlds practice monogamy and the IL vows to stamp it out (contradictory)
* A whole crop can grow in one day (expositional)

* Ovions were enslaved and transported to Carillon by the Cylons (expositional)

* Adama goes down to Carillon (contradictory)
* Apollo wears dress blues on Carillon as do most of the other warriors (contradictory)

* Lotay, the Ovion queen, has drugged the leaders to influence them into staying (contradictory)
* The three warrior "imposters" who Apollo and Starbuck chase into the elevator are captured by the Ovions (expositional)
* The three "imposters" are then rescued by Apollo and Starbuck (contradictory)
* Starbuck kills Lotay (contradictory)
* Muffit is shot by a Cylon (contradictory)
* Col. Tigh is on Carillon at the ceremony (contradictory)
* Col. Tigh is wounded in the ground battle (contradictory)
* Rain is falling as the Colonials evacuate Carillon (contradictory)
* Starbuck and Cassiopiea pilot an Ovion transport full of Tylium up to the Galactica (contradictory)
* No direct mention is made of Carillon actually exploding, although they do mention the possibility of it occurring with all of the Tylium on fire (contradictory)
* The Imperious Leader is not present at Carillon and therefore does not die (contradictory)
* Baltar is executed (contradictory in tv version)
* Sire Uri resigns from the council (expositional)
* The Cylons are defeated at Carillon but another force attacks the fleet ships which had been left behind by the Galactica (contradictory)
* The Galactica and vipers jump back to the fleet and rout the Cylons there as well (contradictory)
* They eat mashed potatoes (expositional)
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Old October 24th, 2011, 01:53 PM   #2
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Default Re: Battlestar Galactica novelization

Seriously good post and well done indeed for finding all those The one about Zac was one that stuck out when I read the book the other month and to a point Adama seeming to be more gruff but maybe it's down to Lorne Greene's performance than how he was written.
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Old October 25th, 2011, 01:03 AM   #3
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Default Re: Battlestar Galactica novelization

What order was the Book and the show.

Its a chicken before the Egg question

I must read Saga again soon
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Old October 25th, 2011, 02:28 AM   #4
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Default Re: Battlestar Galactica novelization

I remember that the novelization was on the shelves in UK stores long before the film was released and that's pretty common for novelizations. The writer was probably working from a very early draft of the script and that would explain the differences. (Think of how different the novelizations of Star Wars or Alien compare to the films.)
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Old October 25th, 2011, 02:49 AM   #5
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Default Re: Battlestar Galactica novelization

you have a better memory than I do
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Old October 25th, 2011, 09:51 AM   #6
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Default Re: Battlestar Galactica novelization

yeah, although the book I believe is copyrighted 1978 as well, but I think it was released right before the tv show.

As for Star Wars, many do not realize that the novelization was actually released in 1976!!! They were going to fan cons to get the word out about this new movie coming next year...amazing...
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Old October 25th, 2011, 10:12 AM   #7
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Default Re: Battlestar Galactica novelization

Always liked the subtitle to the Star Wars one -"The Adventures of Luke Skywalker".

Battlestar Galactica: The Adventures of Starbuck...
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Old October 25th, 2011, 11:23 AM   #8
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Default Re: Battlestar Galactica novelization

Quote:
Originally Posted by Charybdis View Post

As for Star Wars, many do not realize that the novelization was actually released in 1976!!! They were going to fan cons to get the word out about this new movie coming next year...amazing...
Yeah I saw that on the bonus star wars dvd some time ago.

smart move.
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Old October 26th, 2011, 01:17 PM   #9
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Default Re: Battlestar Galactica novelization

Love the novelizations of both SW and BSG. They really had a different and unique "feel" to them that is hard to capture on screen.
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Old October 26th, 2011, 03:14 PM   #10
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Default Re: Battlestar Galactica novelization

I remember reading that they changed the Cylons from alien beings in armor to full robots in part because of the censors of that time. They couldn't show Cylon ships being destroyed with living beings inside, because that is violent killing, but they can destroy as many ships with robots in them as they like.

If the Singer movie goes through, would it be interesting if they go back to this very original concept of Cylons? Instead of being all robot... or heaven forbid robots created by the Colonies/humans themselves.
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Old October 26th, 2011, 05:54 PM   #11
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Default Re: Battlestar Galactica novelization

Some other details I remember from the novelization:
Adama and Adar had gone to school together, and Ila did not like Adar at all.
There are some details about how Cassiopeia became a socialator, which I found disturbing and won't repeat. There is no mention about her involvement with Cain, probably because that story hadn't been written yet!
Baltar's weight, and his weight loss, are continued in the novelization of Lost Planet of the Gods/The Tombs of Kobol.
There is a character named Jenny in the book, and she will reappear periodically throughout the entire series of novels. Jenny is a mechanic of sorts for the Vipers. The character played by Bruce Wright (he's Lomas in one episode) never appears in any of the novels, and Jenny seems to be his replacement.
Dr. Wilker has an assistant named Lance who helps create the robot Muffit. When Muffit II is introduced in the program, you can see him being followed by a man, but all you see are the man's legs. I'm assuming this is Lance.
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