The SF Site: Babylon 5.1 by Rick Norwood

Babylon 5.1
by Rick Norwood

What to look for in January 2001

Websites
Other Babylon 5.1 Columns
For more information, you can try the following sites:
Rick Norwood's Website
Worldwide TV Schedule
The Official Babylon 5 Website
The X-Files
Pocket Books: Star Trek
Paramount Star Trek

Ratings
Ratings are based on a four star system.
One star means that the commercials are more entertaining than the program.
Two stars watch if you have nothing better to do.
Three stars is good solid entertainment.
Four stars means you never dreamed television could be this good.

Now that the Christmas rerun season is over, here is what to watch in January, including two new X-Files that have already aired, but which I include for completeness. Please accept the Maxwell Smart excuse.

January 7
The X-Files, "Surekill" (**) by Greg Walker.
Good acting helps make up for a very slight plot about a killer with x-ray vision. Scully and Doggett really have nothing to do, here.

January 14
The X-Files, "Salvage", by Jeffrey Bell.

January 17
Star Trek Voyager, "Shattered" by Michael Sussman and Michael Taylor.
A Star Trek Mythos episode -- looks like a good one. As Voyager nears home, expect more and more episodes that make major changes in the lives of the characters.

January 24
Star Trek Voyager, "Lineage" by James Kahn.

January 31
Star Trek Voyager, "Repentance" by Robert Doherty and Michael Sussman.

And I should mention that there is a new X-Files Mythos episode, "The Gift", scheduled for February 4.

Doesn't the new FBI agent on The X-Files have the same name as Boxey's pet on Battlestar Galactica? I should remember -- I have the action figure.

In addition to writing this column for SF Site, I have a short story, "Portal", coming up in the new fantasy magazine Black Gate. I think it will be in issue number two, though I can't be sure. In any case, you should click on over to the Black Gate web page and subscribe. I understand the first issue is almost sold out, and I expect it will become a collector's item.

Also, I publish a monthly magazine, Comics Revue, which reprints old time comic strips. In recent issues, I've been serializing a Flash Gordon script by Harry Harrison, author of Deathworld and The Stainless Steel Rat. You can subscribe at www.io.com/~norwoodr and, if you like, ask that your sub begin with the first Harry Harrison issue.

Rick Norwood is a mathematician and writer whose small press publishing house, Manuscript Press, has published books by Hal Clement, R.A. Lafferty, and Hal Foster. He is also the editor of Comics Revue Monthly, which publishes such classic comic strips as Flash Gordon, Sky Masters, Modesty Blaise, Tarzan, Odd Bodkins, Casey Ruggles, The Phantom, Gasoline Alley, Krazy Kat, Alley Oop, Little Orphan Annie, Barnaby, Buz Sawyer, and Steve Canyon.