Editing Battlestar Galactica (2005 Novel)

{{separate continuity|rdm = Y}}
{{Book Data
| image = Bsgminiseriesbook.jpg
| title= Battlestar Galactica
| series= Re-imagined
| bookno= 1
| episode=
| author=Jeffrey A. Carver
| published= December 27, 2005
| isbn=0765315416 
| prev=''None''
| next=[[The Cylons' Secret]]
}}

== Overview ==

A '''novelization of the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined "Battlestar Galactica"]] [[Miniseries]]''' was published by Tor Books on December 27, 2005. Content and page numbers are from the trade paperback edition (ISBN=0765315416 ), First Edition: January 2006.

The book, written by science fiction author [http://www.starrigger.net Jeffrey A. Carver], includes a few background elements not shown in the aired Miniseries, and incorporates [[List of Deleted Scenes (RDM)|some deleted scenes]]. Since the information in the [[Miniseries]] article (Overview, Summary, etc) covers the novelization, the focus of this article is a comparsion of the two very similar versions of the same story.

== Notes ==

Interesting additions to the novelization include:

*'''[[Armistice Officer|Colonel Wakefield]]''': The name given to the first human, the Armistice Officer, that viewers see in the Miniseries<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|16}}</ref>. He meets a unexpected arrival of a Cylon "diplomatic group"--and his death--on the [[Armistice Station]]. This also suggests that his son, [[Boxey (RDM)|Boxey]], shares his father's last name.

*The discussion about the fate of [[Kara Thrace]] between [[William Adama]] and [[Saul Tigh]] has a light-hearted [[Quotes:06 17|end]]<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|38}}</ref>.

*The motive for the controversial murder of the infant by a [[Cylon agent|mysterious infiltrator]] known later as [[Number Six]] (as well as [[Caprica-Six]] after her [[Downloaded|resurrection]]) is explicitly explained as to spare the infant any suffering in the imminent [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|attack]]<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|45}}</ref>.

*'''Natasi''': The name given to [[Caprica-Six]]<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|47}}</ref>. 

*The light emitted by the illuminated spine of an aroused humanoid Cylon is explained as being mostly infrared, with a small amount of gamma radiation, and nearly invisible to the human eye<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|50}}</ref>

*In normal operations, ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' carries as many as fifty fighter, recon, and other spacecraft. At the time of the decommissioning ceremony, ''Galactica'' is carrying fewer<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|51}}</ref>.

*Carver assigns first names to the three members of Deck Crew 5;  "Jane [[Cally]]", "Brad [[Socinus]]", "Leonard [[Prosna]]".<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|56-57}}</ref> When asked why he named Cally as "Jane", Carver said "she just looks like a Jane" {{citation needed}}

*The meeting that [[Caprica-Six]] has with an unknown individual (immediately following her discussion with [[Gaius Baltar]] about the [[CNP]] status and her motives for assisting him on the project) has extra dialogue. The unknown individual she meets after Baltar leaves says, "It is indeed (about time). The time has almost come." [[Caprica-Six]] replies, "All right, then. I'd like to be with him." The unknown individual says, "Of course. There is much for him to do yet. And one way or another, you will always be with him"<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|62}}</ref>. The area in which both these conversations happen is named the "Government Center Plaza."<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|60}}</ref>.

*The museum's exhibits contain actual [[Cylon Centurion Model 0005]]s captured during the [[Cylon War]]<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|63}}</ref>.

*At the decommissioning ceremony, there is a enormous video projection screen at one end of the [[landing bay]] that give the illusion of an open window to space. The screen displays the approaching [[Vipers]] participating in the flyby to the audience<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|85}}</ref>.

*The TV interview that Baltar has with the newscaster [[Kellan Brody]] occurs two days before the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|attack]]<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|91}}</ref>. 

*The book that Commander Adama was reading when he received word that the Cylon attack was underway is named "A Time of Changes:  Five Colonial Presidents Before The War", a history book about a series of leaders of Caprica before the Cylon War.  In Ron Moore's blog during season 1, he stated that a [[Government|unified government]] encompassing all Twelve Colonies was only formed in response to the outbreak of the Cylon War (though there may have been local President of Caprica itself before this, presumably)<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|97}}</ref>.

*It is specifically said that there are a few [[Viper Mark VII]]'s remaining on ''Galactica'', but they are in need of heavy maintenance at the time of the initial Cylon Attack and not in working condition (they are presumably fixed in time for the final battle at [[Ragnar]], where several Viper Mark VII's are seen on screen)<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|107}}</ref>.

*Carver made it a point in interviews that he rewrote it that the [[Viper Mark II]]'s in the museum have had their reactor cores pulled and they're in storage, although Tyrol is able to reinsert them fairly easily, as he didn't think it was safe to leave them in a museum like that (even though the Miniseries states that they have "rad buffers" inserted in them to make them nonfunctional)<ref name="page108">{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|108}}</ref>.

*New dialogue is added in which Starbuck says that ''Galactica'' has almost no ordnance because it was unloaded at "[[Rhapsody Station]]", but they have enough for the Viper Mark II's (though not the main batteries of ''Galactica'') because they were supposed to dump off some extra ammo at a base on Caprica.  A deleted scene from the Miniseries actually shows that the ordnance of ''Galactica'' wasn't dropped off anywhere, but released into space and remote detonated<ref name="page108"/>.

*Carver assigned names to mentioned-only Viper pilots over the com link such as "Scott" and "Erin."<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|112}}</ref>.

*The description of the cockpit of ''[[Colonial One | Colonial Heavy 798]]'' includes an instrument monitoring ''[[Lorey-field gravity]]''<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|117}}</ref>.  Half a dozen times throughout the novelization, Carver refers to the artificial gravity technology used by the Colonials as "Lorey-field gravity".

*The unnamed pilot of [[Colonial One]] is given a name, "Captain [[Russo]]"<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|123}}</ref>.

*[[Jack]], the man who speaks from Roslin over [[wireless]] from Caprica during the attacks, is given a full name, "[[Jack Nordstrom]]"<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|126}}</ref>.

*The author devises how [[Gaius Baltar]] survives the nuclear explosion that strikes his home. [[Caprica-Six]] shoves him to the floor and throws her body over his. Despite her sacrifice, Baltar is still tossed across the room, but he is more or less okay. The home is not completely destroyed and he is able take a jacket and a briefcase containing incriminating evidence he had given Caprica-Six from the remains of the home.  Baltar even points out to himself that his house must be over 30 kilometers away from Caprica City, and not was "not really so close" to the blast<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|130}}</ref>.

*The [[small arms|''Blade Runner''-style handguns]] used in the Miniseries are given a name, "Previn automatics"<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|132}}</ref>.

*Carver gave the nameless black copilot of ''Colonial One'' the name "[[Eduardo]]".<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|134}}</ref>.

*The cargo bay of ''Colonial One'' is described as "like the lower deck of a seagoing ferry." This is most likely an in-joke: the scenes for ''Colonial One's'' cargo bay were actually filmed on the car deck of a [[Wikipedia:BC Ferries|BC Ferries]] [[Wikipedia:V class ferry|V Class]] car and passenger ferry<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|136}}</ref>.

*Pilots are given more throwaway names, "Choker", "Shooter", "Keyhole", "Wedlock", and "Karen".  A "Viper Mark IV" is mentioned as being among the Vipers that ''Galactica'' launches (this might just be a misprint, as it is not emphasized that it is a different model)<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|145}}</ref>.

*It is implied that Cally and [[Prosna]] were a couple<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|170}}</ref>.

*Commander [[William Adama | Adama]] brought Chief [[Galen Tyrol]] onto ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' at a time when no other commanding officer would because of a single mistake in the past that cost lives<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|171}}</ref>.

*More detail is given about the mining accident that destroyed [[Troy]]:  [[Sharon Valerii|Boomer]] recalls that a mining accident cracked the dome which was protecting the 200,000 inhabitants from the planet's toxic atmosphere; Boomer only survived because she was en route to Caprica at the time for her admissions interview at Colonial Academy<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|184}}</ref>.  This contradicts Boomer's statements in the series that Troy was destroyed when she was a little girl, and actually contradicts the beginning of the same paragraph on this page when Boomer says her parents died when she was little.  Of course, Boomer was [[Number Eight|never a real person]] and [[Abraham Valerii|her family]] was never real, but the Troy mining accident actually happened and was a well known incident to other Colonials, so the date here appears to be shifted around.  

*The entire procedure of retracting the [[flight pod]]s takes ten minutes and forty-three seconds<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|187}}</ref>.

*It's said that the planet [[Ragnar]] is in the same solar system as the Twelve Colonies<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|189}}</ref>.  

*New dialogue is added of Baltar confirming to Roslin that a planet-wide "nuclear winter" is setting in on Caprica (and the other Colonies), rendering them uninhabitable<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|204}}</ref>.

*When Boomer finds a ship named "[[Tauranian]]", on-air it was only said that it would help the "thirsty" other ships in the fleet, but here it is elaborated that it is a [[tylium]] refinery ship, and would sate the other ship's "thirst" for fuel, etc.<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|213}}</ref>.

*Laura Roslin says that the population of the Twelve Colonies at the time of the Cylon Attack was 23 billion.  An early draft of the Miniseries script had a line which was cut from the final version, which said the population was 12 billion. A line from [[Saul Tigh]] in the webisode, ''[[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance]]'' supports the 20 billion mark.<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|217}}</ref>.

* The abandonment of the [[Botanical Cruiser]] and the non-FTL ships is shown from [[Cami]]'s perspective (not that she dies; she just notices the other ships leaving).  Her doll's name is "Jeannie"<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|223}}</ref>.

*[[Leoben Conoy]] claims to Adama that he is a "[[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Gemenon|Gemenon theist]]"<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|228}}</ref>.

*[[Dualla]] is described as having "olive-toned" skin<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|236}}</ref>, though usually in print this description is used for a "Mediterranean" complexion.  Carver said that he actually struggled mightly to convey the ethnicity of certain characters, while not resorting to Earth-specific terms because the Twelve Colonies are not in contact with Earth.  For example, at various times, Boomer is referred to as "Asian", or "Oriental", and sometimes he resorts to descriptive writing such as saying that she has epicanthal folds around her eyes.  

*A new scene is added of Commander Adama struggling to walk back from his fight with Leoben Conoy to the other ''Galactica'' crewmen at the entrance to Ragnar station, and being found just as he collapses<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|249}}</ref>.  

*A new scene is added where [[Billy Keikeya]] gives Roslin advice.  Roslin recalls that she let Personnel pick Keikeya and thus hadn't met with him in person before he was hired, and that Keikeya won a "Siltzer Prize for writing a paper on Diplomacy and Leadership Models"<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|257-260}}</ref>.

*Baltar recalls that he was actually given hair and skin samples from various people and briefly tested them, though spectrographic analysis yielded no results, so he simply chose to lie about them.  In the Miniseries it was somewhat implied that he didn't even perform such preliminary tests<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|261}}</ref>.  

*Brief new dialogue is between Adama and Tigh, agreeing that Roslin is the lawful president and they should follow her orders<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|262}}</ref>.  

*Doral says that he is from "Moasis":  on the Miniseries DVD, the subtitles for "[[Oasis]]" were incorrectly transcribed as "Moasis" (it's really just that "from" ends with an "m" and slurs into "oasis")<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|268}}</ref>. 

* The [[Red Line]] is defined as the distance beyond which jump calculations are too uncertain, too risky for a single [[Jump]]<ref name="page282">{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|282}}</ref>. This definition is also given in the original draft of the Miniseries (and actually later [[Sources:Red Line|confirmed]] as correct).  

*The [[Prolmar Sector]] is said to be roughly 30 light-years away from Ragnar<ref name="page282"/>.

*[[Gaeta]] announces that 43 Vipers have returned aboard, not including the two that Apollo and Starbuck return in<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|293}}</ref>.  In "[[Act of Contrition]]," Apollo states that ''Galactica'' has 40 Vipers left:  Apollo and Starbuck's Vipers were probably totaled, and the extra three could have been just scrapped for parts.  However, "[[33]]" Apollo's Viper, [[Viper 7242|7242]] is explicitly shown to be under repair and appears several times throughout the series, which would mean more of the other Vipers were scrapped.  

*Carver makes referrence to the FX gaffe that when ''Galactica'' Jumps away from Ragnar, it's flight pods are still extended. Ron Moore acknowledged in his blog that this is an error. In the book, Adama says that they're running out of time and have no choice but to take the risky move of Jumping with the flight pods extended<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|298}}</ref>.

*It is stated that [[Elosha]]'s funeral service is broadcast via live video feed throughout the entire fleet.  In the regular series, it seems to have been established that the fleet doesn't have the resources for this, and are limited to audio-only [[wireless]] broadcasts<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|300}}</ref>.

*Dialogue is added to Baltar's final scene with Number Six, with her telling him that he is important and has a mission (God's plan, etc.)<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|310}}</ref>.

*[[Aaron Doral]] is a "sleeper" agent who doesn't realize he is a [[Cylon]] until he is rescued from [[Ragnar Anchorage]] by the Cylons and sees another Aaron Doral model<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|317}}</ref>. He thinks of himself as "a public relations man"<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|27}}</ref>. Additional information about him is presented.

*Apollo hasn't been on a battlestar for years, but last served on the (brand new at the time) battlestar ''[[Atlantia]]''.  ''Atlantia'' is actually one of the original battlestars, but unlike ''Galactica'' it was given extensive refits over time to keep it on par with other current battlestars, but it was still not completely new.  In his blog, Ron Moore has said that Apollo never served on a battlestar, but out of various planetary bases.  

*The water outside Baltar's house is called "King's Bay Inlet".  

*The Cylon Attack occurs during springtime on Caprica.  

*Tigh has known Adama for over 40 years and fought with him in the Cylon War.  As the series progressed it was revealed in "[[Scattered]]" that Tigh first met Adama 20 years ago, 20 years after the Cylon War ended, and never served on the same ship as him until his tour on battlestar ''[[Valkyrie]]''.

*At times, Keikeya and others refer to Laura Roslin as "Dr. Roslin" instead of "Secretary Roslin".  As Secretary of Education is a high level position Roslin could presumably hold a degree.

*The dialogue between Baltar and Number Six when she reveals the nature of the new humanoid Cylons, just before a nuclear explosion shatters the windows of Baltar's house, has been changed to clarify what Number Six says:  here she specifically says that there are "twelve human-type models", to avoid confusion that Raiders or Centurions might be included in the count.  

Included [[List of Deleted Scenes (RDM)|deleted scenes]] from the [[Miniseries]]:

*Billy Keikeya introduces himself to [[Laura Roslin]] as her new assistant aboard ''[[Colonial Heavy 798]]''<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|40-41}}</ref>.
* [[Cally]], [[Socinus]] and [[Prosna]] talk about Valerii's and [[Galen Tyrol|Tyrol]]'s forbidden relationship<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|57-58}}</ref>.

Scenes not in the novelization:

*After [[Gaeta | Lt. Gaeta's]] and Commander Adama's discussion about the Armistice Officer, Lt. Gaeta leaves [[CIC]] where he passes and salutes Colonel Tigh who is slouching over and holding on to a railing with a cup in his hand. 

*The controversial interjection "Jesus" coming from Colonel Tigh during the discussion with Commander Adama concerning Kara Thrace. (This is to be expected, as that exclamation was an ad-lib by Michael Hogan. The Colonials have a polytheistic religion.)
 
Error(s) in the novelizations include:

*Commander [[William Adama]]'s callsign is stenciled on his old [[Viper Mark II]] as "HUSHER"<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|30}}</ref>.
**Carver has admitted that this was a mistake, due to his misinterpreting the font style's K for an H. {{citation needed}}

*Starbuck refers to Boomer as a "crook" not a "rook", Carver probably misheard the line<ref>{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|34}}</ref>

*Gemenon is spelled as the non-standard "Geminon".

*Aaron Doral says that the radiation from Ragnar affects their Cylon "neural relays", when in the Miniseries he actually said "[[Silica Pathways|silica relays]]"<ref name="page318">{{cite book/bsg novel 2005|318}}</ref>.

*The dialogue between the humanoid Cylon models on [[Ragnar Anchorage]] is added as well.  After a [[Leoben Conoy|Leoben]] says it might take decades to find the fleeing humans, Boomer says "Don't worry, we'll find them...and it won't take ''nearly'' that long".  Number Six also says they must find the humans because "The Mission, the Project, require it":  this was probably Carver alluding to the human/Cylon hybridization project which began to be revealed by mid-late season 1 when he was writing the novelization.  In interviews Ron Moore has actually confirmed that the Cylons are actively trying to outright destroy ''Galactica'' and the refugee fleet, and have no great need to capture them for their hybridization experiments, as they already have enough captured humans on the occupied Twelve Colonies.  This seems to be educated speculation by Carver <ref name="page318"/>.

== Analysis ==

*The conversation between [[Caprica-Six]] and the unknown individual could have implications on whether Baltar is a Cylon and definitely has implications for the nature of [[Cylon-Related Hallucinations|Baltar's Six]]. It implies that Caprica-Six knows Baltar will survive and continue to do the Cylons' work, and that the virtual Six is a deliberate Cylon implant in his mind; however, the events of "[[Downloaded]]" (an episode aired after the novelization was released) contradict this.

*Baltar's suspicious survival of the destruction of his home remains one of the few key issues that, in the minds of some fans, point to Baltar's [[Cylon agent speculation|remote possibility of being a Cylon agent himself]]. However, an airburst shockwave such as the one that hit Baltar's house is potentially survivable with cover, as it is a wall of force rather than radiation. It's quite likely that what killed [[Caprica-Six]] was the broken glass from the windows, as opposed to the shockwave itself.

*In the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]], a [[Galactica type battlestar]] can carry more than fifty support spacecraft.

*The description of Doral's "awakening" to being a [[Cylon agent | Cylon]] is in sharp contrast to [[Sharon Valerii|another Cylon]] who will have trouble accepting the truth during [[Season 1 (2004-05)|Season 1]].

*In the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]], Chief [[Galen Tyrol]] says that no one has ever died while working on his deck before in the episode "[[Litmus]]".

== Official Sources ==

In a [http://community.tvguide.com/thread.jspa?threadID=700002601 interview] on 05/31/2006, [[David Eick]] states that Baltar is a man of many tastes and it is likely that he never knew [[Caprica-Six]]'s name on [[Caprica]] in the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]].

In Jeffery Carver's [http://starrigger.blogspot.com/2005/06/writing-question-6-whats-it-like-to.html blog], he discusses writing the novelization.

In a [http://s9.invisionfree.com/Ragnar_Anchorage/index.php?showtopic=2374 thread] at Ragnar Anchorage, Jeffery Carver answers questions about the novelization.

==External Links==
*[http://astore.amazon.com/battlestarwik-20/detail/0765315416 Purchase ''Battlestar Galactica'' from Amazon.com]

== References==
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