Battlestar Galactica (2005 Novel)

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Overview

A novelization of the 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 Jeffrey A. Carver, includes a few background elements not shown in the aired Miniseries, and incorporates some deleted scenes. Since the Miniseries article information (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:

• Colonel Wakefield: The name given to the first human, the Armistice Officer, that viewers see in the Miniseries (pg. 16). He meets a unexpected arrival of a Cylon "diplomatic group"--and his death--on the Armistice Station. This also suggests that his son, Boxey, shares his father's last name.

• Triad: The name given to the card game Full Colors (pg. 33).

• The discussion about the fate of Starbuck between William Adama and Saul Tigh has light-hearted end (pg. 38).

• The motive for the controversial murder of the infant by a mysterious infiltrator known later as Number Six (as well as Caprica-Six after her resurrection) is explicitly explained as to spare the infant any suffering in the imminent attack (pg. 45).

• Natasi: The name given to Caprica-Six (pg. 47).

• 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 (pg. 50)

• In normal operations, Galactica carries as many as fifty fighter, recon, and other spacecraft. At the time of the decommissioning ceremony, Galactica is carrying fewer (pg. 51).

• The meeting that Caprica-Six as 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" (pg. 62). The area in which both these conversations happen is named the "Government Center Plaza" (pg. 60).

• The museum's exhibits contain actual Cylon Centurions captured during the Cylon War (pg. 63).

• 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 (pg. 85)

• The TV interview that Baltar has with the newscaster Kellan Brody occurs two days before the attack (pg. 91).

• The description of the cockpit of Colonial Heavy 798 includes an instrument monitoring Lorey-field gravity (pg. 117).

• It is revealed 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. 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 (pg. 130).

• 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 (pg. 317). He thinks of himself as "a public relations man" (pg. 27). Additional information about him is presented.

Included deleted scenes from the Miniseries:

• Billy introduces himself to Laura Roslin as her new assistant aboard Colonial Heavy 798 (pg. 40-41).
• Cally, Socinus and Prosna talk about Valerii's and Tyrol's forbidden relationship (pg. 57-58).

Scene(s) not in the novelization:

• After 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.

Error(s) in the novelizations include:

• Commander William Adama's callsign is stenciled on his old Viper Mark II as "HUSHER" (pg. 30).

Analysis

• The conversation between Caprica-Six and the unknown individual could have implications on whether Baltar is a Cylon and the nature of Baltar's Six and Caprica-Six's virtual Baltar that appears in "Downloaded."

• Baltar's suspicious survival of the destruction of his home remains one of the few key issues that point to Baltar's remote possibility of being a Cylon agent himself.

• In the Re-imagined Series, a Galactica type battlestar can carry more than fifty support spacecraft.

• The description of Doral's "awakening" to being a Cylon is similar to the "awakening" of another Cylon in Re-imagined Series episode "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II." It is in sharp contrast to another Cylon who will have trouble accepting the truth during Season 1 (2004-05).

Official Sources

In a 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 Re-imagined Series.

Re-imagined Series definition: a nickname used as a substitute for an aviator's given name in wireless communications and in conversation