Battlestar Galactica novelization

[charybdis]

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)

Those are the main things I noticed as I read. What do you think?

[Capt. Ares]

interesting how much difference there is between the 2

[spcglider]

Yeah, I have to go back and read the original novelization every so often to remind myself how crazy different it is.

Still, there are many things in the book that make the story more interesting. Like mashed Potatoes.

-G