Interacting with Babylon 5: fan performances in a media universe

Abstract

Much of the pleasure of science fiction and fantasy stems from the genres' ability to transport fans into imaginary worlds that often feel more real than ordinary life. This pioneering book uses the insights of performance theory to explore how fans of the television show Babylon 5 actively immerse themselves in its imaginary environment by role-playing games and fan fiction, through which the fans perform-make real-fantasies they previously watched on television. Kurt Lancaster opens with a background analysis of Babylon 5, including creator-producer J. Michael Straczynski's online interaction with fans. Then, he thoroughly examines the performance aspects of all the participatory media surrounding the show - the role-playing game, collectable card game, war game, CD-ROM guidebook, fan fiction, and web pages. His use of performance theory offers a new way of understanding the enormous popularity of imaginary entertainment environments and the fandom surrounding other popular sites of science fiction and fantasy, including Star Trek, Star Wars, and J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. Kurt Lancaster has taught at New York University and currently serves as a lecturer on the literature faculty at MIT. He is the author of Warlocks and Warpdrive: Contemporary Fantasy Entertainments with Interactive and Virtual Environments.

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