Random musings
Jan. 21st, 2008 12:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wiseheartI've rewatched the 3rd season Babylon 5 episode "And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place" yesterday, and a funny thought occurred to me.
Tolkien, who was a devout Catholic, consequently left out any aspects of an organized religion from his work, even though there are, of course, clear parallels.
JMS, who's a declared atheist, can't stop dealing with religious stuff in B5. Really, it reminds me a little of how straight women keep writing male-on-male slash. Something about the forbidden fruit and all that... only the other way round.
Rabid B5 fans have been raving about Star Trek inferiority for uncounted years, their main argument being that Trek lacked originality. Plus, they raved about DS9 being a shameles rip-off of B5, just because both series took place on a space station. Some equally stupid Trekkers riposted that B5 was ripping off DS9.
Now, I happen to like B5 a great deal (even though I'm a devout Trekkie), but I always found it amusing that nobody seems to address the actual rip-off... cuz, let's face it, JMS has ripped off Tolkien, big time. Starting with naming the homeworld of the Shadows Z'Ha'Dum (Moria anyone?) and even giving a techno-mage Gildor's sentence about wizards being subtle and quick to anger. And there are many other examples.
I for my part do find this amusing.
Tolkien, who was a devout Catholic, consequently left out any aspects of an organized religion from his work, even though there are, of course, clear parallels.
JMS, who's a declared atheist, can't stop dealing with religious stuff in B5. Really, it reminds me a little of how straight women keep writing male-on-male slash. Something about the forbidden fruit and all that... only the other way round.
Rabid B5 fans have been raving about Star Trek inferiority for uncounted years, their main argument being that Trek lacked originality. Plus, they raved about DS9 being a shameles rip-off of B5, just because both series took place on a space station. Some equally stupid Trekkers riposted that B5 was ripping off DS9.
Now, I happen to like B5 a great deal (even though I'm a devout Trekkie), but I always found it amusing that nobody seems to address the actual rip-off... cuz, let's face it, JMS has ripped off Tolkien, big time. Starting with naming the homeworld of the Shadows Z'Ha'Dum (Moria anyone?) and even giving a techno-mage Gildor's sentence about wizards being subtle and quick to anger. And there are many other examples.
I for my part do find this amusing.
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Date: 2008-01-24 11:54 am (UTC)I think the greatest mistake was making Sisko one of the prophets... well, sort of... just because they didn't have the balls to allow a Starfleet officer to remain kind of a religious leader. So yes, Trek deals with religion in a fairly cowardly and stupid way (just like with homosexuality), at least the newest shows do. The original series had the occasional stupid episode in that area, too, but all in all, it was a lot more open-minded, IMO.
"Passing Through Getsemane" was a good episode. I generally like Brother Teo and his bunch of Trappist monks - although, of course, Trappists are sworn to silence and living in isolation, so I don't think the choice of the order was the right one. What I don't like in B5 is the whole messianic overtones re: both Sheridan and G'Kar. At least I like G'Kar, though. Sheridan, I absolutely detest.