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Battlestar Galactica #1
Battlestar Galactica
The Greatest Space Epic ever from ABC-TV and Universal. At the end of a bloody thousand-year war against an invincible enemy, an uneasy peace has finally been achieved between humans and the dreaded cyborg warriors of the Cylon Empire. But peace soon turns to bloodshed when the Cylons launch an unexpected attack against humanity's twelve Colonial worlds, wiping out most of the inhabitants.
244 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
36 people are currently reading
1025 people want to read
About the author
Glen A. Larson
44 books31 followersGlen Albert Larson was an American television producer and writer best known as the creator of the television series Battlestar Galactica, Quincy, M.E., The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, B. J. and the Bear, The Fall Guy, Magnum, P.I. and Knight Rider.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 110 reviews
July 30, 2023
I’ve recently become enamored of the Battlestar Galactica re-boot. I know I’m late to the party, but I resisted it since I had some happy memories of the 70's version. Once I gave in and actually watched I really enjoyed it. It takes the essence of the 70's show and “smartens” it up. It needed it!
This little novel was a bit confusing only because I haven’t figured out if it was written before the tv series, as a result of the tv series (there were a LOT of after the fact novelizations in the 70's and 80's) or written from an original script that then changed as they shot it. In this novel Gaius Baltar is beheaded by the Cylon leader after his ultimate betrayal. This makes infinitely more sense to me than installing him on his own base in the tv series. Obviously those writing the re-boot felt the same way since Gaius Baltar is dealt with very, very differently in the new series!
I love old science fiction. I have to temper that with the acceptance of the atrocious way women are “treated” in older sci-fi. Without exception, every woman in this novel is described by her physical attributes, especially the attractive ones. One woman is described as “could be beautiful if she lost some of the weight.” I kid you not! By Starbuck no less. I can not say I agree with this treatment, but I can accept it and have almost gotten to the point where I find it amusing. I make up “more” for these women in my head, but content myself with the idea that this was acceptable when the novel was written.
One of the things the reboot prided itself on was using no "techno-babble." None was used here either. I find that refreshing. I don't mind techno-babble, and actual relish it in some stories, but BSG is really about the people, not the technology. I know that can be said of any good sci-fi, but especially here since religion is such a large factor. In that respect BSG reminds me of Dune.
All in all, this was a fun read. I had a great sense of nostalgia that took me back to my childhood. Reading this also made me appreciate some of the changes made with the re-boot more than previously. Small things like making Starbuck a woman, combining Boomer and Athena, little touches of genius like that.
This little novel was a bit confusing only because I haven’t figured out if it was written before the tv series, as a result of the tv series (there were a LOT of after the fact novelizations in the 70's and 80's) or written from an original script that then changed as they shot it. In this novel Gaius Baltar is beheaded by the Cylon leader after his ultimate betrayal. This makes infinitely more sense to me than installing him on his own base in the tv series. Obviously those writing the re-boot felt the same way since Gaius Baltar is dealt with very, very differently in the new series!
I love old science fiction. I have to temper that with the acceptance of the atrocious way women are “treated” in older sci-fi. Without exception, every woman in this novel is described by her physical attributes, especially the attractive ones. One woman is described as “could be beautiful if she lost some of the weight.” I kid you not! By Starbuck no less. I can not say I agree with this treatment, but I can accept it and have almost gotten to the point where I find it amusing. I make up “more” for these women in my head, but content myself with the idea that this was acceptable when the novel was written.
One of the things the reboot prided itself on was using no "techno-babble." None was used here either. I find that refreshing. I don't mind techno-babble, and actual relish it in some stories, but BSG is really about the people, not the technology. I know that can be said of any good sci-fi, but especially here since religion is such a large factor. In that respect BSG reminds me of Dune.
All in all, this was a fun read. I had a great sense of nostalgia that took me back to my childhood. Reading this also made me appreciate some of the changes made with the re-boot more than previously. Small things like making Starbuck a woman, combining Boomer and Athena, little touches of genius like that.
August 30, 2022
Ok, I admit that this book probably doesn't deserve five stars by most peoples standards, but I picked it up on a whim when I was out at the lake in the summer of 1978, before I had even seen the movie or T.V. series, and I utterly and completely enjoyed it. I've reread it many times, and wore out my first copy. I actually enjoy how some parts of the story differ quite abit from the TV show. If you've never read it and enjoy either version of Galactica, I'd recommend giving this novelization a try, you might be pleasantly surprised.
February 14, 2018
I’m reviewing the 1978 first edition of this book, although I am aware there are multiple versions and spin-off publications with the same name. Although this is a very well told, flowing and competent piece of entertainment fiction, I am also aware that it was written alongside the scripting and production of the original television series, so it’s not just the two named authors here, is it? They’re backed up by the creative influence of script writers/editors and the quality assurance processes of the Hollywood machine. Not to mention the marketing. In addition, most people who have ever read this book will have seen the TV series or feature film and liked the story already, enough to buy the book. Preaching to the converted is easy.
One spoiler paragraph: Having said that, it’s a good book. Everyone knows the central idea that twelve colonies in space have been at war with the Cylons for a thousand years, finally arrange a peace conference and then things go wrong and the humans are ejected from that part of the galaxy. Gathering together into a nomadic caravan, they flee and are hounded, all the time wistfully hoping to find the missing 13th human colony, Planet Earth.
In the plot line, there’s good tension between the elected civilian authorities who have the final decision and the experienced military commander who is trying to ensure survival. Sometimes the politicians are foolish, especially the greedy Sire Uri, but the military leader is not at the top of the command structure and must kow tow, so he innovates clever work-arounds to avoid catastrophe.
The plot has ground action adventure, fighter squadrons and lasers to thrill one half of the audience and some human conversation, charming behaviour to children, regret, career women and romantic triangles to lock in the other half, so it’s not just power struggles as all bases are covered for broad appeal. There are differences of viewpoint too, as some characters are defined by war, revenge and risk taking, whereas others want only peace and to forgive. “There are no enemies, just friends we haven’t met yet”. A lovely thought. We have to accept that people like this exist and have influence on decision making, even as they sit and count their toes in twilight rest homes for the mentally incapable.
Selfishness, betrayal and complacency are used by the authors as agitating factors that heighten the risk in this story and place the characters in situations where they will be sorely tested, echoing the modern understanding that humans are their own worst enemy and the main thing threatening human survival at the moment is our species’ own actions and inaction on things like environmental pollution, greed and over-population. The thing that kills us here is something we’ve let in, through lack of wisdom and eternal vigilance, whether that’s carbon dioxide, poverty, Cylons or food insecurity. From a religious standpoint, the insidious thing that tried to seep through human defences was the first drop of evil. The suggestion is that humanity’s Achilles heel and eventual downfall is that the species lets problems pass, which is even easier to do if they have a human face. Talking of which:
Count Baltar, self-serving and self-appointed to the title, is the human spokesman negotiating armistice on behalf of the Cylons. Without the treacherous human defector on their team, the enemy would not have gained its tactical advantage to overwhelm and condemn the population (see also John Major and Lord Haw-Haw). Luckily, kings of betrayal like this are immensely rare, as most people can see that helping to exterminate a culture that you are a member of, or freedom itself, can only go one way and you’ll be swept up in the tide. It does happen though, sometimes, which makes such people lightning rods for even more popular anathema than the comparatively more straightforward and principled enemy. In the sense of a fictional story, this type of character is a good idea because they sway the audience into caring and uniting against them. A super-villain, if you like, works best with a smug, human expression. Without the strong and capable villain, the heroes would not be tested and would never get to show how brave and selfless they are, thus establishing the moral high-ground for one side, ideology or culture over another.
In the book, Adama’s diaries are fairly formal and uninspiring, designed to give insight on the fears and responsibilities circulating in a leader’s head, although these tracts are kept to less than one page long to spare us the boredom. One of these entries doesn’t make any sense at all and it appears he’s drifted off into Don Quixote senility, so why is that in the final product if it doesn’t add anything to explain his actions or fuel the plot?
Okay, so you all know the story. To tell you something new and make this review worthwhile, winning another nerd sticker, next I’ll list the differences between the TV series and the book. Some of them will be simply down to the cost of filming those scenes, or the need to keep an antagonist antagonising, so this is an academic exercise really, not a whinge that decisions to change detracted from anything:
In the TV show, Cylons are robotic and only metal bits and wiring show inside when they get broken, but in the book, Cylons are organic creatures with one, two or three separate brains. They just put on a metal suit for war and the humans are unsure whether the red light shining out is a natural emission from their bodies or whether it has been generated from the helmet.
In the book, the bridge crew and pilots watch as the Battlestar Atlantia is bombed, beamed amidships, broken in half and breaks up, whereas in the TV series there’s a doubt about who survived because Galactica withdraws from the fray and then they bump into Atlantia on their travels and have a chat, before losing it again. The space fighter aircraft on the human side are called Star Hounds in the book, which I didn’t hear in the show, and they fire laser torpedoes rather than beams.
In the book, Baltar dies quite soon after his act of betrayal, as the Cylons don’t need him anymore, and actively dislike him, which contrasts with his regular appearances in the series. In the book, Felgercarb means madness, but in the TV series “croc of felgercarb” suggests crap. Also, in the book, Starbuck and Boomer’s homemade cigars have narcotic weed in them.
Finally, and here’s a tremendous difference, in the TV series of Battlestar Galactica the fleet comprises about eight ships, which could be to keep the model-making budget under control. In the book, the fleet consists of twenty-two thousand ships! Only a third of them have hyperdrive capability, so the convoy has to travel at the speed of the slowest.
I streamed the old TV series back to back and I couldn’t believe how often they used the same piece of footage, where the same pilots have a dog fight with the same three Cylon ships and they are disintegrated in exactly the same way every time. This probably also happened when an accountant said “you’ve spent the money filming that once so don’t spend a penny filming it gain”. That bean counter back in 1978 couldn’t have predicted box set bingeing. Anyway, the book is good even if it is almost identical to the story as it’s told in the film and series, so I’ll recommend it.
One spoiler paragraph: Having said that, it’s a good book. Everyone knows the central idea that twelve colonies in space have been at war with the Cylons for a thousand years, finally arrange a peace conference and then things go wrong and the humans are ejected from that part of the galaxy. Gathering together into a nomadic caravan, they flee and are hounded, all the time wistfully hoping to find the missing 13th human colony, Planet Earth.
In the plot line, there’s good tension between the elected civilian authorities who have the final decision and the experienced military commander who is trying to ensure survival. Sometimes the politicians are foolish, especially the greedy Sire Uri, but the military leader is not at the top of the command structure and must kow tow, so he innovates clever work-arounds to avoid catastrophe.
The plot has ground action adventure, fighter squadrons and lasers to thrill one half of the audience and some human conversation, charming behaviour to children, regret, career women and romantic triangles to lock in the other half, so it’s not just power struggles as all bases are covered for broad appeal. There are differences of viewpoint too, as some characters are defined by war, revenge and risk taking, whereas others want only peace and to forgive. “There are no enemies, just friends we haven’t met yet”. A lovely thought. We have to accept that people like this exist and have influence on decision making, even as they sit and count their toes in twilight rest homes for the mentally incapable.
Selfishness, betrayal and complacency are used by the authors as agitating factors that heighten the risk in this story and place the characters in situations where they will be sorely tested, echoing the modern understanding that humans are their own worst enemy and the main thing threatening human survival at the moment is our species’ own actions and inaction on things like environmental pollution, greed and over-population. The thing that kills us here is something we’ve let in, through lack of wisdom and eternal vigilance, whether that’s carbon dioxide, poverty, Cylons or food insecurity. From a religious standpoint, the insidious thing that tried to seep through human defences was the first drop of evil. The suggestion is that humanity’s Achilles heel and eventual downfall is that the species lets problems pass, which is even easier to do if they have a human face. Talking of which:
Count Baltar, self-serving and self-appointed to the title, is the human spokesman negotiating armistice on behalf of the Cylons. Without the treacherous human defector on their team, the enemy would not have gained its tactical advantage to overwhelm and condemn the population (see also John Major and Lord Haw-Haw). Luckily, kings of betrayal like this are immensely rare, as most people can see that helping to exterminate a culture that you are a member of, or freedom itself, can only go one way and you’ll be swept up in the tide. It does happen though, sometimes, which makes such people lightning rods for even more popular anathema than the comparatively more straightforward and principled enemy. In the sense of a fictional story, this type of character is a good idea because they sway the audience into caring and uniting against them. A super-villain, if you like, works best with a smug, human expression. Without the strong and capable villain, the heroes would not be tested and would never get to show how brave and selfless they are, thus establishing the moral high-ground for one side, ideology or culture over another.
In the book, Adama’s diaries are fairly formal and uninspiring, designed to give insight on the fears and responsibilities circulating in a leader’s head, although these tracts are kept to less than one page long to spare us the boredom. One of these entries doesn’t make any sense at all and it appears he’s drifted off into Don Quixote senility, so why is that in the final product if it doesn’t add anything to explain his actions or fuel the plot?
Okay, so you all know the story. To tell you something new and make this review worthwhile, winning another nerd sticker, next I’ll list the differences between the TV series and the book. Some of them will be simply down to the cost of filming those scenes, or the need to keep an antagonist antagonising, so this is an academic exercise really, not a whinge that decisions to change detracted from anything:
In the TV show, Cylons are robotic and only metal bits and wiring show inside when they get broken, but in the book, Cylons are organic creatures with one, two or three separate brains. They just put on a metal suit for war and the humans are unsure whether the red light shining out is a natural emission from their bodies or whether it has been generated from the helmet.
In the book, the bridge crew and pilots watch as the Battlestar Atlantia is bombed, beamed amidships, broken in half and breaks up, whereas in the TV series there’s a doubt about who survived because Galactica withdraws from the fray and then they bump into Atlantia on their travels and have a chat, before losing it again. The space fighter aircraft on the human side are called Star Hounds in the book, which I didn’t hear in the show, and they fire laser torpedoes rather than beams.
In the book, Baltar dies quite soon after his act of betrayal, as the Cylons don’t need him anymore, and actively dislike him, which contrasts with his regular appearances in the series. In the book, Felgercarb means madness, but in the TV series “croc of felgercarb” suggests crap. Also, in the book, Starbuck and Boomer’s homemade cigars have narcotic weed in them.
Finally, and here’s a tremendous difference, in the TV series of Battlestar Galactica the fleet comprises about eight ships, which could be to keep the model-making budget under control. In the book, the fleet consists of twenty-two thousand ships! Only a third of them have hyperdrive capability, so the convoy has to travel at the speed of the slowest.
I streamed the old TV series back to back and I couldn’t believe how often they used the same piece of footage, where the same pilots have a dog fight with the same three Cylon ships and they are disintegrated in exactly the same way every time. This probably also happened when an accountant said “you’ve spent the money filming that once so don’t spend a penny filming it gain”. That bean counter back in 1978 couldn’t have predicted box set bingeing. Anyway, the book is good even if it is almost identical to the story as it’s told in the film and series, so I’ll recommend it.
December 23, 2008
Since I've gotten all captivated by the shiny new Battlestar Galactica remake on the Skiffy Channel, I got the urge to re-read LJ user solarbird's old copy of the first novelization that got released with the original series, ages and ages ago. I did it for nostalgia, and also out of a sense of curiosity about the various differences between the culture depicted in the old series vs. the one depicted in the new.
Mostly, the interesting part about re-reading this book was being reminded that it was clearly based on an earlier version of the script than the one that actually got aired on TV--because in this book, the Cylons were actually organic creatures wearing armor, rather than Big Shiny Evil Robots. There are several scenes from the point of view of the Cylons' Imperious Leader, which are vaguely cool as they provide a bit of insight into the way the Cylon culture is supposed to be working in this version of the story, and why they have it in for humanity so much. The book's also got the beheading of Baltar by said Imperious Leader, which in the context of that version of the story makes loads more sense--since as I look back on it, letting Baltar go and have his own base star to chase after the Galactica really doesn't make much sense from the Cylon perspective. ;) And why the heck did Baltar have it for his own people so much, anyway?
This underscores the whole point of making the new series--to redo the story in a more complex, realistic fashion. The story in this novel is certainly simplistic, and mostly all about 'humans good, Cylons bad' (though the scenes from the Imperious Leader's POV offset that just a tad).
What else... it was amusing to me, as someone who watched the original series, to see Athena and Cassiopeia described with each other's hair colors. That this is mostly what you notice about these two characters in the story is an indicator of exactly how little actual plot function they serve. Here, as on the actual TV show, they're mostly there to just be love interests for Starbuck. Yawn.
What I liked... little bits between the chapters that were supposed to be coming out of Adama's private journals, which helped develop him as a character better. The small hints of a more diverse culture in the Colonies than we've seen in the new series, which is one of the few things I miss from the old: we see references to differing religious beliefs and differing languages, for instance.
All in all, though, the writing was very bland--you could very much tell it was just a 'make a novel out of the script' kind of job. Aside from the scenes with the Imperious Leader and Adama's journal bits, not much to get out of the book that you wouldn't get out of watching the actual episodes.
But it was a fun thing to read while in the bath. ^_^
Mostly, the interesting part about re-reading this book was being reminded that it was clearly based on an earlier version of the script than the one that actually got aired on TV--because in this book, the Cylons were actually organic creatures wearing armor, rather than Big Shiny Evil Robots. There are several scenes from the point of view of the Cylons' Imperious Leader, which are vaguely cool as they provide a bit of insight into the way the Cylon culture is supposed to be working in this version of the story, and why they have it in for humanity so much. The book's also got the beheading of Baltar by said Imperious Leader, which in the context of that version of the story makes loads more sense--since as I look back on it, letting Baltar go and have his own base star to chase after the Galactica really doesn't make much sense from the Cylon perspective. ;) And why the heck did Baltar have it for his own people so much, anyway?
This underscores the whole point of making the new series--to redo the story in a more complex, realistic fashion. The story in this novel is certainly simplistic, and mostly all about 'humans good, Cylons bad' (though the scenes from the Imperious Leader's POV offset that just a tad).
What else... it was amusing to me, as someone who watched the original series, to see Athena and Cassiopeia described with each other's hair colors. That this is mostly what you notice about these two characters in the story is an indicator of exactly how little actual plot function they serve. Here, as on the actual TV show, they're mostly there to just be love interests for Starbuck. Yawn.
What I liked... little bits between the chapters that were supposed to be coming out of Adama's private journals, which helped develop him as a character better. The small hints of a more diverse culture in the Colonies than we've seen in the new series, which is one of the few things I miss from the old: we see references to differing religious beliefs and differing languages, for instance.
All in all, though, the writing was very bland--you could very much tell it was just a 'make a novel out of the script' kind of job. Aside from the scenes with the Imperious Leader and Adama's journal bits, not much to get out of the book that you wouldn't get out of watching the actual episodes.
But it was a fun thing to read while in the bath. ^_^
June 20, 2014
I recently finished watching the remake of Battlestar Galactica, which if you haven't seen you must! I found this book in a secondhand book warehouse and was intrigued, based on the original series this is a different view to the Battlestar tale I know but is no less intriguing and exciting. It's also enjoyable reading a different plot to what I'm familiar with and seeing how the plot and characters develops. I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for the rest of the series!
May 17, 2016
A great book adaptation of the TV series. I was really a huge fan when the show was on and the book fills in some holes in the characters development. Recommended
August 28, 2020
"It was like a human to place what little logic he did have at his command into a framework of extreme selfishness. They could never see the scope of a larger plan unless they were directed toward it. Even then, their minds seemed unable to absorb such a plan's completeness. They could, it seemed, see parts but never wholes. No wonder they were not fit to govern a single portion of the universe."
November 1, 2021
3.5 stars.
This is the novelization of the original 1978 movie/TV pilot.
Brief (spoilery) synopsis of the plot: the humans and the robotic cylons (the cylons were originally a reptilian race but have been replaced by the machines they created) are meeting for peace talks after a brutal war that has been fought across the galaxies for a thousand years. But -oh no! - it's a trap to wipe out those pesky humans once and for all and only one battleship, the Galactica, manages to escape, and lead the remaining humans on a quest across space to find a new home.
if you've watched the original series, the story will be familiar to you. The characters are by and large the same, although there are some physical differences (mostly hair colour) and some of the characters seem colder and more charmless than their screen counterparts, notably Starbuck, the charming scoundrel and reluctant warrior who seems less charming and more unpleasant, but that could just be my take as Starbuck was/is a favourite of mine.
So - yeah, it was okay. As a standalone novel it feels too rushed and sketchy to work well - I would've liked it if the writers had developed it a bit more, given everything more depth and background, but I suppose they were concentrating on keeping the rapid pace of the film, rather than creating more a fully realised world/universe
If you like the series, or at least the pilot, you'll probably find this book a decent read. If you haven't seen it, you might find it a little slender and undeveloped. Recommended for Battlestar fans, not so much for everyone else.
This is the novelization of the original 1978 movie/TV pilot.
Brief (spoilery) synopsis of the plot: the humans and the robotic cylons (the cylons were originally a reptilian race but have been replaced by the machines they created) are meeting for peace talks after a brutal war that has been fought across the galaxies for a thousand years. But -oh no! - it's a trap to wipe out those pesky humans once and for all and only one battleship, the Galactica, manages to escape, and lead the remaining humans on a quest across space to find a new home.
if you've watched the original series, the story will be familiar to you. The characters are by and large the same, although there are some physical differences (mostly hair colour) and some of the characters seem colder and more charmless than their screen counterparts, notably Starbuck, the charming scoundrel and reluctant warrior who seems less charming and more unpleasant, but that could just be my take as Starbuck was/is a favourite of mine.
So - yeah, it was okay. As a standalone novel it feels too rushed and sketchy to work well - I would've liked it if the writers had developed it a bit more, given everything more depth and background, but I suppose they were concentrating on keeping the rapid pace of the film, rather than creating more a fully realised world/universe
If you like the series, or at least the pilot, you'll probably find this book a decent read. If you haven't seen it, you might find it a little slender and undeveloped. Recommended for Battlestar fans, not so much for everyone else.
September 30, 2015
Lol, the title is missing a "c." So, I read this. I confess. I was jonesing for more and decided to read the novelizations (which have some very odd differences, if I'm honest). Altogether, this wasn't amazingly written, which I didn't expect it to be. However, it did slightly elaborate on certain things and others were changed and really it sort of helped with my BSG addiction. Again, truthfully, the book covered two of my least favorite episodes, so maybe I'd have liked it more if that weren't the case.
June 6, 2018
I went into this book blind to the story. I hadn't watched the TV series or watched the movie.
I ended up enjoying this story quite a bit. Nothing ground breaking or Earth shattering to me, but it was a fun space opera.
I do plan to now go and explore the rest!
I ended up enjoying this story quite a bit. Nothing ground breaking or Earth shattering to me, but it was a fun space opera.
I do plan to now go and explore the rest!
January 5, 2025
My unease with this series started purely because of my exmo status (IYKYK; the origin of this series isn't a well-kept secret), but trying it push through it in print only made it all the more apparent.
BG is one step away from LDS Dianetics.
The most obvious giveaway that this is a large metaphor for the Church, and not simply sci-fi with LDS cultural elements is the "Quorum of the Twelve" which took...10 pages to get to, total? That's literally a 1:1 for the "Quorum of the Twelve" apostles belonging to governing bodies of the Church. Or in BG's case, the colonies.
And then, of course, there's the way everyone talks about cylons, which, as morally single-minded and Othered, we're right back to the Church's schism between Lucifer and Jesus, the former of whom didn't want people given Free Will and wanted to make decisions for them. Almost...robotic?
It's a rough read beyond the obvious nods to the "religion" it's trying to get people to be comfortable enough with to accept the Lore. Especially in the dialogue department, which is rife with my biggest pet peeve in any media (and I would not be surprised if this was one of the first to popularlize it): fake curse words. We know the new show is famous for "frak/frakking," which I loathe, but this still keeps that spirit alive with lines like "pain in the blastoff tubes" (which frankly is a more disgusting visual than just using "ass"). The intent is the same whether you use a funny-sounding word or the real one: you're not actually kicking a habit with the fake ones at all.
I really tried to give this a chance, hoping that it would be more divorced from its source material and overall culture than it is. They're intrinsically tied (no matter how much Orson Scott Card would like to call BG trivial), and as someone who left this behind them a long time ago, the read was not an easy one. Nor one I could suffer for long.
BG is one step away from LDS Dianetics.
The most obvious giveaway that this is a large metaphor for the Church, and not simply sci-fi with LDS cultural elements is the "Quorum of the Twelve" which took...10 pages to get to, total? That's literally a 1:1 for the "Quorum of the Twelve" apostles belonging to governing bodies of the Church. Or in BG's case, the colonies.
And then, of course, there's the way everyone talks about cylons, which, as morally single-minded and Othered, we're right back to the Church's schism between Lucifer and Jesus, the former of whom didn't want people given Free Will and wanted to make decisions for them. Almost...robotic?
It's a rough read beyond the obvious nods to the "religion" it's trying to get people to be comfortable enough with to accept the Lore. Especially in the dialogue department, which is rife with my biggest pet peeve in any media (and I would not be surprised if this was one of the first to popularlize it): fake curse words. We know the new show is famous for "frak/frakking," which I loathe, but this still keeps that spirit alive with lines like "pain in the blastoff tubes" (which frankly is a more disgusting visual than just using "ass"). The intent is the same whether you use a funny-sounding word or the real one: you're not actually kicking a habit with the fake ones at all.
I really tried to give this a chance, hoping that it would be more divorced from its source material and overall culture than it is. They're intrinsically tied (no matter how much Orson Scott Card would like to call BG trivial), and as someone who left this behind them a long time ago, the read was not an easy one. Nor one I could suffer for long.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2023
3.5. They say the book is better than the movie and in this case like some classic Doctor Who the book is better because some of the effects and acting from the TV show are so dated compared to the reboots that the book which allows for some better visualisation takes the cake.
What's interesting to note is the bits that changed from this novel to the Pilot episode of the show. The print is quite small in my copy and there's a lot packed into the 240 odd pages and I'm glad for it since the 2 hour episode from the original show does skip some of what's included in here.
Ultimately this is what I hoped it would be, a fun outing for a beloved 70s TV series. Which I'll probably end up watching in full even if the acting is rather poor at times. (And yes I still need to finish the reboot)
What's interesting to note is the bits that changed from this novel to the Pilot episode of the show. The print is quite small in my copy and there's a lot packed into the 240 odd pages and I'm glad for it since the 2 hour episode from the original show does skip some of what's included in here.
Ultimately this is what I hoped it would be, a fun outing for a beloved 70s TV series. Which I'll probably end up watching in full even if the acting is rather poor at times. (And yes I still need to finish the reboot)
April 30, 2024
As someone else has already stated, this reads like a solid "Doctor Who" style Target novelization -- free from the tyranny of effects and wooden acting, and able to expand upon the original tale. The portentous (pretentious?) nature of the source material remains however, so it's never going to rise above 3 stars...for a jump in quality, you need to turn to the re-imagined "Battlestar Galactica" of the early 21st century. And let us not ever breathe a word about "Galactica 1980"...
Currently reading
December 11, 2022
June 19, 2022
Mah, un libro che sinceramente ci si poteva risparmiare di scrivere e sicuramente di leggere.
October 7, 2025
This is such a weird little book. It reprints sections of issues 1 & 2 or the 1978 Marvel adaptation of the original TV show. Erin Colon's art and George Rousso's colors spring off the page with a psychedelic vibrancy. Strangely the art was originally submitted without reference material so Colon kind of winged it here and he didn't always get it right. If you're not a fan or have never seen the show you might not notice, but even only having seen an episode or two know that the head general is supposed to be Lorne Green. The character here does not look like him most of the time. Other parts of the book contain and interview with John Dykstra and essays about Galactica lore. They are fun little relics. Lore dives are fun, but the essays are written to a lower reading level and don't dive deep enough to really thrill me. Dykstra worked on Star Wars, and was a founding hire at George Lucas's Industrial Light and Magic, but had left or was leaving when this interview took place. There isn't anything shocking in the interview but its a fun time capsule for sci-fi and movie buffs. Overall this isn't a great read. It's a fun relic, but the comic story is not very good despite the stellar art, and the text pieces are just so-so.
July 17, 2020
This novelization of the three-hour pilot for the 1978 series "Battlestar Galactica" straddles the line between enjoyably pulpy sci-fi and hastily-written trash. Authors Glen Larson (the show's creator) and Robert Thurston clearly banged this sucker out while the script for the telefilm was still in its rewriting stages. The prose alternates between surprisingly good and downright awful. The overall feeling is of a first draft banged out in white heat with a deadline clock ticking in the foreground. Nobody who isn't already a fan of the classic "Galactica" could possibly enjoy this very much. On the other hand, nobody who is can fail to appreciate some of its finer points.
"Galactica" more or less follows the path of "Saga of A Star World," i.e. the first three episodes of the Galactica TV series, which are usually presented as one film. It introduces us to the humans we know from the show -- Adama, Apollo, Starbuck, Cassie, Baltar, Boomer, etc. -- and to their Cylon nemeses, personified in the Cylon Imperious Leader. As the story opens, the 1,000 year war between the 12 Colonies of Man and the Cylons is supposedly ending with an armistice, but a human traitor allows the Imperious Leader to execute an ambush which destroys all of human civilization. All except the Battlestar Galactica, led by Commander Adama, and a "ragtag fugitive fleet" carrying human survivors. Adama's quest is to find the mythical planet Earth, where one of the lost tribes of humanity supposedly dwells, but he is pursued by the Cylons, who mean to totally exterminate all human life in the galaxy. Meanwhile, Adama must hold the fleet together in the face of all sorts of intrigues and problems.
This book is curious because it shows occasional flashes of real genius. Whenever the POV switches to the Imperious Leader, the writing is at a high level and the whole "creative surround" of the story seems very well thought out and real, even if it does not correspond to the lore of the TV show (in the book, the Cylons are still living aliens; in the series, they are machines). There are moments when the prose-writing is also very good, too, such as when Adama describes Baltar as "a corpulent merchant whose unhealthy skin suggested the tarnishing of a coin." By and large, however, the writing is fast, sloppy and evokes no imagery within the reader's mind. Its main interest is in the places where it closes plot holes in the TV series or fleshes out certain aspects of human society from before the defeat, or expands on concepts only just touched on in the series. (Example: in the series, Cassie is a "socialator" which we are led to believe is simply a prostitute. In the book, we discover socialators are like geishas with advanced degrees in psychology, sociology and anthropology, and understand not merely how to give sexual pleasure but how to socialize at a high level regardless of the social system into which they find themselves -- human or not.)
As a general rule, novelizations are very thin pieces of work, and this is no exception and perhaps worse than usual in the main. I did find it rather fun, especially the first third or so, but the quality of the writing declines sharply as the book goes on. It's really only a two-star work, but I'll give it three because it does have a scattering of very satisfying moments here and there. I'd recommend it for fans of the TV series only.
"Galactica" more or less follows the path of "Saga of A Star World," i.e. the first three episodes of the Galactica TV series, which are usually presented as one film. It introduces us to the humans we know from the show -- Adama, Apollo, Starbuck, Cassie, Baltar, Boomer, etc. -- and to their Cylon nemeses, personified in the Cylon Imperious Leader. As the story opens, the 1,000 year war between the 12 Colonies of Man and the Cylons is supposedly ending with an armistice, but a human traitor allows the Imperious Leader to execute an ambush which destroys all of human civilization. All except the Battlestar Galactica, led by Commander Adama, and a "ragtag fugitive fleet" carrying human survivors. Adama's quest is to find the mythical planet Earth, where one of the lost tribes of humanity supposedly dwells, but he is pursued by the Cylons, who mean to totally exterminate all human life in the galaxy. Meanwhile, Adama must hold the fleet together in the face of all sorts of intrigues and problems.
This book is curious because it shows occasional flashes of real genius. Whenever the POV switches to the Imperious Leader, the writing is at a high level and the whole "creative surround" of the story seems very well thought out and real, even if it does not correspond to the lore of the TV show (in the book, the Cylons are still living aliens; in the series, they are machines). There are moments when the prose-writing is also very good, too, such as when Adama describes Baltar as "a corpulent merchant whose unhealthy skin suggested the tarnishing of a coin." By and large, however, the writing is fast, sloppy and evokes no imagery within the reader's mind. Its main interest is in the places where it closes plot holes in the TV series or fleshes out certain aspects of human society from before the defeat, or expands on concepts only just touched on in the series. (Example: in the series, Cassie is a "socialator" which we are led to believe is simply a prostitute. In the book, we discover socialators are like geishas with advanced degrees in psychology, sociology and anthropology, and understand not merely how to give sexual pleasure but how to socialize at a high level regardless of the social system into which they find themselves -- human or not.)
As a general rule, novelizations are very thin pieces of work, and this is no exception and perhaps worse than usual in the main. I did find it rather fun, especially the first third or so, but the quality of the writing declines sharply as the book goes on. It's really only a two-star work, but I'll give it three because it does have a scattering of very satisfying moments here and there. I'd recommend it for fans of the TV series only.
April 9, 2013
This original novel that inspired the television series of the same name and later the more modernized depiction and its spin off series Caprica, depicts a very interesting future for mankind. Having expanded out into the universe humanity has taken up residence on twelve planets, interestingly named after the signs of the zodiac. There they encounter a race of systematic and orderly aliens, called Cylons, who believe themselves to be guardians of the universe. They decide humans are a blight and spend 1000 years locked in war with them. At which point the Cylons attempt to initiate a sudden peace treaty.
This is where the book opens. Decidedly smooth and filled with excellent pacing, the book never really feels slow or boring. The technologies are interesting, though not written with any real scrutiny or detail. Combat is written in a flashy manner which drives your attention emotionally.
The best parts of this book lie in the character developments and interactions. Larson did an excellent job of creating every character and somehow managing to give them clear individual personalities that intermingle, grow, and adapt throughout the considerably short piece. The tension feels strong throughout and the human revulsion to Cylon, "culture" is arranged in a way which only helps a reader agree.
The weakest point of this novel is the startling array of aliens with so very little variation and development. They begin to feel generic and almost cartoon-like in their lack of depth and imagination. Some of the conventions in the book may feel a little cliché, but the book was written when many of these clichés were still forming so they are not done in a way that feels cheap.
The novel sets the stage for a grand and epic journey to follow and does an excellent job of giving readers heroes to empathize with and a nemesis to do battle with.
This is where the book opens. Decidedly smooth and filled with excellent pacing, the book never really feels slow or boring. The technologies are interesting, though not written with any real scrutiny or detail. Combat is written in a flashy manner which drives your attention emotionally.
The best parts of this book lie in the character developments and interactions. Larson did an excellent job of creating every character and somehow managing to give them clear individual personalities that intermingle, grow, and adapt throughout the considerably short piece. The tension feels strong throughout and the human revulsion to Cylon, "culture" is arranged in a way which only helps a reader agree.
The weakest point of this novel is the startling array of aliens with so very little variation and development. They begin to feel generic and almost cartoon-like in their lack of depth and imagination. Some of the conventions in the book may feel a little cliché, but the book was written when many of these clichés were still forming so they are not done in a way that feels cheap.
The novel sets the stage for a grand and epic journey to follow and does an excellent job of giving readers heroes to empathize with and a nemesis to do battle with.
June 27, 2025
(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)
3.75
I'm finally going through my physical tv, film etc. tie in library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.
I'm only adding one book per series (etc.) and I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)
First time read the author's work?: N/A
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
3.75
I'm finally going through my physical tv, film etc. tie in library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.
I'm only adding one book per series (etc.) and I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)
First time read the author's work?: N/A
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
May 19, 2023
I read this novel after becoming enamored of the Battlestar Galactica TV series with its Star Wars quality special effects. The book was engrossing for me then. Now, forty-four years later, I enjoyed reading it again, but saw the storytelling problems I didn’t see in my youth.
A WELL KNOWN STORYLINE AMONG SCIFI FANS
I know the story well enough, as will my fellow SciFi geeks who are the most likely readers of this book. It goes like this: somewhere else in the galaxy, humans established homes on twelve planets, each named after a sign of the Zodiac. They have been at war with an alien raced called the Cylons for a thousand years. A peace is finally negotiated led by one Count Baltar. But Baltar betrays his fellow humans, setting up the distraction of the peace treaty signing even as the Cylons mass for a final assault on the twelve home worlds (that the human inhabitants call “colonies.” I may have missed it, but I never saw an explanation as to what/whom they are colonies of).
The Cylon attack is discovered by patrolling fighter ships (vipers) from one of the human’s giant, military starship named Galactica. Two of the fighter pilots are sons of the Galactica’s commander, Adama, one of whom is killed as the Cylons attack the human fleet.
The human home worlds are destroyed and the inhabitants exterminated. Their fleet is destroyed except for the battlestar, Galactica. Commander Adama leads the effort to assemble the colonies survivors into whatever spacecraft they can find. The Galactica leads this “ragtag fleet” in a quest to find the “thirteenth colony,” Earth. But first, they must find sufficient food and fuel to get far away from the Cylons.
The rest of the book is the human survivors, attempting to get food and fuel from an obscure, out-of-the-way mining planet called, Carillon. In the process, though, they are discovered by the Cylons. From here on, they are “fleeing the Cylon tyranny.”
A RELIGIOUS THEME
The TV series followed a religious theme, but usually with hokey storytelling. Most of that theme was in the form of verbal references to Christian terms and images. The images were, for example, of an alien spaceship that looked like heaven descending, and aliens that seemed like angels. Also there was an episode or two that were “contests with the devil” (played by Patrick MacNee).
You can see the religious theme in this novel, though mostly in the references to “twelve” colonies and the Zodiac. Otherwise, it is a space opera with genre themes of “doing the right thing,” family, and overcoming evil with righteous courage.
SPECIAL EFFECTS FUN BUT A WEAK STORY
So the big draw for the TV series, especially the pilot movie, was the state-of-the-art special effects done by the same company that did them for Star Wars (the first movie of which, had come out only a year before).
How well did the space opera movie translate to a novel? Actually, pretty well. And they did publish several novels based on the original series that kept a fan base going long enough to support a couple of sequel series that did well.
This, the original novel, follows the TV movie, but without the production changes made by the time of the series debut. So we get the original concept of the Cylon pursuit being lead by the Imperious Leader alien rather than the human traitor, Baltar. Also, the Cylons in this novel are actual aliens rather than the robots of the TV series.
The feel of the whole novel is that it is a reworking of a movie script. And it apparently is, as are the subsequent novels. In attempting to convert their script to a novel, the authors have added internals (thoughts and feelings) of their Point of View characters (mostly Adama). They have even included “FROM THE ADAMA JOURNALS” sections at the end of each chapter in an apparent attempt to add character and nuance. The journals are a good touch, but don’t really add much to the main story. Some even strike me as irrelevant.
I have to note that one of this book’s authors, Glen Larsen, is credited as creator and was a primary writer of the Battlestar Galactica TV series.
Much of the narrative prose reads like a synopsis--“telling not showing.” A lot of the dialogue feels unnatural. Maybe it’s not as noticeable on the screen and just didn’t translate well to novel format. While the novel’s point of view is mostly Adama’s, it does move around among several of the characters, reflecting the cinematic view of the movie. This is not bad in itself, but it does tend toward a shallowness of character that is evident in the novel.
Also, I always thought the idea of the twelve home planets being destroyed by mass fighter attacks to be lame. It seems like there should have been some kind of large weapons involved. And the attacks on the planets and the fleet are not depicted (on the screen or in the book), it seems to me, as being large enough. That is, they seem isolated incidents not part of a larger whole. So I got the impression (even from the movie) that the attacks were not big enough to accomplish what the story claims.
GREAT NOSTALGIA, NOT SO GREAT WRITING
Battlestar Galactica, the novel, is a remembrance of great special effects bringing space operas to life. It’s value, for me, is in nostalgia for a TV series that became inspiring despite its storyline hokeyness. Today, in my maturity, I place more value on plot and storytelling techniques that bring characters and situations to life. So I can’t rate this novel highly as a literary work. Even so, I much enjoyed reading it again, and remembering this special, though flawed, inspiration from my youth.
A WELL KNOWN STORYLINE AMONG SCIFI FANS
I know the story well enough, as will my fellow SciFi geeks who are the most likely readers of this book. It goes like this: somewhere else in the galaxy, humans established homes on twelve planets, each named after a sign of the Zodiac. They have been at war with an alien raced called the Cylons for a thousand years. A peace is finally negotiated led by one Count Baltar. But Baltar betrays his fellow humans, setting up the distraction of the peace treaty signing even as the Cylons mass for a final assault on the twelve home worlds (that the human inhabitants call “colonies.” I may have missed it, but I never saw an explanation as to what/whom they are colonies of).
The Cylon attack is discovered by patrolling fighter ships (vipers) from one of the human’s giant, military starship named Galactica. Two of the fighter pilots are sons of the Galactica’s commander, Adama, one of whom is killed as the Cylons attack the human fleet.
The human home worlds are destroyed and the inhabitants exterminated. Their fleet is destroyed except for the battlestar, Galactica. Commander Adama leads the effort to assemble the colonies survivors into whatever spacecraft they can find. The Galactica leads this “ragtag fleet” in a quest to find the “thirteenth colony,” Earth. But first, they must find sufficient food and fuel to get far away from the Cylons.
The rest of the book is the human survivors, attempting to get food and fuel from an obscure, out-of-the-way mining planet called, Carillon. In the process, though, they are discovered by the Cylons. From here on, they are “fleeing the Cylon tyranny.”
A RELIGIOUS THEME
The TV series followed a religious theme, but usually with hokey storytelling. Most of that theme was in the form of verbal references to Christian terms and images. The images were, for example, of an alien spaceship that looked like heaven descending, and aliens that seemed like angels. Also there was an episode or two that were “contests with the devil” (played by Patrick MacNee).
You can see the religious theme in this novel, though mostly in the references to “twelve” colonies and the Zodiac. Otherwise, it is a space opera with genre themes of “doing the right thing,” family, and overcoming evil with righteous courage.
SPECIAL EFFECTS FUN BUT A WEAK STORY
So the big draw for the TV series, especially the pilot movie, was the state-of-the-art special effects done by the same company that did them for Star Wars (the first movie of which, had come out only a year before).
How well did the space opera movie translate to a novel? Actually, pretty well. And they did publish several novels based on the original series that kept a fan base going long enough to support a couple of sequel series that did well.
This, the original novel, follows the TV movie, but without the production changes made by the time of the series debut. So we get the original concept of the Cylon pursuit being lead by the Imperious Leader alien rather than the human traitor, Baltar. Also, the Cylons in this novel are actual aliens rather than the robots of the TV series.
The feel of the whole novel is that it is a reworking of a movie script. And it apparently is, as are the subsequent novels. In attempting to convert their script to a novel, the authors have added internals (thoughts and feelings) of their Point of View characters (mostly Adama). They have even included “FROM THE ADAMA JOURNALS” sections at the end of each chapter in an apparent attempt to add character and nuance. The journals are a good touch, but don’t really add much to the main story. Some even strike me as irrelevant.
I have to note that one of this book’s authors, Glen Larsen, is credited as creator and was a primary writer of the Battlestar Galactica TV series.
Much of the narrative prose reads like a synopsis--“telling not showing.” A lot of the dialogue feels unnatural. Maybe it’s not as noticeable on the screen and just didn’t translate well to novel format. While the novel’s point of view is mostly Adama’s, it does move around among several of the characters, reflecting the cinematic view of the movie. This is not bad in itself, but it does tend toward a shallowness of character that is evident in the novel.
Also, I always thought the idea of the twelve home planets being destroyed by mass fighter attacks to be lame. It seems like there should have been some kind of large weapons involved. And the attacks on the planets and the fleet are not depicted (on the screen or in the book), it seems to me, as being large enough. That is, they seem isolated incidents not part of a larger whole. So I got the impression (even from the movie) that the attacks were not big enough to accomplish what the story claims.
GREAT NOSTALGIA, NOT SO GREAT WRITING
Battlestar Galactica, the novel, is a remembrance of great special effects bringing space operas to life. It’s value, for me, is in nostalgia for a TV series that became inspiring despite its storyline hokeyness. Today, in my maturity, I place more value on plot and storytelling techniques that bring characters and situations to life. So I can’t rate this novel highly as a literary work. Even so, I much enjoyed reading it again, and remembering this special, though flawed, inspiration from my youth.
April 4, 2012
It took me a whole month to read this book. Youch. Med school is really kicking in with no free time thing at the moment.
But back to the book, from what I recall it really was great. What I enjoyed the most was the classic science fiction cornerstone that this novel represents. I wasn't reading it for the story or adventure so much as I was for the inevitable knowledge that this would bring to my future scifi books.
That said, it didn't disappoint. It did bore me a bit at times, and the dialogue seemed downright childish at times, but aside from that it was definitely worth reading.
Cheers for cornerstone genre novels!
But back to the book, from what I recall it really was great. What I enjoyed the most was the classic science fiction cornerstone that this novel represents. I wasn't reading it for the story or adventure so much as I was for the inevitable knowledge that this would bring to my future scifi books.
That said, it didn't disappoint. It did bore me a bit at times, and the dialogue seemed downright childish at times, but aside from that it was definitely worth reading.
Cheers for cornerstone genre novels!
December 11, 2019
This book was exactly what I expected, Battlestar Galactica's original series television debut. There are small differences between the book and the show but this is definitely worth reading to any SciFi fan. For fans of the original series this is a trip down memory lane and a return to our youth.
July 30, 2023
I can't believe how much I enjoyed this silly book. I've recently read a number of adaptations of 70s and 80s films and though a few are good, most are not. Still, I keep giving them a chance and I'm glad I did.
Admittedly, I went in with low expectations and I was also trying to make my way through Lando Calrissian and the Mindhard of Sharu when I started this, so I merely hoped it would be better. Well, I abandoned Lando and finished this in a few days it was so much fun.
While it's an adaptation of the original pilot, there are plenty of differences here that are intriguing, mostly involving background info on the Cylon race that they could never get into on network TV. That was the best part.
The worst part was some dated writing about women (at some point Apollo tells Serina, "...you're too pretty to look sad" (p. 243). This after the annihilation of their civilization and a close call with the Cylons and Ovions, bug like creatures that are harvesting humans for food!) So yeah, there's that and a love triangle between two women and Starbuck that never really goes anywhere, not to mention some fat jokes at Jolly's expense, but they're minor enough I can live with it.
The fighter battles become less interesting as the book continues and by the end, even the authors seems weary of them. In fact, the entire ending felt less enthusiastic than most everything before it. And yet...
I enjoyed it! The beginning was far more interesting than I imagined and when they first arrive at the Ovion planet, they're made to feel welcome and we get into the POV of both alien races. There was some nice tension and even horror with the Ovions that unfortunately, wasn't played out further.
So, 3.5 stars rounded up, for a surprisingly fun book and a piece of nostalgia (yes, I read part of it while listening to the original 1978 soundtrack thanks to YouTube.)
Admittedly, I went in with low expectations and I was also trying to make my way through Lando Calrissian and the Mindhard of Sharu when I started this, so I merely hoped it would be better. Well, I abandoned Lando and finished this in a few days it was so much fun.
While it's an adaptation of the original pilot, there are plenty of differences here that are intriguing, mostly involving background info on the Cylon race that they could never get into on network TV. That was the best part.
The worst part was some dated writing about women (at some point Apollo tells Serina, "...you're too pretty to look sad" (p. 243). This after the annihilation of their civilization and a close call with the Cylons and Ovions, bug like creatures that are harvesting humans for food!) So yeah, there's that and a love triangle between two women and Starbuck that never really goes anywhere, not to mention some fat jokes at Jolly's expense, but they're minor enough I can live with it.
The fighter battles become less interesting as the book continues and by the end, even the authors seems weary of them. In fact, the entire ending felt less enthusiastic than most everything before it. And yet...
I enjoyed it! The beginning was far more interesting than I imagined and when they first arrive at the Ovion planet, they're made to feel welcome and we get into the POV of both alien races. There was some nice tension and even horror with the Ovions that unfortunately, wasn't played out further.
So, 3.5 stars rounded up, for a surprisingly fun book and a piece of nostalgia (yes, I read part of it while listening to the original 1978 soundtrack thanks to YouTube.)
November 3, 2024
As a huge Battlestar Galactica fan, particularly of the early 2000s reboot (easily one of my favorite shows ever), I couldn't resist picking up the 1978 novelization when I stumbled across it at a used bookstore. I thought it’d be interesting to see where it all began, but I didn’t expect this book to be as good as it was! Honestly, I don’t know if it’s my love for the show influencing my enjoyment, but this book held up surprisingly well, both in storytelling and character depth.
The book does a fantastic job explaining the entire conflict with the Cylons and giving much-needed backstory to the war and humanity’s struggle for survival. I loved the differences between this novel and the show I know so well. Male Starbuck, for one, was such a fun character to read! Seeing him in a love triangle with Adama's daughter—a storyline that doesn’t exist in the reboot—was incredibly entertaining. I get why they changed it for the reboot, but it was fascinating to see how Starbuck was originally imagined. And Boomer! I found myself loving Boomer even more in the book, especially with Starbuck's endearing nickname, “Boom-Boom.” Starbuck’s humor was so sharp here, it really came through.
One of the most gripping parts was Zac and Apollo’s discovery of the massive Cylon fleet poised to annihilate the 12 colonies. The heartbreak of Zac’s death as he tried to warn Galactica, and the moment Adama had to tell the president his son had died amidst all the political tension, was so well done. The sequence from the peace treaty’s betrayal to the bombing of the colonies was so intensely written that I kept stopping to tell my husband how great it was!
If you’re a fan of Battlestar Galactica in any form, I can’t recommend this book enough. It feels like returning to an old friend, with enough differences to make it feel fresh, and I’d give anything to rewatch the series for the first time. This book came close to giving me that experience, and I absolutely loved it. A solid 5 stars.
The book does a fantastic job explaining the entire conflict with the Cylons and giving much-needed backstory to the war and humanity’s struggle for survival. I loved the differences between this novel and the show I know so well. Male Starbuck, for one, was such a fun character to read! Seeing him in a love triangle with Adama's daughter—a storyline that doesn’t exist in the reboot—was incredibly entertaining. I get why they changed it for the reboot, but it was fascinating to see how Starbuck was originally imagined. And Boomer! I found myself loving Boomer even more in the book, especially with Starbuck's endearing nickname, “Boom-Boom.” Starbuck’s humor was so sharp here, it really came through.
One of the most gripping parts was Zac and Apollo’s discovery of the massive Cylon fleet poised to annihilate the 12 colonies. The heartbreak of Zac’s death as he tried to warn Galactica, and the moment Adama had to tell the president his son had died amidst all the political tension, was so well done. The sequence from the peace treaty’s betrayal to the bombing of the colonies was so intensely written that I kept stopping to tell my husband how great it was!
If you’re a fan of Battlestar Galactica in any form, I can’t recommend this book enough. It feels like returning to an old friend, with enough differences to make it feel fresh, and I’d give anything to rewatch the series for the first time. This book came close to giving me that experience, and I absolutely loved it. A solid 5 stars.
November 23, 2025
This book is a novelization of Saga of a Star World, the premiere episode of Battlestar Galactica, which originally aired on September 17, 1978. The episode itself was a triple-length special and is usually presented as three separate parts in syndication. It was also released theatrically as a standalone film under the title Battlestar Galactica.
Interestingly, this novelization was published several months before the episode aired. Because of that, it contains a number of discrepancies and alternate details compared to the final version of the show. Many of these differences—such as Boxey not being Serena’s biological son, or the expanded descriptions of the Cylons—suggest that the novel was based on an early draft of the script, before various elements were changed during production.
The core story follows the same general plot as the televised premiere, so readers familiar with the episode will recognize most of the major events. However, the book includes several unique scenes, character details, and world-building elements that don’t appear in the final broadcast version. The fans who are curious about these deviations will find an extensive list of them on the novel’s wiki page, including things like excerpts from The Adama Journals, early versions of character interactions, expanded descriptions of Cylon biology, and subplots that were ultimately omitted from the show.
Overall, as a novelization, it does a solid job. It retells the story in an engaging way, adds interesting background details, and offers a fascinating look at what Battlestar Galactica might have been like in an earlier stage of development. For fans of the franchise, it’s definitely worth reading.
Interestingly, this novelization was published several months before the episode aired. Because of that, it contains a number of discrepancies and alternate details compared to the final version of the show. Many of these differences—such as Boxey not being Serena’s biological son, or the expanded descriptions of the Cylons—suggest that the novel was based on an early draft of the script, before various elements were changed during production.
The core story follows the same general plot as the televised premiere, so readers familiar with the episode will recognize most of the major events. However, the book includes several unique scenes, character details, and world-building elements that don’t appear in the final broadcast version. The fans who are curious about these deviations will find an extensive list of them on the novel’s wiki page, including things like excerpts from The Adama Journals, early versions of character interactions, expanded descriptions of Cylon biology, and subplots that were ultimately omitted from the show.
Overall, as a novelization, it does a solid job. It retells the story in an engaging way, adds interesting background details, and offers a fascinating look at what Battlestar Galactica might have been like in an earlier stage of development. For fans of the franchise, it’s definitely worth reading.
February 13, 2021
Based on the original movie this book is different!
First Sentence in the book states that the Galactica was as big as a Planet! Definetly not the Galactica in the TV series or Movie.
The characters are more in depth and you get a feel of the pain of the destruction of the colonies in Adama and his strength and command presence.
The Cylons are Lizard like and not robots. Chapter 2 describes the multibrained Cylons and how they grow up and communicate. Really good.
According to interviews found on the web the book was written by Thurston but was based on early scripts given to him by Larson. Larson just stamped his name on the book for legal purposes.
I really enjoyed this book and have actually done an in depth study comparing this book to the move and Episode on our Youtube Channel https://www.facebook.com/InterFleetBr...
LITTLE KNOWN FACT: The Canadian Version has some sentences of Sex and Curse words that were deleted from the others!
First Sentence in the book states that the Galactica was as big as a Planet! Definetly not the Galactica in the TV series or Movie.
The characters are more in depth and you get a feel of the pain of the destruction of the colonies in Adama and his strength and command presence.
The Cylons are Lizard like and not robots. Chapter 2 describes the multibrained Cylons and how they grow up and communicate. Really good.
According to interviews found on the web the book was written by Thurston but was based on early scripts given to him by Larson. Larson just stamped his name on the book for legal purposes.
I really enjoyed this book and have actually done an in depth study comparing this book to the move and Episode on our Youtube Channel https://www.facebook.com/InterFleetBr...
LITTLE KNOWN FACT: The Canadian Version has some sentences of Sex and Curse words that were deleted from the others!
August 7, 2025
I read this book in 2025 because I had previously watched the Battlestar Galactica television series (the newer one) and was curious.
This book is very different from the new version, but to my understanding, closely follows the original series from the 70's.
This is book 1 in a 14 book series so don't expect any resolutions in book one. This book is mostly set up with Cylons attacking the 12 colonies and Adama suggesting that the only option left is to search for the mythical Earth.
In the latter part of the book there is the problem of lack of resources and the crew must try to get fuel and food via a Tyllium mine. This takes a weird turn and I wasn't sure if I liked where things went or not.
Also, the writing feels very clunky. It didn't fall right on my ears at all. Not sure if it's the age of the book or the fact this appears to be written as a tv show tie in rather than its own neat thing.
I didn't hate it, but I also am not in a hurry to continue the series.
This book is very different from the new version, but to my understanding, closely follows the original series from the 70's.
This is book 1 in a 14 book series so don't expect any resolutions in book one. This book is mostly set up with Cylons attacking the 12 colonies and Adama suggesting that the only option left is to search for the mythical Earth.
In the latter part of the book there is the problem of lack of resources and the crew must try to get fuel and food via a Tyllium mine. This takes a weird turn and I wasn't sure if I liked where things went or not.
Also, the writing feels very clunky. It didn't fall right on my ears at all. Not sure if it's the age of the book or the fact this appears to be written as a tv show tie in rather than its own neat thing.
I didn't hate it, but I also am not in a hurry to continue the series.
April 8, 2023
4.5 stelline
Battlestar Galactica (2003) è stata una delle serie di fantascienza più belle che abbia mai visto. Non sono ancora riuscita a vedere quella originale degli anni '70 (purtroppo cancellata) ma dopo aver letto questa novelization lo farò sicuramente.
Quest'opera è la prima di una serie di 14 titoli tratti dagli episodi, ma purtroppo è l'unica ad essere stata tradotta in italiano. Chissà che magari riuscirò a cimentarmi con le letture in inglese questa volta. Anche perché sono curiosa di seguire le vicende di personaggi a me tanto cari come Adamo, Apollo, Starbucks.
Nel frattempo mi accontento di vederli sullo schermo e di ascoltare quella meravigliosa colonna sonora partorita dalla grande mente di Bear McCreary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c2ZJ...
Pura poesia. Come del resto tutta la serie.
Battlestar Galactica (2003) è stata una delle serie di fantascienza più belle che abbia mai visto. Non sono ancora riuscita a vedere quella originale degli anni '70 (purtroppo cancellata) ma dopo aver letto questa novelization lo farò sicuramente.
Quest'opera è la prima di una serie di 14 titoli tratti dagli episodi, ma purtroppo è l'unica ad essere stata tradotta in italiano. Chissà che magari riuscirò a cimentarmi con le letture in inglese questa volta. Anche perché sono curiosa di seguire le vicende di personaggi a me tanto cari come Adamo, Apollo, Starbucks.
Nel frattempo mi accontento di vederli sullo schermo e di ascoltare quella meravigliosa colonna sonora partorita dalla grande mente di Bear McCreary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c2ZJ...
Pura poesia. Come del resto tutta la serie.
July 29, 2025
Got hooked on the TV series so bought the book too. Was not disappointed.
The book strongly relates and remains true to the characters on screen and add a deeper level, in the way only the written word can.
A scene that sticks with me to this day is of a pilot launching his viper ready to face death, as was a daily occurence, yet of the mindset that even if he had known this would be the day he died, he would have still launched anyway. That's quite powerful stuff when you're a young teen and still powerful enough when you're in your 50's.
The original concept of a Battlestar, let alone the only (almost) surviving one of 12 after betrayal, was so brilliant the whole series was later remade, with modern special effects and the kind of commitment this series deserved. If you've loved the new (2015) Galactica series, you still need to read this book.
The book strongly relates and remains true to the characters on screen and add a deeper level, in the way only the written word can.
A scene that sticks with me to this day is of a pilot launching his viper ready to face death, as was a daily occurence, yet of the mindset that even if he had known this would be the day he died, he would have still launched anyway. That's quite powerful stuff when you're a young teen and still powerful enough when you're in your 50's.
The original concept of a Battlestar, let alone the only (almost) surviving one of 12 after betrayal, was so brilliant the whole series was later remade, with modern special effects and the kind of commitment this series deserved. If you've loved the new (2015) Galactica series, you still need to read this book.
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