Dark Genesis: The Birth of the Psi Corps (Babylon 5: Saga of Psi Corps, #1) by Greg Keyes

Dark Genesis: The Birth of the Psi Corps (Babylon 5: Saga of Psi Corps, #1) Reviews

• 
  Daniël

  Disclaimer: I'm a big fan of Babylon 5.
  
  This book was thoroughly enjoyable, even if it didn't take place in one of my favourite sci-fi universes. The premise is great: How would a human society react to the sudden discovery of people with telepathic abilities. The reaction makes sense, and the way the subject is handled feels like it really would be the reaction that humans would have to people who can read minds. The fear of these new people is believable, but so is the political posturing to control these new capabilities.
  
  Here's a breakdown of the good and the bad:
  
  The Good
  
  The setting: It takes place in an earlier time of the B5 universe. A universe that's not that far removed from our own. Earth is slowly uniting, with all the growing pains that would bring.
  The characters: The characters are interesting and all are both great and flawed in their own unique ways. The book goes over multiple generations, showing how society adapts over time in how the generations react to similar problems.
  
  
  The Bad
  
  The speed: Everything goes at a very rapid pace and this goes at the cost of depth. I would like to read more about all of the major sections of the books and lots more about how telepaths read and work.
  
• 
  John Kaess

  This is book 1 of the Psi Corp Trilogy, stories written in the world of Babylon 5. I've finished the trilogy, and this is by far the best of the three stories. It goes back about a hundred and fifty or so years before the time of Babylon 5 and sets the stage for how and why the Psi Corp was formed. It is very thought provoking, interesting and well told. It goes all the way back to discovering the first human telepaths and the time before we've found the existence of other races in the galaxy. The characters and the decisions they have to make are well formed and it really gives you an appreciation for the reason why the Psi Corp exists in Babylon 5 and why joining Psi Corp is mandatory for all telepaths unless they agree to take "sleeper injections" which removes their telepathic abilities. If you love Babylon 5, this entire trilogy is a must read, but in particular, this first book is even more so and is highly recommended. All the books in this trilogy are considered canon in the Babylon 5 universe.
• 
  Travis

  I absolutely loved the television series. It probably still stands as one of the best science fiction shows of all time. It's funny that I never considered reading the books before and this was my first. I think I want to rewatch the series now because this book was amazing. Babylon 5 is unique in the fact that most of material released, including novels, comics, and short stories are considered canon and are based of outlines by the show's creator. I think I will watch the show again and read the novels where they fit in the timeline. If you are a Babylon 5 fan don't skip the books!
• 
  Andrew

  So now to add another review - first off I will admit when Babylon 5 was aired I was a fan - ok the stories were a little ropy the special effects were sometimes showing their "experimental" roots too much and the acting a little wooden - I am sure there are plenty more criticisms out there - BUT I religiously watched it each week waiting for the next instalment. I was glued.
  Then then pulled the plug and the series was cancelled. However what it has left is many more shows where green screening is the norm (where shows now can be made where budgets are at least possible), where science fiction series are no longer afraid to share a story that runs longer than the "to be continued...." end of series cliff hanger and where everyday subjects can be given a fantastical and imaginary turn, oh and a whole string of spin off books.
  Well that is where Dark Genesis comes in - its an attempt at explain how the PSI Corps came in to being and charts the rise and fall of the TV series most enigmatic and hated characters - Alfred Bester (and yes they make no secret that that its a nod to the Author himself).
  This book really charts the creation of the Crops and the eventual introduction of characters we will see during the TV shows - some more obvious than others. The story is like some dynastic history where specific events from certain peoples lives are chronicled - then the next chapter or section many years have jumped forward - till eventually you are introduced to the child who will become Bester.
  The book is a strange one in that there are many names and hints that make it feel a B5 story however no references (apart from the cover) to where it is going. as such as a standalone book with no prior knowledge of what it is part of its a rather flat read - not bad just wondering where it will go - i guess the next in the trilogy is where things start getting interesting and familiar. I shall wait and see...
• 
  Stefan

  I am a slow reader. it can take me weeks to finish the average paperback, but I devoured Dark Genesis in less than a day. Then I had to run out and get the rest of the trilogy.
  The book fills in parts of the back story of the B5 universe in amazing detail. You are carried along with the characters. I learned to understand Bester, his motivations and desires. I don't like him but I can respect him.
  
• 
  Lynne

  I love Babylon 5. All of it. But I have to say that I had some difficulty getting through the first part of this first book in this series. It was slow and truly I just never came to care about the people in it. Later on the story did pick up and I got through it. But if this hadn't been a Babylon 5 book and I not been such a huge fan of the whole B5 universe? I would never have stuck with it as long as I did.
• 
  Jesús

  Quite a good book if you liked Babylon 5 TV series. I thought it would be just a regular book, purely entertaining but nothing else. Of course, this is not a book where to look for philosophical thoughts or poetical writing, but it is quite well written, very dynamic and explains not only the birth of psi corps but the origin of human telepaths themselves. As far as I remember, it is very accurately linked to Babylon 5 universe. In fact, this trilogy is considered canon.
• 
  Ian Swallow

  I first read this shortly after finishing Babylon 5, it was fascinating to discover the history of the Psi Corp as well as forgotten family ties between characters from B5. Now after my most recent re-watch of Babylon 5 I found the book once again. Now I can see it's imperfections clearer but also how Keyes works in themes from the show too that i missed the first time. Overall it's a good read for any B5 fan interested in learning more about the Psi Corp etc.
• 
  Hila

  This is by far the best of the trilogy and one of the better B5 books. It shows how society unravels at the discovery of psionic powers, and then rights itself back up in the structure that we come to know on the show. It is the very bit that is missing in (the real) Alfred Bester's The Demolished Man to understand how the world came to be.
• 
  Suzanne Rutherford

  Yet another read through and still a brilliant book.
• 
  Sean Charles

  I don’t know why I never gave the Babylon 5 books a try. This was a wonderful return to the series!
• 
  Dan

  J. Michael Straczynski really fizzled when it came to sustaining a memorable story arc regarding the PSI Corps on the series Babylon 5. Getting the chance to have a fifth and final season, he creates an impending war between the PSI Corps and normal humans ("Mundanes") then never delivers. Fortunately, he allows J. Gregory Keyes to flesh out the full story, starting from its chaotic inception. The novels are dark and brooding. The first novel, Dark Genesis: The Birth of the Psi Corps ends with Bester's birth and deliverance to the corps (after the loss of his parents). While it is interesting, most of it is hack.
  
  The trilogy really takes off with the second edition,
  Deadly Relations: Bester Ascendant, delineating Bester's PSI Corps training and rise to the top. It is full of delicious details and insights. Unfortunately, it ends with Bester planning a visit to Babylon 5 to round up Jason Ironheart.
  
  The third installment
  Final Reckoning: The Fate of Bester picks up the tale of Bester well after the telepath war is finished. He leaves the fate of Lyta Alexander to speculation and instead concentrates on Garibaldi's quest for revenge. Much of this novel is poorly written and hack. In the end Keyes manages to deliver a decent resolution which ties his trilogy together. I will not provide spoilers, but this novel is certainly a must for anyone interested in whatever happened to Mr. Garibaldi and Mr. Bester.
• 
  Roger Weir

  This book was okay. I did enjoy the idea, being the birth of PSI Corps, but was a bit disappointed as it often got bogged down in action scenes that did little to move the story on.
  
  The best parts were the understanding of how and why the telepaths evolved.
  
  I’ll read the next two in the sequence as I’m under lockdown.
  
  Not bad.
• 
  Sean Talbot

  Was very disappointed with this book and I had wanted to read this for so long. Something seemed to be missing and I didn't feel invested in any of the characters. This doesn't live up to the B5 name.
• 
  Sye Keene

  I nice recollection back to Babylon 5. Always wondered what the back story was for the Psi Corp. Now at least I know why they were such a pain in the a** in B5. I still can't think of the Psi Corp. without picturing Koenig. Generally a entertaining read.
• 
  Elspeth Artifex

  ripping read!
• 
  Martin

  Some really interesting ideas in this book. Almost a shame that it's confined to the B5 universe.
• 
  Jason

  I loved this continuing story of the Psi Corps. It was fast paced and kept me on the edge.
• 
  Deborah Pye

  So so good to continue with our much loved characters... even the awesome Bester! Love him!
• 
  Debra Manskey

  After a very solid start, this one lost its way around the start of the final act. Nevertheless, a good foundation that is true to the flavour of the B5 world.
• 
  Brian

  It took a while before I got into the book. In fact, I really didn't enjoy reading the first half of the book. The concept is basically outlining the early years of the Psi Corps through a select set of characters, over several generations. The problem was there were too many instances of the same exact character types through each generation. Every incarnation has the strong female leader, the quiet passive romantic male and always one incredibly gifted child. This led to some serious confusion between characters, when they all of their personalities bled into each other. Worse so when 2 generations overlapped.
  
  The motivations of the resistance were a bit too cliche, and difficult to understand -- they seem to fight only for the sake of fighting. One character even questions if there is anything to it other than doing what is expected of them. Later in the book, the author just throws us a bone to give some sense of immediate purpose, but it was also quite cliche, painting the book in absolutes, instead of delving into form of serious issues. For those reasons, I found the resistance part of the story very uninteresting.
  
  The saving grace of the book is everything else. The inside story of the Psi Corps, the senator striving towards his answers, and a bit of good-old alien interactions. This is why I wanted to read the book, and I was quite satisfied with what I got.
  
  The writing itself is pretty well done. It was easy to read, and the dialogue was well done. Again, the issue was that of character development. I really didn't empathize with hardly any of the characters, which gave me a total lack of motivation to read more than a few pages at a time, at least during the first half of the book. I did quite like 2 or 3 of the characters towards the end of the book. Upon finishing it, I am quite interested in starting the 2nd in the series, because I get the feeling that the "growing pains" section of the series is out of the way.
• 
  J Rhodes

  Dark Genesis is an interesting novel. It's a Babylon 5 tie-in that, really, has very little to do with the TV series it is based on. It's set over one-hundred years before and the only connections it has to the storyline proper is a few surnames and organizations. When I first read it as a teenager, I was disappointed by that.
  
  When I revisited it later, I found it to be a really fascinating novel. Ultimately, it's one of the best novels I've read that concerns the idea of 'what if supernatural beings suddenly emerged among us?' Dark Genesis is about how the world changes when telepaths emerge seemingly out of nowhere. It's concerned with who prospers, who suffers, who manipulates them, and how the world changes as a consequence.
  
  In that sense, it's a shame that it's a tie-in. Ultimately, the story in this novel could be a trilogy of its own. As it is, the novel rushes through decades of history and explores around three generations of characters, for better or worse. At points, it reads less like a sci-fi novel and more like a history book. I wish that there were more books like Dark Genesis, focusing on the societal ramifications and big questions raised by such an event. If your neighbour might be able to read your mind without you knowing, might be able to make you do things just by thinking it, how would the world look? Not pretty, Keyes posits.
  
  Keyes is a solid writer. The plot flows well and the dialogue is fun. There's a lot of interesting ideas, but the characters suffer from how quickly they live, breathe, and die. Lee Crawford, Kevin Vacit, and the others are all interesting enough but, in a way, deserved more than one novel. But it's a good story and Keyes takes full advantage of being able to write so far removed from the core Babylon 5 timeline.
• 
  Benjamin Thomas

  I completed Dark Genesis, The Birth of the Psi Corps last night. I watched all 5 seasons of Babylon 5 via DvD a couple of years ago and came away with a profound respect for the work of J. Michael Straczynski. Not only did he create the show but he built the entire story arc and authored almost all of the scripts for the show. But even in 5 complete seasons, there is always room to learn more about various aspects of the show. The background and fate of the character Bester has always interested me so I specifically looked for the Psi Corps trilogy written by J. Gregory Keyes. I was gratified to learn that Mr Keyes wrote his Babylon 5 novels from an outline by Mr Straczynski so I felt confident that the novel was an "official" part of the Babylon 5 canon.
  
  This first novel of the trilogy serves largely as background. I enjoyed seeing how the Psi Corps began and watching the evolving dichotomy of humans with psychic abilities vs those without. I liked seeing characters with familiar names (ancestors of some on the show). But overall I felt it was a little flat. I think there was just too much territory to cover, too much of a timespan to cover in a fairly thin book (~280 pages). The novel really was a series of connected short stories depicting certain aspects in time of this great transformation in society. The fact that the human race also experienced first contact with intelligent life outside Earth (Centauri) was largely lost in the rest. I have read a few reviews of the rest of the trilogy though and most agree the second two books really pick up, especially as they concern Bester himself. So I look forward to reading them soon.
• 
  Daniel Kukwa

  My Babylon 5 days seem such a long time ago now...and many of the novels they produced in the early days didn't come close to the quality of the Star Trek & Doctor Who lines. But the latter B5 books improved exponentially, and this one was my particular favourite. It expands greatly on the the creation of telepaths & the Psi Corps, and how these events tied into the future B5 series. It's a touch disjointed at times, as it's made up of substantial vignettes that hop forward in time...but it's still a solid, exciting read...with a few juicy continuity surprises for fans.
  
  File under "golden glow of 1990s nostalgia".
  
• 
  Sharon

  This book delves into the history of human telepaths and the start of the Psi Corps on Earth. It entails the stories of many different people, all of whom have a relation to characters from the TV series. It starts out with the discovery of human telepaths and the reaction of the people. Covering a span of about 75 years from beginning to end, it does a great job detailing how things got started and why they became what they were in the time of the Babylon 5 station. This is a great start to what looks to be a wonderful series.
• 
  Monique Kirkley

  This was pretty bad. I really think the Great Maker was trying to do too much with the story lines. After reading the Legions of Fire... this arch of the telepath war didn't feel like a Bab 5 novel to me. It felt strangely distant, not because the characters were not the characters of the present-day story, but because of the disorganized and crazy way this book was written! Like one other reviewer put, I just don't care for these characters.