Babylon 5: The Shadow Within
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The Shadow Within is a Babylon 5 novel written by Jeanne Cavelos, onetime editor of Dell Books and author of the Babylon 5 Technomage trilogy. According to Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski, the book is "90% canonical," though he has not clarified which parts are not canonical.
The events of the novel detail two nearly unrelated plotlines early in 2257, just prior to Babylon 5: The Gathering, the series pilot. The main plot deals with the voyage of the Icarus to Z'ha'dum and the fate of Anna Sheridan, wife of future Babylon 5 commander John Sheridan. The secondary plotline deals with John Sheridan's command of an Earthforce ship and a Homeguard plot to destroy Babylon 5.
This novel details how Anna became invovled with the IPX expedition to Z'ha'dum, how she met Morden and how she became the Shadow-infested shell of who she had once been who turned up in the final episode of season three of Babylon 5.
It also details how and why Morden chose to become an agent of the Shadows. He was widower whose wife and daughter were killed in a terrorist attack on a jumpgate. The Shadows were able to tap into his guilt and terror that the people he had loved most were somehow still suffering still, and he thus promised to serve them in return for their promise that they could end their suffering and the guilt that tormented him. It is an interesting subversion of one of the series' most enigmatic villains into a man who is essentially suffering in purgatory for those he loves most. This is particularly interesting given how the series portrayed not dissimilar changes of character and perspective on other main characters.
These details are referenced in Jeanne Cavelos's other novels The Technomage Trilogy, which is considered 100% canon.
Because of the plot details revealed this novel is best read after season 3 of the series.
