oltayre's Encyclopedia Xenobiologica (or VEX) sets itself apart from other Babylon 5 web resources by being organized not by episode, but by the people, races, organizations and technology that comprise the Babylon 5 universe -- the threads that the plots are woven from. Its information is drawn from a plethora of sources, starting with the episodes, of course, but also the novels, comic books, role-playing game, online posts by J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5's creator and producer), and even Micro Machines. Russo admits that he embellishes a few minor background elements with his own ideas. For instance Voltayre, the fictitious creator of the Encyclopedia, sometimes refers to personal interactions with the show's main characters -- but all non-canon articles and facts are marked as such.
Six main sections comprise VEX: Sentients, Creatures, Galactic Organizations, Technology, Locations, and Character Profiles. Each entry is arranged by subheadings that further classify and quantify everything. For example, entries about Sentients list, among other things, Psychology, History, Religions, and Technology. Almost every entry is illustrated. There is also an appendix which contains maps, timelines and miscellaneous topics such as diseases and xenolinguistics. Entries are cross-referenced with hypertext links and there is a notes page which provides the source (e.g., which episode, novel, etc. the information comes from). Finally there is a Frequently Asked Questions page which explains certain VEX conventions, as well as a page of links to other Babylon 5 Web resources.
A Babylon 5 trivia trove
The quality of this fan site is astounding. The information is truly comprehensive, covering everything from Babylon 5's central characters to aliens glimpsed for half a second walking down a hall. In fact, the main index has more than 200 items. Background on the more obscure elements is, of course, sparse, but Russo clearly combs his sources for every available factoid. The entries covering the central characters, races and items are quite thorough and well organized.
This mountain of data wouldn't be any good, however, if it wasn't well presented, and VEX shines in this area. The writing is excellent, always clear and interesting, never dry. Almost every entry is illustrated, and the site's graphics are quite professional, providing decoration and organization without getting in the way, enhancing the feeling that users are truly reading a document of the future. In this regard VEX is more than a database; it immerses readers in a science fiction/Babylon 5 environment. Most of the pages have advertisements, some of which actually link to more information about the site's "sponsors." It's great fun. The site also gets high marks for ease of navigation.
A few of the graphics didn't load, including some maps, which was disappointing. The ability to search the site would also be useful. Otherwise the site is faultless.
